Listen,
if stars are lit –
doesn’t that mean someone needs it?
Vladimir Mayakovsky
THE NAME OF MY COMPANY IS MY MISSION: TO THE STARS!
Those who aim for the stars need more than just dreams – they need motivation, resources, and a reliable companion on their journey…
As a grant management consultant, I support artists, cultural initiatives, and institutions in turning their ideas into reality with the help of public funding. From grant applications and project implementation to final reporting, I guide you safely through every phase of the grant process.
I combine expertise in funding regulations with a deep understanding of artistic practices, translating bureaucratic requirements into clear and accessible language.
Through my work, I create space for what truly matters: your art.
News
# WEBINAR 01: HOW DO I WRITE A GOOD GRANT APPLICATION?
22 - 23 July 2025 each from 10:00 - 17:0019 - 20 August 2025 each from 10.00 - 17.00
7 - 8 October 2025 each from 10:00 - 17:00
2 - 3 December 2025 each from 10.00 - 17.00
In the second half of this year, I’m offering several practical webinars and in-person workshops on grant management!
My two-day webinar ‘How do I write a good grant application?’ will kick things off, in which you will learn how to successfully turn your idea into an application. All information about the webinar and registration can be found here.
# WORKSHOP 01: HOW DO I WRITE A GOOD GRANT APPLICATION?
23 - 24 September 2025 in Berlin each from 10.00 - 17.004 - 5 November 2025 in Berlin each from 10.00 - 17.00
In this two-day in-person workshop, you will learn how to successfully turn your idea into an application. All information about the workshop and registration can be found here.
# WEBINAR 02: GRANT APPROVED! HOORAY! NOW WHAT?
On 16 and 17 September 2025, I will be offering my webinar titled "Grant Approved! Hooray! Now what?". In this two-day webinar, you will learn how to implement funded projects and manage grants effectively. All information about the webinar and registration can be found here.# WORKSHOP 02: GRANT APPROVED! HOORAY! NOW WHAT?
On 14 and 15 October 2025, the in-person workshop entitled "Grant Approved! Hooray! Now what?" will take place in Berlin. In this two-day workshop, you will learn how to implement funded projects and manage grants effectively. All information about the workshop and registration can be found here.
Portfolio
Portfolio
Grant consulting
Professional grant consulting for cultural projects – from the application to the final reporting
I offer comprehensive support for cultural and creative sector professionals who not only want to successfully apply for funding but also manage it securely and in compliance with regulations. My services are aimed at associations, cultural enterprises, individual artists, and institutions – especially in the field of performing arts and live music.
My services at a glance:
- Lectures, Workshops & Seminars on Grant Management
A key component of my offer is the practical transmission of knowledge: I design and lead workshops, in-house training sessions, and other educational formats related to grant and procurement law – for grant recipients, funding institutions, and cultural networks. My goal is to explain legal terms in funding law in clear everyday language and to make complex processes accessible and understandable. - Audit & External Review with Actionable Recommendations
I review existing processes and documents of cultural and funding institutions, such as awarding and documentation materials, numerical proofs, receipts, etc., for plausibility and audit-proof quality – also in view of potential later inspections by funding institutions, ministries, the Federal Office of Administration, or the Federal Court of Auditors. - Consultation on Application Submission
I support applicants in the content and formal preparation of a fundable application – including project description, expenditure and financing plans, and all other required documents. - Support During Project Implementation
I assist grant recipients with questions regarding the implementation of funded projects and help ensure the proper use of public funds – competently, practically, and individually. - Consultation on the Use of Funds Report
I assist grant recipients with the preparation of interim and final use-of-funds reports – ensuring that the accounting of grants is formally correct and complete.
Cultural management
External Production Management for Cultural Projects
In the field of cultural management, I take on external production management and the associated organizational and administrative overall responsibility for cultural projects. This includes general administration, organizational oversight, as well as the coordination and management of all essential processes during project implementation. I support projects from the initial idea to realization and ensure that artistic initiatives are implemented professionally, efficiently, and within the planned time and budget.
In close collaboration with artists – particularly from the fields of performing arts and live music – I develop creative formats and organize a variety of cultural events.
Artist representation
My work also includes building bridges between artists and organizers. As part of artist representation, I help cultural creators showcase their talents and projects, find new performance opportunities, and expand their career prospects.
I work closely with a growing network of venues, festivals, cultural institutions, and initiatives – both locally and internationally. I represent professional artists from the fields of music, theater, dance, and performance and accompany them both in the development of projects and in the concrete implementation and presentation.
A special focus is on supporting artists with migration or exile backgrounds who want to take new paths in the cultural sector in Germany. I see myself as a bridge between the creative visions of the artists and the structural requirements of the cultural landscape – with the goal of making authentic artistic voices heard where they are needed.
About me
About me
My name is Witalij Schmidt.
I immigrated to Germany from Russia in 1995 as an ethnic German. After studying Slavic Studies and German Studies, I graduated the elite program “Eastern European Studies“, followed by a doctoral program on the theory of declamation at the University of Regensburg, which rounded off my philological education.
I was involved in the conceptualization, organization, and realization of events for the festival “III. Russian Culture Days” (2014), including Germany tours by Vladimir Spivakov, Igor Butman, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, the theater company “Sowremennik,” and performances by the St. Petersburg Ballet of Boris Eifman.
In 2015, I initiated the Regensburg street musician competition “Sternschnuppe(r)nnacht,” which was organized by my cultural agency “AD ASTRA events” until 2019.
Since November 2023, I have been the second chairperson of Urban Theater e.V., where I volunteer to create opportunities in Berlin’s theater scene for professional theater artists from Eastern Europe – in exile or fleeing.
From 2018 to 2024, I worked at the federal funding institution “Initiative Musik gGmbH” as the head of the department for the promotion of clubs and live music concert organizers. During this time, I developed and implemented nine funding programs with a total budget of around 250 million EUR, including five NEUSTART KULTUR subprograms of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media to support clubs, organizers, and festivals.
Since 2025, I have been working as a freelance grant management, supporting cultural professionals and institutions – especially in the fields of live music and performing arts – in the successful application for and use of funding.
Thanks to my extensive experience in funding administration and my close collaboration with government institutions, I connect the perspectives of funders and applicants in my work. Under the motto “Complex funding law explained simply“, I translate bureaucratic terms into understandable everyday language and explain the corresponding processes in an accessible way.
Contact
AD ASTRA cultura
Dr. Witalij Schmidt
Feuerbachstraße 15
14471 Potsdam
Phone: +49 (0)179 – 776 70 31
Email: schmidt@adastra-cultura.eu