The Danube Cultural Cluster – an international project – is an initiative of Balassi Institute – Collegium Hungaricum Vienna, established in 2012. The Danube Cultural Cluster is a cooperation platform, developed in accordance with the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). Its primary aim is to represent the interests of contemporary cultural and creative projects, as well as to establish a communication and cooperation platform for them while generating own projects with an eye toward enhancing the 'Danube' as a quality cultural brand. Being a project of PA3 “Culture and Tourism”, the Danube Cultural Cluster has developed an excellent horizontal collaboration with PA10. The Danube Cultural Cluster association collaborates with a wide range of institutes and NGOs that have been engaging in numerous international and cultural events and partnerships.The Danube Cultural Cluster functions as a new network of cultural actors in the Danube Region. From the point of view of PA10, culture matters not only in order to build trust and a common identity with a view to the common social capital of EUSDR actors, but also in terms of regional development, e.g. through creative industries.General aims of the Cluster• to fulfil the desire of cultural players in the Danube region to increase the number of quality cooperations• to establish the „Danube” as a quality cultural brand, to strengthen the Danube community and identity through more dialogue between the different players• to create a platform that serves as a permanent room for strategic policy exchange on cultural matters in the Danube area based on policy priorities both from policy/administration side as well as from the side of the NGOs mixing in a new approach top-down and bottom-up initiatives in order to best support the attractiveness and innovation potential of the Danube Region (see also: TAF-DRP application)• to fight for a so-called „small project fund” for joint contemporary cultural projects in the Danube region• to fulfil the action plan of the EUDRS and the targets of Priority Area 3 (Culture and Tourism), especially the following ones: o “Develop a Danube Brand for the entire Danube Region based on already existing work”.o “Ensure the sustainable preservation of cultural heritage and natural values by developing relevant clusters, and networks of museums, interpretation and visitor centres within the Danube Region.”o “Promoting exchange and networking in the field of the contemporary arts in the Danube Region.”