ZAGREB, 19 May (Hina) – A pilot scheme launched on Tuesday by the Ministry of Culture and Media and the Financial Agency will give all young people turning 18 in 2026 vouchers worth 100 euros to spend on cultural activities, ranging from theatre and cinema to museums and books.

Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said the “Kooltura” card was intended as financial support to make cultural content more accessible to young people, while also encouraging them to enrich their lives through participation in culture.

“We primarily want to encourage the habit of taking part in cultural life, and after the first year we will see what interested them most and, for the first time, obtain precise data on that,” the minister said.

She added that the project would also send a signal to cultural institutions and providers about how to engage younger audiences.

Obuljen Koržinek said the government wanted young people to continue engaging with culture after leaving the school system, where others largely chose content for them, by allowing them to select activities according to their own interests.

She also highlighted that the card could be used across Croatia through cinemas, cultural centres, museums, community education centres and online book purchases.

According to the minister, interest in the scheme has been strong both among young people and among service providers, including venues and ticketing platforms, with further participation expected in the coming weeks.

The project is worth €4.9 million in its first year, including investment in the information system, mobile application, user integration and technical infrastructure, while around €3.5 million has been allocated for the vouchers themselves.

Financial Agency management board member Vinka Ilak said the agency had spent years developing various digital systems and applications for the state. “We tried to make the digital application as simple as possible to use, and we want to keep improving”, she said.