Services
We love to set things in motion!
Bureau Ritter collaborates with partners from the fields of culture, politics and government to develop forward-thinking projects and initiatives. Our aim is to strengthen the cultural sector in Germany, in all its uniqueness and diversity. We create innovative strategies for cultural policy and implement funding programmes for culture and the arts, with a strong focus on dance. In this we draw on our extensive experience and many years of fruitful collaboration with the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
Our range of services is aimed at cultural institutions and administrations, policy makers and government departments, private foundations and funders, colleges, universities, independent organisations and individuals in the fields of culture and the arts, particularly dance.
Impactful strategies for cultural funding
Bureau Ritter analyses gaps in existing funding provisions, designs development plans for specific arts sectors and puts them into action. Our core concern is to ensure that funding programmes are effective and impactful.
Together with our partners we then devise appropriate grant programmes – ranging from short-term recovery grants to longer-term, structural support programmes. We also review existing funding tools and make recommendations for how to improve them.
Our experienced team – supported on occasion by external experts – manages all aspects of the funding cycle on behalf of public administrations and foundations: from digital application portals to managing the selection process in a transparent way, and from technical reporting processes to financial audits.
We not only address important socio-cultural issues such as the preservation of intangible cultural heritage or the impact of ageism in dance, but also launch ground-breaking initiatives to tackle them, often with a wide international reach.
Advice for cultural professionals and public administrations
Based on our many years of experience, Bureau Ritter advises artists, cultural professionals, arts organisations and funders on the entire spectrum of arts funding on a regional, national and European level.
As lead partner of the large-scale cooperation project Dance On, Pass On, Dream On, we can share our experiences of being funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS INCLUDE:
- Pre-application support: How do I sift through countless funding opportunities to find the right grant for my project?
- Grant writing: How do I write a convincing application?
- Reports and record keeping: How do I document my activities and what kinds of reports do I need to submit?
Bureau Ritter can also provide information on best practices for application and selection procedures, grant agreements, drawdown of funds and public funding laws.
Drawing on our extensive network of artists and cultural professionals, we are happy to recommend experts for selection committees, mentorship programmes or evaluation reports.
Keynotes and speeches
“A good speech has a good beginning and a good end and very little in between.” In her speeches Madeline Ritter follows this piece of advice attributed to Mark Twain. She is frequently invited to hold lectures on a range of topics related to cultural policy and has given inspiring opening speeches at festivals and award ceremonies.
Madeline Ritter, Artistic Director and CEO of Bureau Ritter, states: “We all together will Dance On!”. We will campaign tirelessly for further funding – out of the deepest conviction and joy in dancing.
At the conclusion of our DANCE ON, PASS ON, DREAM ON project, we took a look behind the scenes with our international partner organizations on social media. In her statement (September 2024), Madeline Ritter emphasizes how important the Dance On initiative still is and why it is worth campaigning for its continuation.
With Bureau Ritter as the leading project partner, Dance On was one of three sub-projects at the heart of the European cooperation DOPODO. The aim of the initiative is a Europe in which older dancers can remain professionally active, our common European dance heritage is preserved and older people are given the opportunity to participate creatively in public life.
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Here is a statement by Madeline Ritter (February 2019), as part of the mentoring program of the German Cultural Council. The program is aimed at highly qualified women who are seeking to develop their careers in the cultural and media sector. Madeline Ritter mentored Julia Kizhukandayil and emphasizes how she benefited from the mutual transfer of experience.
In this video you can see and hear Madeline Ritter giving the Keynote “Wings of Innovation – Creating through Trust and Togetherness” within the online conference “Looking Ahead – New Opportunities and Visions within EU Funding for Culture after Covid-19”. Moderation: Cori Moore.
The conference brought together experts from Europe and focus on the support measures during and after Covid-19 but also on the new programme cycle 2021-2027, especially focusing on Creative Europe, Horizon Europe and the European Structural Funds. It was organised by the German Creative Europe Desk KULTUR in the context of Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and took place on October 8, 2020.
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