Purpose

The AKF connects culturally committed enterprises, facilitating an industry-wide exchange that pools together various forms of experience and knowledge. In sessions that take place every six months, the AKF aims to professionalise corporate support for the arts. Each session is dedicated to a different topic, which is explored from multiple perspectives through presentations, examples of best practices, and interactive workshops.

Please find here an overview of the topics and hosts of previous AKF-working sessions.

The AKF represents the interests of its members in questions of cultural sponsorship and advocates for a cultural policy framework that supports corporate cultural engagement. Through its expert knowledge and professional public relations work, the AKF raises awareness of corporate cultural engagement within society. To honour companies that have demonstrated a commitment to culture, the AKF initiated the Deutscher Kulturförderpreis (German Arts Sponsorship Award), which is conferred annually by the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft in partnership with Handelsblatt.

Vorstand des AKF

Thomas Helfrich, Bayer AG (Chairman)
Dorothea Gregor, Bertelsmann Stiftung (Vice Chairwoman)
Dr. Nicola Müllerschön, Odgers Berndtson
Jens Häußler, Siemens AG
Prof. Dr. Susanne Hilger, RheinEnergieStiftungen
Sebastian Wieser, Audi AG

AKF Members

At present, some 50 companies are AKF members. With regard to size and industry, they represent a cross section of the German economy. They are united by the idea that essential impulses for creative and unconventional thought and action can be gained through dialogue with artists. Simultaneously, they represent the numerous potential forms that cooperation between culture and industry can take.

Impressionen der Fachtagung zum 25-jährigen Jubiläum des AKF

Vor 25 Jahren wurde der Arbeitskreis Kulturförderung gegründet (bis 2017 Arbeitskreis Kultursponsoring). Das einzigartige Netzwerk vereint Unternehmen und unternehmensnahe Stiftungen, die sich für Kunst und Kultur engagieren. Zum 25-jährigen Jubiläum fand in Berlin eine Fachtagung zum Thema "Unternehmerische Kultuförderung im Wandel" statt. Zum Tagungsprogramm.

Im Rahmen der Tagung wurde auch der AKF Award 2021 an die Dorit & Alexander Otto Stiftung und an die Philip Morris GmbH verliehen.

AKF Award

Each year, the AKF awards a prize for an exceptionally innovative cultural sponsorship project initiated by one of its members. Since 2012, this distinction is made during one of the working group’s sessions.

AKF Member Login:

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