Type of Project: Funded project
vertikult - internet-supported platform for cultural projects

vertikult is an innovative German research and application project with a three year timeframe (2002 - 2005) at the interface between culture and the arts and the new information and communication technologies. The target is to offer those, including people with disabilities, working in cultural activities an internet-supported platform - an "internet portal"- as an innovative working tool for project work. Via the portal, services can be offered and accepted. Additionally, a project office will support all those who do not have internet access or are not equipped with the necessary computer hardware and software. The portal with the basis functions "employment service", "cooperation pool" and "information center" was activated in November 2004 by the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Science, Further Education, Research and Culture. In recent years, two different but interdependent developments have become visible in the cultural field Europe-wide: On one hand, the budgets for culture and cultural work are decreasing and on the other hand, project work is increasing in tasks which are limited in time and workload. Therefore, the interest for public authorities is in offering support to use public money more efficiently and making the best of necessary budget cuts and to safeguard cultural work in the future. The development of the technology driven concept of vertikult is realised by a research project funded by the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research. The realisation of the project takes place in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and is supported by means from the European Social Fund. To safeguard the European dimension of this project, at the research level, vertikult is also integrated into projects at five European research and cultural institutions. The purpose here is to develop vertikult as a transfer model with its implementation throughout Germany and Europe. During the project duration, the vertikult consortium is interested in contacting other European regions - rural areas as well as highly concentrated urban areas - in order to offer support and experiences in comparable business activities.