What will cultural organisations look like in the future?
New models for our cultural landscape –
ÜBERMORGEN starts now.
Wie sehen Kulturinstitutionen in Zukunft aus ?
Neue Modelle für die Kulturlandschaft –
Übermorgen beginnt jetzt.
Global Conflicts in Organisational Everyday Life: Between Vulnerabilities, (Anti-)Discrimination and Political Conflict
In her lecture, Teresa Koloma Beck, Professor of Sociology with a focus on social analysis and social change at Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, highlights how global political conflicts are increasingly shaping the everyday working lives of cultural and academic institutions.
Note: The video recording has been published in this form with the consent of Teresa Koloma Beck.
Artistic Freedom and Institutions – The Concept of Artistic Freedom and Its Legal Limits
Art and cultural institutions are coming under increasing political and societal pressure — a point made clear by Christoph Möllers, Professor of Public Law and Legal Philosophy at Humboldt University of Berlin, in his online keynote. But how can they protect themselves and, ideally, even strengthen one another?
Discover further insights on our Inspiration page.
Enabling cultural institutions and local authorities in major German cities to pursue forward-looking innovation – that is the aim of “Übermorgen – Neue Modelle für Kulturinstitutionen”.
In spring 2025, fifty cultural institutions from across Germany embarked on this journey and are currently developing innovative ideas to help guide their organisations successfully into the future as relevant spaces for social life – particularly in light of the significant challenges and crises of our time.
During the orientation phase, running from May 2025 to December 2026, the German Federal Cultural Foundation – in cooperation with Bureau Ritter as the executive partner – is supporting each institution with funding of €50,000. Academies and international research trips also provide valuable inspiration for shaping these future-oriented projects. A total budget of up to €4.6 million is available for this first phase.
The implementation phase will begin in 2027, during which up to twenty pioneering projects will receive support to put their plans into practice. Applications may be submitted both by participants from the orientation phase and by institutions or consortia that have not previously been part of the programme. A total budget of up to €10 million has been allocated for this second phase, with the call for proposals opening in autumn 2026.
![](https://uebermorgen-programm.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gruppe-Steinhalle-1.1-1024x683.jpg")
Which institutions have been selected?
The funded projects
As of 2027, an additional €10 million will be allocated from the budget of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, as recently decided by the Board of Trustees. Several of the key conditions for applications to the implementation phase are being published at this stage.
What should publicly funded art deliver for society? What does it need in order to do so? And where does its freedom lie? These questions are addressed in the keynotes by Christoph Möllers, Professor of Public Law and Legal Philosophy at Humboldt University Berlin, and Prof. Dr Teresa Koloma Beck, Professor of Sociology at Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg. A panel featuring Borisav Matić, Artistic Director of NEBITEF Belgrade, Jakub Depczyński, Curator of Public Programmes at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, and Natalie Giorgadze, Director General of Culture Action Europe, further broadens the discussion with international perspectives. Watch now!
The opening up of institutions, the establishment of third places, and the desire for greater public involvement run like a common thread through many cultural organisations’ initiatives. But how can this be achieved in a sustainable way? The contributions from Esme Ward, Director of the Manchester Museum, and Nicole Ebber, Head of Governance & Movement Relations at Wikimedia Deutschland e. V., offer insights into the opportunities and challenges of participatory processes. Watch now!
Übermorgen is dedicated to driving fundamental structural change and exploring new, forward-looking models for cultural institutions. At its core lies the question of how we can imagine possible futures, broaden our perspectives, and navigate complexity and uncertainty. Inspiration and insight come from keynote speeches by Caroline Paulick-Thiel (Politics for Tomorrow), Dirk Brockmann (Technische Universität Dresden), and Aric Chen, Director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation. Watch now!
From September 2025 to December 2026, six Future Forums will take place in cities across Germany. Each event is designed to foster collaboration between institutions and spark fresh ideas. Discover the full list of dates and topics here.
From February to November 2026, trips will take place to five different destinations across Europe. Each journey offers the chance to explore alternative models for cultural institutions and discover distinctive community approaches. Find the full list of dates and destinations here.