Loneliness is a taboo subject. We tell ourselves it's our own fault, feeling ashamed in the face of seemingly endless opportunities to connect with others, anytime and anywhere. So how can sociocultural activities and participatory art help build bridges and create new spaces where genuine connection can happen?

Because in reality everyone knows the feeling. And it's not easy to admit that you're really on the outside, feeling cut off. Yet a great many people experience exactly this, young and old, people with disabilities, people who carry a lot of responsibility for others, people who feel uprooted, or those who have gradually lost touch with their friends. Loneliness also takes hold where places to meet are missing, where occasions and structures have disappeared.

With this theme for its Innovation Award, Fonds Soziokultur is looking for cultural projects that engage constructively with this social phenomenon. What stories and reasons behind loneliness can be brought to light and how can art and culture help overcome them or tell them anew?

One could argue that almost any project in cultural education or socioculture works against loneliness, that culture inherently connects people and bridges divides. But what clearly deserves special attention is accessibility, the quality of connection, and the feeling of being truly seen and understood. Art and culture can make that possible, by creating genuine encounters and opening up spaces where no one remains invisible.

The Innovation Award is linked to the "General Project Funding" programme and will be offered under the theme of "Loneliness" in both this and the upcoming call for applications in October 2026. Projects that receive funding and engage with the topic of loneliness may be nominated for the award by the board of trustees. A separate application for the Innovation Award is therefore not possible. Instead, interested organizations submit an application through the General Project Funding programme, which — as always — is open to all topics and disciplines. Nominated projects will be accompanied and visited in person during their implementation. Once all nominated projects have been completed, a jury will select the award winners (expected by the end of 2028). The prize is worth up to €10,000.