In line with SAFIR’s aim to support capacity-development among MENA Artists, below is a compiled list of current art-related grants, artist residencies, art awards, and scholarships that are open to Artists from MENA Region.
Help us expand our list by sending us the details of any additional opportunities that fall under any of these categories that are not listed. Please email us the details on info@safirart.org.
Art-related Grants:
- Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC): has grants for production and organization of visual arts, as well as funding for development, scriptwriting, production and post production of animation, documentary, experimental and narrative films in all lengths. Grants are open to all Arab individuals, and cinema grants are given only to projects with Arab director. Applications are available online through website with supporting materials. (Visual Arts funding is coming up on February 1st, 2016 and Cinema grants are to be announced in November 2015).
- Alexia Grants: The Grant funds photography and visual journalism projects that aims to promote world peace and enhance cultural understanding by uncovering social injustice. There are separate grants available for students and professionals, both open to individuals from all nations.
- Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation Individual Grants: An annual arts grant for painters, sculptors and printmakers. Grant favors artists with maturity and experience and also includes an emergency grant under the foundation. (Upcoming Deadline is December 15th)
- Doha Film Institute Grants Programme: A biannual Qatar based grant that seeks to fund budding film makers, both Qatari and international. Funding for development, production, and post-production of feature-length projects, as well as funding for production of short films are available for first and second-time directors from MENA region. Directors with more experience are eligible only for post-production funding for feature-length projects. (Next application starts on January 6th, 2016, and ends midnight on January 19.)
- Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development: Prince Claus Fund Grants and Collaborations Programmes has sporadic proposals for grants, the last of which took place on August 3rd, 2015. The fund emphasizes the importance of culture as a ‘basic need’ and acts to enhance it.
Artist Residencies:
- 18th Street Arts Center: Located in Santa Monica, California, 18th Street Arts Center offers residencies for 1-3 months that hosts artists of all disciplines. Artists in residencies are given creative work studios near the beachside, equipment, and stipends.
- A.I.R. Dubai: An annual two-month residency program based in Dubai for international and UAE Based artists and curators by Art Dubai. Artists are provided with a platform to develop their practice and create new work and through the course of the programme, participating artists are commissioned to produce site-specific works for Art Dubai Projects, and take part in a series of artists’ talks, workshops, Open Studios, and other outreach and community programmes at Tashkeel, in Al Fahidi and in the city at large.
- Camargo Foundation: The Camargo Foundation is open to artists, scholars, and leading thinkers from all countries, nationalities, and career levels to work on specific projects or areas of inquiry. Located in the South of France,the Fellowship program offers six, eight, and eleven week residential fellowships to Artists, Scholars, and Leading Thinkers. Scholars and thinkers in arts and humanities should be working in French and Francophone cultures, including cross-cultural studies that engage the cultures and influences of the Mediterranean region. Thinkers include professionals such as curators, artistic and executive directors of cultural organizations, cultural critics, and academic deans. Artists are accepted from all disciplines and are the primary creators of new work. (Upcoming call is for two residency periods: one in Fall 2016 (2-month period from September 13 to November 8, 2016) and one in Winter/Spring 2017 (applicants may choose six, eight or eleven weeks beginning February 21, 2017).)
- Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown: The center offers residency for visual artists in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The annual, seven-month fellowship will provide living and workspaces, as well as stipend for artists in residency. Placed at a land of immense natural beauty, the center encourages the fellows to take advantage of their independent works in supportive community of peers. (The Fellowship starts from October.)
- The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center: Located in the Northern Italy on the shores of Lake Como, the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residency Program is renowned for creating many innovative works of art that reflects and understands global and social issues. Thus, the residency is apt for visual artists and filmmakers who share the center’s vision of inspiring humanity around the world and taking part in global issues. (Last application deadline was December 1st.)
Art Awards:
- International Emerging Artist Award: Open to visual artists globally, and includes a number of Artistic Awards that are based in Dubai and internationally, chosen artists will be selected to be part of 4 award shows. The International Emerging Artist Award (IEAA) was created in 2011 with the vision to provide a world class recognition for emerging artists and as a means to showcase their work by offering an outstanding prize which enables to launch the career of the artist on the international art scene. (Upcoming deadline January 15 2016)
Scholarships:
- Chevening: UK government’s international aid to develop global leaders in diverse fields. The scholarship will fund for a year Master’s at any UK university, and will thus provide opportunity to experience UK culture and build lasting ties. Scholarship applications will open on early August.
- Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarships in Australia for International Students: Full financial support by Australian government for international students pursuing Masters(up to 2 years) or PhD(up to 4 years) degrees in any universities of graduate schools in Australia. The Scholarship includes travel allowance, establishment allowance, and monthly stipend. Applications end on June 30th each year.
- DAAD Study Scholarships for Foreign Graduates in the Fields of Fine Art, Design/Visual Communication and Film: DAAD scholarships offer graduates the opportunity to continue their education in Germany with a postgraduate or continuing course of study. The scholarships also promote the exchange of experience and networking amongst colleagues. The scholarship funds Master’s/postgraduate degree and includes travel allowance, etc. It was last open on October 31st, 2015