Art funding in Europe: a guide for artists
As an artist, securing funding for your projects and endeavors can often be a daunting task. However, there are a plethora of organizations in Europe that are dedicated to supporting artists just like you. From government programs to private foundations, these organizations offer a wide range of funding opportunities for artists of all disciplines and at all career levels. We will explore some of the most notable organizations that offer funding for artists in Europe. Whether you're a painter, musician, or performer, there's an organization out there that can help take your career to the next level.
Funding Resources
This 2019 edition of the online IETM publication - coordinated by On the Move - provides a detailed and easy-to-read overview of public and private funding opportunities for the arts and culture in Europe and beyond (cross-sectoral and cross-national). In this part, you will find a section on (at least partially) paid residencies with a focus on multi-disciplinary forms of art practice with direct links to the performing arts sector. The guide continues with information about European funding programs that can include cultural projects.
Please note that, apart from the section on residencies, this guide is not focused on individual applicants. Check the eligibility criteria carefully.
On The Move has an extensive overview of cultural mobility funding guides with funding opportunities for cultural mobility to many countries / from/across Europe. These guides are being updated regularly, and the publishing details for each guide show when the last update has taken place.
DutchCulture Mobility funding guide
Read more about funding for artistic projects in or outside The Netherlands in DutchCulture's mobility funding guide (updated September 2021).
Europe-wide
STEP Travel grants (European Cultural Foundation) fund artists and cultural workers - with a priority to individuals up to 35 years and/or in the first 10 years of their career - to travel between EU and countries bordering the EU (ongoing deadline).
Central & Eastern European Countries
CEC ArtsLink is an international arts service organization. Their programs encourage and support the exchange of artists and cultural managers between the United States and Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Two artist/arts manager grants are available.
Eligibility: artists, cultural managers, and non-profit arts organizations from the U.S. or from the eligible countries listed here.
CEI Fellowship for Writers in Residence
The CEI Fellowship is a fellowship aimed at encouraging cross-border cooperation and promotion in the field of literature for young writers (below 35) from European countries (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine). A 3-month residency is provided each year since 2006. Check the website for the new deadlines.
Eligibility: Writers under 35 years of age from non-EU CEI countries (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine).
EEPAP Residency Small Grants Programme
East European Performing Arts Platform (EEPAP) Small Grants Programme is designed to support the innovation, creativity, and professional development of individual artists, curators, academics, artistic groups, and organizations working in contemporary dance, theatre, and wider performing arts field in 18 EEPAP countries. The artistic projects may include the development, completion, production, or presentation of new work or additional funding for existing ongoing artistic residence programs or productions.
Eligibility: individual artists and art organizations working within contemporary dance, theatre, and wider performing arts field in the EEPAP countries. See the full list here.
The International Visegrad Fund
The International Visegrad Fund allows artists from the V4 countries, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, to apply for several residency grants. Check their website for the latest deadlines as well as the eligibility per grants program.
Eligibility: individual artists or artist collectives from the V4 countries.
Nordic and Baltic Countries
Nordic Culture Point > Mobility Funding: The module offers funding for all the fields/sectors of art and culture in the Nordic and the Baltic countries: to professional artists working in all art forms and genres, to authors, translators, curators, producers, cultural editors, and researchers, etc. It also offers a program for residency organizations themselves. Deadlines throughout the year.
Eligibility: depending on the program you would like to apply for.
Bi- and Multilateral Funding
Annually, the Canon Foundation in Europe grants up to 15 Fellowships to highly qualified European and Japanese researchers. European Fellows are expected to pursue a period of research in Japan whereas Japanese Fellows are expected to do their research in Europe. Canon Foundation Fellowships are for a minimum period of three months up to a maximum of one year. The annual deadline for applications is 15 September.
Eligibility: permanent citizens of Japan or Europe (including Israel, Turkey, Balkan and Baltic countries).
CEC ArtsLink is an international arts service organization. Their programs encourage and support the exchange of artists and cultural managers between the United States and Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Two artist/arts manager grants are available.
Eligibility: artists, cultural managers, and non-profit arts organizations from the U.S. or from the eligible countries listed here.
Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation
The Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation offers a Small Grants program, which is available to individuals, societies, associations or other bodies in the UK or Japan to promote and support interaction between the two countries. The grants can cover all fields of activity, including art projects.
Eligibility: both national and international artists and organizations are eligible to apply. The projects should focus on UK-Japan.
The Netherland-America Foundation
The Netherland-American Foundation (NAF) strives to enhance awareness and support of cultural exchange in both the United States and the Netherlands. The Foundation supports cultural events and projects in the two countries.
Eligibility: individual artists who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or the Netherlands.
Trust for Mutual Understanding
The Trust for Mutual Understanding awards grants to American nonprofit organizations to support the international travel component of cultural and environmental exchanges conducted in partnership with institutions and individuals in Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. While the Initial Inquiry may be made by an individual or institution in any of the countries in which TMU is active, the Final Proposal must be submitted by an American nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, as TMU does not make grants directly to institutions or individuals abroad. Check past grantees to know if your project can fit in TMU programs.
Eligibility: American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations active in partnership with institutions and individuals from the countries listed here.
Per Country
Belgium
Flanders department of Cultuur, Jeugd, Sport & Media
The Flanders Department of Cultuur, Jeugd, Sport & Media provides project grants for both individuals and art organizations. So this may imply artists, designers (planners, architects ...), arts organizations, galleries, mediators, management offices, etc. Check out the extensive funding finder here.
Eligibility: artists must not necessarily have Belgian nationality; however, there must be some involvement in the art scene within the Flemish Community.
Wallonie - Bruxelles International
Wallonie - Bruxelles International (WBI) offers grants to visual artists to partially cover a residency period abroad. The artists should be working professionally for 2 to 3 years at least.
Eligibility: visual artists living in Wallonie or Brussels.
Denmark
The prime aim of the Danish Arts Foundation is to promote the arts in Denmark and Danish art abroad. It offers grants for all sorts of projects within multiple disciplines. Check the website for a full overview of its programs.
Eligibility: both national and international artists, but projects should always be connected to Denmark or Danish art abroad.
Finland
Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) promotes Finnish art on an international level. It is an expert agency under the Ministry of Education and Culture. Together with its arts councils and boards Taike awards grants to professional artists and subsidies to communities in the field of the arts.
Eligibility: Finnish artists or artists' groups for the grants and subsidies for legal or registered communities.
AVEK the Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture supports creative documentaries, short fiction, animated films, and media-art-based productions. It participates in international co-productions with Finnish producers as minor partners. Co-productions must have either a noticeable connection to Finland or have serious artistic involvement from Finland. In co-productions, the Finnish co-production company applies the funding from AVEK. The money has to be used for Finnish artistic involvement.
Eligibility: film and documentary producers, who are Finnish citizens or it should concern productions with a strong Finnish connection.
Frame Contemporary Art Finland
Each year, Frame Contemporary Art Finland distributes funds from the Finnish Ministry of Culture and Education to promote Finnish contemporary arts internationally. It offers grants to support new initiatives and strengthen existing connections.
Eligibility: Finnish or Finland-based artists.
France
The Institut Français offers several grants for residencies and mobility. The calls are mostly divided by disciplines. See here a video about the Institut Français residency programs.
Eligibility: French artists
Germany
The Deutschen Übersetzerfonds offers stipends for translators, who translate foreign publications into German. It offers six programs. Application deadline is twice a year.
Eligibility: German translators.
ifa - Institute für Auslandbeziehungen
The ifa offers two relevant grant programs. The ifa Artists' Contact program promotes the international cooperation of German and foreign persons engaged in the cultural sector. Work stays as well as work tours from developing and emerging countries to Germany are supported if the realization is in the interest of foreign cultural policy. German artists can also receive subsidies for their traveling expenses while networking and seeking opportunities in developing and emerging countries. Each year, application deadlines are on the 31st of January and the 15th of August.
The ifa Rave Scholarships support further practical training for young curators, restorers, museum technicians, and cultural managers from countries in transition and developing countries, who hitherto had no opportunity yet to work in Germany for an extended period of time. Each year, the application date is on the 15th of May.
Eligibility: German as well as international artists and cultural managers, depending on the program concerned.
Touring Artists Funding Database
Touring Artists Funding Database includes some 300 programs of public agencies, foundations, associations, businesses, etc. in Germany that promote the international mobility of artists. Additionally, it includes several European and international programs. Two directions of mobility have been considered: programs for which artists and organizers residing in Germany may apply who want to work abroad temporarily; programs in Germany open to international applicants
Eligibility: German as well as international artists, depending on the program concerned.
Iceland
The Icelandic Art Center assists Icelandic or Iceland based visual artists in working or presenting their art abroad with mobility grants. Mobility grants are for travel, accommodation and/or maintenance abroad
Eligibility: artists who have Icelandic citizenship or who have been residents in Iceland for at least five years.
Ireland
The Arts Council - Travel and Training Award
The Arts Council of Ireland offers the Travel and Training Award. Divided in three awards, the travel and training outbound award is most relevant to artist-in-residences. The award's objective is to support individuals who wish to avail of training and other professional development opportunities abroad. The priority here is the development of the individual’s own arts practice.
Eligibility: artists and other individuals who are resident in the Republic of Ireland and working professionally in the arts or in arts organizations and venues.
Malta
The Cultural Export Fund Travel Grants program primarily aims to support the mobility of artists and cultural operators to explore, develop skills, build networks, and engage in international collaborations.
Eligibility: individuals who are Maltese citizens or permanent residents; a group of artists in which one person takes the lead who is a Maltese citizen or is a permanent resident.
The Netherlands
Visual artists and designers can apply for a loan free of interest at Fonds Kwadraat, for all kind of purposes, a residency among other things. You can repay the loan in the course of three years.
Eligibility: individual artists or designers with Dutch citizenship or who are permanent residents for the duration of the loan.
The Mondriaan Fund is a publicly financed fund for visual art and cultural heritage. It supports innovative projects and activities by visual artists, intermediaries (curators and critics), museums and other heritage organizations, art institutions, archives, galleries and commissioning parties. All grants are awarded a view to promoting the production and presentation of relevant Dutch visual art and heritage in the Netherlands and abroad, where a commercial market is (yet) undeveloped. Also, The Mondriaan Fund offers residency programs and funding for residencies with the aim the stimulating the practices of artists and cultural managers.
Eligibility: individual artists and curators with Dutch citizenship or who are in the possession of a residence permit.
Stichting Gerbrandy Cultuurfonds
This is a private fund that aims to stimulate the visual arts in The Netherlands by providing grants to visual artists who want to spend some time abroad for their artistic development. For example, for following studies, attending or giving workshops, staying in artists' villages, working with special local materials. Travel expenses and local living expenses for a work period abroad of maximum of 6 months are eligible for reimbursement.
Eligibility: individual artists and curators who are based in The Netherlands.
Voordekunst is a crowdfunding platform for the creative field. You can start your own campaign for your creative project. The Voordekunst team will advise and help you with setting up your crowdfunding project.
Eligibility: both individuals and organizations can initiate their campaigns.
DutchCulture Mobility funding guide
Read more about funding for artistic projects in or outside The Netherlands in DutchCulture's mobility funding guide
(updated September 2021).
Poland
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute offers the "Polish Culture Around the World" programme, which is addressed to artists of all fields of art and creative industries, people involved in the dissemination and promotion of polish culture. It aims to support individual participation in events abroad (m.in in exhibitions, concerts, festivals, tours, music contests) through co-financing the costs of accommodation and transport to the venue of the event. To apply for a grant artists must submit an application. Applications are evaluated during the program committee meetings, which are held once a month.
Important note: In the interests of the safety and health of the beneficiaries and partners of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute (IAM), in connection with the epidemiological threat caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, IAM decided to suspend the call for applications and the meetings of the Polish Culture Program for 2020.
Eligibility: individual artists with Polish citizenship
Portugal
The Fundação Oriente awards short term scholarships to applicants from Far Eastern countries, who wish to attend courses, undergo training periods or field trips in Portugal. Scholarships are also awarded for the same purposes to Portuguese citizens undertaking similar work in Far Eastern countries. Preference will be given to applicants working in the following areas: Plastic Arts, History, Art History, Design, Photography, Architecture, Museum Science and Conservation and Restoration and Anthropology
Romania
The Romanian Cultural Institute, a public body founded in 2003, is tasked with raising the profile of Romanian culture around the world. In order to achieve this, it spreads information and spearheads cultural projects involving Romanian artists and writers. It offers several grants and scholarships for artists, translators, and (young) scholars.
Eligibility: individual artists, both national and international depending on the program.
Spain
AC/E is an agency that orchestrates public support for the promotion of culture, both in Spain and overseas. Its aims include promoting Spain’s rich and plural artistic legacy and fostering the internationalization of its most contemporary creative and culture sector. The agency's Programme of Residencies offers grants for a few selected residencies. The Mobility Programme is aimed at providing incentives to foreign cultural organizations and institutions – both public and private – to encourage them to feature Spanish artists and culture professionals and creators in overseas programs in order to enhance international visibility as well as mobility.
Eligibility: Spanish citizens or permanent residents for the residency program; international artists or organizations for the mobility program.
The AECID offers several grants for individuals. It lists the open calls on its website, mainly in Spanish.
Eligibility: mainly individual artists with Spanish citizenship or EU-citizens with a residence permit.
Sweden
The Swedish Arts Grants Committee awards a number of different grants and allowances to individual artists within the areas of visual arts and design, music, theatre, dance, and film. We support artists´ travels, projects, and artistic work in general. The Iapsis programme, also offers a few grants for a selection of national and international residencies.
Eligibility: the applicant's main artistic practice must be in Sweden or he or she must be a permanent resident of Sweden. However, foreign visual artists and designers may be invited for a residency at Iapsis.
United Kingdom
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Through the Support for the Individual Artist Program, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland offers grants for individuals to do a self-arranged residency. It also offers Travel Awards in order to enable individual artists and established music groups (up to 4 members) to travel from Northern Ireland to develop their skills and expertise. Applicants must provide evidence that they have been invited by a host organization in the country to which they intend to travel.
Important note: All the programs have been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eligibility: Artists of all disciplines and in all types of working practice, who have made a contribution to artistic activities in Northern Ireland for a minimum period of one year within the last five years.
The British Council provides a series of funding opportunities for UK design professionals, particularly to those who wish to develop their research and skills overseas.
Eligibility: depending on the grant program.
Creative Scotland - Open Project Funding
Open Project Funding by Creative Scotland supports the arts, screen, and creative industries, with projects that help them explore, realize and develop their creative potential, widen access to their work, and enrich Scotland’s reputation as a distinctive creative nation connected to the world.
Eligibility: Applicants may be both national and international. Projects should benefit artists and creative people, and/or arts, screen and creative organizations from Scotland by helping them to sustain themselves and their work, help them thrive, and to bring benefit to the people in Scotland.
The Henry Moore Foundation supports the development of sculpture through the Grants program. Henry Moore Foundation Grants continue Moore's legacy by supporting sculpture across historical, modern, and contemporary registers, seeking to fund research that expands the appreciation of sculpture. The artist must be supported by a host institution for residencies that can last from two to six months. The host institution should apply for the grant.
Eligibility: the foundation supports projects related to international sculpture in Britain as well as to British sculpture abroad.
Wales Arts International has two funds. The purpose of the International Opportunities Fund is to encourage Wales’ professional arts practitioners and arts organizations to develop their practice internationally and to strengthen international artistic engagement within Wales. It offers grants to both individual artists and professional arts organizations from Wales.
Eligibility: individual artists and arts organizations based in Wales.
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
Each year, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust awards more than 100 fellowships for a wide range of projects, including art projects. The fellowships provide an opportunity for British citizens to travel overseas to bring back new ideas and new solutions to today’s issues, for the benefit of others in the UK.
Eligibility: individuals who have a British passport and who reside in the UK.
