
The BNP Paribas Foundation, founded in 1984, is a major player and an expert in corporate philanthropy. Our philanthropic approach focuses on innovation and youth as we believe that philanthropy can be a real lever for transformation. We support projects related to solidarity, the environment and culture, which are major social issues of our time.
In the area of culture, the BNP Paribas Foundation places contemporary creation at the heart of its cultural sponsorship. With a particular focus on contemporary dance, jazz and circus arts, the Foundation is committed to supporting many artists in these fields, as well as the institutions that host them and disseminate their works, to ensure that culture is accessible to as many people as possible.
The Group’s commitment to cultural sponsorship in figures
budget allocated to culture in 2022
artists supported in 2023
festivals and institutions supported in 2023
Dance and circus: supporting contemporary creation
The BNP Paribas Foundation has supported contemporary dance creation for nearly 40 years and is committed to artists who create and explore new territories. Its long-term support helps its partners to carry out their projects and contributes to the vitality of artistic and cultural creation. Convinced that hybrid forms and cross-cutting disciplines are valuable to culture, it also supports contemporary circus artists.
THE BNP PARIBAS FOUNDATION IS SUPPORTING 17 COMPANIES’ PROJECTS AND 6 PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTIONS.

Screws, by Alexander Vantournhout - supported by the BNP Paribas Foundation
© Bart Grietens
Developing international cultural sponsorship
The BNP Paribas Foundation extends its patronage abroad by supporting companies and creative projects mainly in Europe.
As choreographers and circus artists’ creativity is nourished by varied environments, the Foundation supports residencies around the world with its partner structures: the Maison de la Danse de Lyon, the Centre national de la Danse, the residencies at the Montpellier Dance Festival, the Biennale Internationale des Arts du Cirque, the Plus Petit Cirque du Monde or the Fabrique Chaillot. To encourage international exposure for artists to further their work, this specific sponsorship is sometimes extended abroad by our subsidiaries.
Renewal of partnership with the Maison de la Danse
The Foundation renewed its partnership with the Maison de la Danse (Lyon) that it has been supporting since 1986.
Dissemination, awareness, and accessibility of culture, as well as support for artists, social inclusion, change management, and international openness… These are all values that we share and that remain at the heart of the projects of our longstanding partner.
The appointment of its director Tiago Guedes is part of this continuity thanks to his artistic, societal, sustainable, inclusive, and representative of diversity project “Only Dance – A shared future for dance in Lyon”.
Imagining dance in the digital age
Dance and circus, arts of our world in motion
The BNP Paribas Foundation supports the projects of 17 companies and 6 performing arts institutions. Discover them in our highlight dedicated to our commitment to contemporary creation.
Music: over 25 years of commitment for jazz
In 1995, the BNP Paribas Foundation chose to take its cultural patronage off the beaten track. As with dance and contemporary circus arts, it has taken the path of audacity and modernity, by betting on creation in music. Listening to and being attentive to others, opening up to different cultures, being confident in a group while being able to make one’s own place, being involved in a collective process... these are all values that unite jazz and the BNP Paribas Foundation.
25 years of loyalty and passion for jazz have benefited more than 30 artists and groups, as well as some thirty festivals and institutions in France and abroad.
THE BNP PARIBAS FOUNDATION PROVIDES SUPPORT TO 16 ARTISTS AND 14 JAZZ FESTIVALS.
Jazz: music that brings people together and continually reinvents itself
To find out more about the BNP Paribas Foundation's commitment to Jazz, discover our highlight. You will discover the 16 artists and ensembles that we support, the way in which we support distribution, as well as all our jazz news!
Supporting regional and international festivals
Supporting jazz creation involves enabling musicians to create but also, and above all, disseminating their work. Hence, the BNP Paribas Foundation supports festivals with ambitious programmes, in France or in countries where BNP Paribas is present. Each of these festivals, like the artists, benefits from tailor-made support and careful attention to their development ambitions.
The BNP Paribas Foundation supports several major festivals in France, such as the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Jazz Festival in Paris, the city of Lille’s piano festival, L’Esprit du Piano in Bordeaux, Piano aux Jacobins in Toulouse or the Jazz sous les pommiers Festival in Coutances. In 2017, the Foundation co-founded the Variations Festival, a musical event dedicated to all keyboard music, with the city of Nantes’ Lieu Unique, a national stage. Since 2019, the Foundation also supports Jazzdor, a festival held in Strasbourg, in Berlin, Dresde and Budapest, which aims to highlight the singularity of jazz creation and the emergence of new musicians.

© Nicolas Joubard
The BNP Paribas Foundation is also involved in international festivals, alongside BNP Paribas subsidiaries, to support the Bank’s regional branches’ cultural engagement. Examples include the Saint-Louis Jazz Festival in Senegal, the Bahrain Jazz Festival and the BNP Paribas Rising Star Piano Festival in China, which it co-founded.
Finally, the BMCI (Banque Marocaine du Commerce et de l’Industrie), a BNP Paribas subsidiary in Morocco) is a partner of the Jazzablanca Festival and TANJAzz.
Supporting young talent
Supporting creation also means trusting the talent of young, passionate jazz musicians. In addition to their artistic and technical qualities, they are confronted with many challenges and questions on their way to becoming professional. The BNP Paribas Foundation supports initiatives that aim to identify, develop, and support promising artistic projects beyond national borders. It is in this context that the BNP Paribas Foundation supports four initiatives/levers that encourage the emergence of new talent: the Jazz Migration program, the Jazz sous les pommiers Festival artist residency and the Tremplin ReZZo of the Jazz à Vienne Festival.

Cultural transmission
Building on its experience with Dream Up, a programme for education through artistic practice launched in 2015 and now deployed in 30 countries, the BNP Paribas Foundation is developing a support for cultural transmission. The aim is to open up cultural access or pratice to as many people as possible.
Since 2021, the Foundation supports the Maîtrise de Radio France, the professional residencies at the Villa Médicis and participatory art projects at the Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet.
Photo: header Dodecadanse - The Dodecadanse - Theo Ceccaldi / Kaori Ito ©Julien Vivante /
Dance ©Rahi Rezvani / Jazz Anne Paceo ©Sylvain Gripoix