Сultural environment of France:
structure, actors and opportunities for cooperation
Authors
Daria Popil, Mariia Protsiuk, Anna Prokhorova
Editors
Mariia Protsiuk, Nadiia Koval
About the research
The opening of the Ukrainian Institute’s representative office in Paris in late 2023 created new opportunities for presenting Ukrainian culture in France, while also highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of how the local cultural sector operates. This research seeks to address that gap by mapping key actors, institutional structures, effective formats of collaboration, and areas where there is meaningful space for Ukrainian engagement.
The study employed two main methods: in-depth interviews with 15 experts from French artistic and academic communities, as well as Ukraine’s diplomatic corps in France, and desk research based on the analysis of open sources, including official reports, strategies, and financial documents of key French cultural organizations.
The research is structured by artistic fields — film, music, literature, visual and performing arts, as well as hybrid and cross-sectoral programs — and covers the research, analytical, and academic sphere. Its findings are intended to serve as a practical roadmap for Ukrainian cultural practitioners, managers, diplomatic institutions, and international organizations seeking to build sustainable partnerships in France.
Key findings
The cultural and academic sectors in France are highly centralized. State patronage operates through a vertical structure led by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Under their authority function national centers — for cinema (CNC), music (CNM), visual arts (CNAP), and books (CNL), among others — which manage a significant share of public funding and subsidize initiatives within their respective fields. This institutional architecture is particularly relevant for Ukrainian stakeholders, as meaningful partnerships are best built through these national centers, which serve as key gateways to funding and institutional cooperation.
Regional cultural policy is implemented through the Regional Directorates of Cultural Affairs (DRAC), which operate across all 13 metropolitan regions.
In terms of the representation of Ukrainian culture in France, it has historically been limited and largely fragmented. Ukraine has rarely been perceived as an independent cultural and political actor and has instead often been viewed through the lens of its historical ties with Russia and the Soviet legacy. In this context, the Ukrainian Institute’s project Printemps Ukrainien (September 2022 – February 2023) marked an important step toward shifting this perception by presenting high-quality Ukrainian content to the French cultural community and directly challenging entrenched misconceptions.
The opening of the Ukrainian Institute’s representative office in Paris in late 2023 has since provided a structural foundation for more sustained and strategic engagement.
Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, French cultural institutions launched a number of support programs for Ukrainian artists, including residencies, dedicated grants, and funding for co-productions.
France also has extensive experience in supporting artists affected by armed conflict and political persecution, notably through the Atelier des artistes en exil, whose resources are available to Ukrainian cultural practitioners.
Further recommendations on Ukrainian–French cultural cooperation, as well as potential challenges, are outlined in the full research report.