Our Membership comprises public institutions whose purpose is to advance arts and culture, through investment, policy and promotion. We have two types of members: National Members and Affiliates. National Members are committed to the public support of arts and culture through investment, policy and promotion at a national level, with each country able to be represented by one National Member. Affiliates, too, are committed to the public support of arts and culture, but they include sister institutions to existing National Members, intergovernmental bodies, and government agencies that operate at subnational levels including state, regional, provincial, and local government.
Our National Members are at the centre of the Federation and its work. They share a purpose and the belief that arts and culture are a public good; they also share common priorities and professional concerns at the national level. However, our National Member institutions are diverse in nature. National Members represent arts councils and agencies, as well as ministries of culture, with an almost even balance between the two types of institution across the Federation. They represent mature institutions that have operated for more than 20 years, as well as younger institutions operating with new mandates and structures. They work within different government models, from constitutional and presidential republics to people’s republics. And they represent countries across each inhabited continent. These similarities and differences are a source of strength for the Federation, as members can access a wide-ranging wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise specific to supporting culture at the national level; take inspiration from different perspectives, ideas and ways of thinking; and benefit from meaningful collegial relationships with a cohort of peers who are uniquely placed to understand – and support them in – their work. National Members play an important governance role in the Federation: they nominate and elect members to the IFACCA Board and they have the right to vote at the General Assembly.
Our Affiliates share in the purpose and belief of the Federation and strengthen its collective vision. Affiliates contribute significant knowledge and expertise to the Federation and bring important perspectives from different levels of government that play a vital role to support the arts and culture ecosystem. However, the remits and operations of these institutions are wide-ranging and often differ significantly from those of National Members, which means their participation in our programmes and services – and governance role within the Federation – is more defined.