The aim of District is to promote art and culture, in particular artists and artist collectives that reflect the contemporary from a critical position. Its focus rests on artistic ideas that deal with urban space and forms of its appropriation as well as a new understanding of social issues.

One focus of District's engagement is the promotion of young cultural producers. The artist-in-residence program concentrates explicitly on the promotion of contemporary female artists. Since 2010, District awards one studio grant to a professional female artist who represents a reflective and marked-independent position. Since September 2011, the scholarship is announced twice a year. District makes possible that the chosen artist can use a studio in its building and focus on her current projects.