The Ministry of Education and Culture is strengthening grassroots culture in Saarland and is supporting seven amateur cultural associations in 2026 with total funding amounting to 132,400 euros.
The funds will promote the further professionalization of association work, especially to ensure sustainable youth work as well as to plan and implement cultural projects throughout the country.
Minister of Education and Culture Christine Streichert-Clivot: “Our grassroots culture is the foundation of cultural life in Saarland. It brings people together, creates community, and enables cultural participation – both in cities and in rural areas. Behind this commitment are thousands of volunteers who breathe life into choirs, music clubs, theater groups, carnival clubs, or traditional costume and dance groups. With the funding, we support the associations in positioning their important work sustainably for the future and particularly in inspiring young people for cultural engagement.”
The funding serves the further professionalization of association work. It supports the associations in further developing their organizational structures, planning projects long-term, and expanding their offerings for members and young talents. Especially in view of increasing demands on club work, digitalization, volunteer management, and recruiting young people, reliable structures are an important prerequisite for grassroots culture to continue to unfold its social significance in the future.
The funded associations are:
Saarland Choir Association (33,800 euros):
“The professionalization funds are an important cornerstone for the future-proof further development of the associations. They make it possible to consistently expand cultural youth work and to specifically support local clubs in their voluntary work. Especially with regard to future challenges, reliable support through these funds remains of great importance,” said Jutta Schmitt-Lang, President of the Saarland Choir Association.
Association of Saarland Music Clubs (33,800 euros):
“The state's professionalization funding strengthens our association work – so that we can support our clubs even better in the future,” said Max Raber, President of the Association of Saarland Music Clubs e.V.
Association of Saarland Carnival Clubs (33,800 euros):
“Thanks to the renewed commitment of the professionalization funds from the Saarland Ministry of Culture, we can make our structures fit for the future. Concretely, this means efficient guidance and support of our over 180 member clubs by a full-time office and qualified trainings as well as sustainable promotion in the youth sector with our VSK youth,” said Stefan Regert, President of the Association of Saarland Carnival Clubs e.V.
Association of Saarland Amateur Theaters (17,000 euros):
“The allocation of the professionalization funds is a very helpful support for our association work by the Ministry of Culture, with which we can again carry out excellent projects this year, especially in the field of youth work, for our member clubs,” said Thomas Redelberger, President of the Association of Saarland Amateur Theaters.
Association for Plucked and Folk Music Saar (7,000 euros):
“The professionalization funds enable us to carry out the association work faster and with higher quality, which leaves more time for the core tasks of musical-cultural education,” said Dr. Marcel Wirtz, President of the Association for Plucked and Folk Music Saar e.V.
Saarland Folk Dance and Costume Association (7,000 euros):
“The Saarland Folk Dance and Costume Association e.V. is pleased about the funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture, especially to strengthen grassroots culture in our association,” said Andrea Mark-Fuchs, President of the Saarland Folk Dance and Costume Association e.V.
Saarland Accordion Association (7,000 euros):
“The Saarland Accordion Association e.V. thanks the Ministry of Education and Culture for the grant provided for the purchase of children's instruments and Pixi books, which we want to make available to kindergartens and music schools for early musical education, in order to present the accordion as ‘Instrument of the Year 2026’ and hopefully thus attract interested young talents,” said Claudia Emmrich, Managing Director of the Saarland Accordion Association.
The funding is also an important component of Saarland’s cultural policy guidelines, which were developed in a broad participation process together with cultural practitioners, clubs, municipalities, and other partners. The guideline “Grassroots Culture” emphasizes the special significance of volunteer cultural engagement as the foundation of a lively, democratic cultural society. With the professionalization of the associations, Saarland is specifically setting impulses to secure the future viability of grassroots culture.
