European Cultural Foundation

The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) was set up in Geneva in 1954.

Its founding figures included the Swiss philosopher Denis de Rougemont, the architect of the European Community Robert Schuman, and HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, under whose presidency ECF moved to Amsterdam in 1960.

They all believed passionately in culture as a vital ingredient for Europe’s post-war rebuilding and healing.

HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands is currently the President of ECF and Extraordinary Member of the Board.

Over the past four years, the ECF set out to uncover new Narratives for Europe at a moment when the prevailing narratives seemed to have lost their resonance. Informed by research and reflection, this effort led to their new thematic focus for 2013-2016 ­– Culture, Creative Communities and Democracy.

The ECF's work continues to initiate and support cultural exchange and creative expression across wider Europe, to share knowledge across the cultural sector, and to campaign for the arts at all levels of political decision-making.

By identifying, connecting, nourishing and illuminating a network of local cultural change-makers, the ECF fosters the growth of new visions of Europe that are the result of bottom-up action and creativity.