Meet Barcelona
Backing for art factories: more funding, presence and local roots
Having started life as part of the Strategic Culture Plan in 2006, the Art Factories Network has become firmly established as a strategic tool for Barcelona’s cultural development. These centres support creative processes from the initial stages, offering facilities, technical resources and support programmes to facilitate the work of artists. A new government measure redefines the model for Art Factories for the next five years to improve their function and presence at a metropolitan level, and to increase funding.
10/11/2025 - 19:50 h
Main measures in the new Art Factories model
More funding. Barcelona City Council will fund up to 60% of the budget of each factory, with an overall annual investment of three million euros and one million in infrastructures for 2026. The measure also sets a balanced and transparent funding model for the factories where the City Council ensures the sustainability of the project and fosters their autonomy, incentivising the search for complementary funding.
Establishing mediators to strengthen the relationship between factories and schools, facilities and organisations in their local area.
Greater presence on a metropolitan and international scale with special support, joint prospections and presence in important international contexts. Relationships with other art factories around the world will be promoted.
Participation in the city’s major cultural events. Productions from the network will be promoted in programmes for La Mercè, the Barcelona Grec Festival and Llum BCN.
Consolidated artistic creation and innovation spaces
Since it was set up in 2006, the Art Factories Network has regained unused industrial spaces in the city, redefining them to become a mature cultural ecosystem, a space for artistic innovation, research and connection between creators, communities and institutions.
In 2024, the factories housed 817 artistic projects, 83 of them international, and organised 1,354 dissemination activities and 112 training activities with over 2,800 people taking part. This impact is complemented with programmes such as the Barcelona Crea grants, which have launched 32 creative initiatives in recent years. All this, with an annual investment of four million euros.
Each factory defines its own artistic line, at the same time maintaining some common criteria based on research, risk and experimentation. The centres are not exhibition spaces or training schools, but facilities that support creative processes from the initial stages, offering infrastructures, technical resources and support programmes to facilitate the work of artists.
More information on the Barcelona Art Factories.
