Overview
In addition to our year-round open calls and grants, which support emerging and established artists working in contemporary art, below is a compiled list of reputable local, regional and international open calls, opportunities and residencies for artists and art practitioners. In keeping with Sharjah Art Foundation’s commitment to supporting the community, this reference tool, updated on a regular basis, includes grants, exhibitions and educational opportunities.
Opportunities for artists, curators, musicians, filmmakers, writers and academics
International Open Call
apexart, New York
Deadline: 1 March 2023
apexart's Open Calls are opportunities for artists, curators, and other professionals to turn their curatorial idea into an apexart exhibition. The International Open Call is open to proposals for exhibitions taking place anywhere in the world. apexart has increased the budget substantially to $10,000 for each Open Call exhibition and related programming.
https://apexart.org/opencalls.php
Residency open call for artists based in Pakistan
Gasworks, London
Deadline: 6 March 2023
This opportunity is for an artist in the early stages of their career based in Pakistan and offers a fully funded 11 week residency at Gasworks in London from 3 July 18 September 2023.
Gasworks’ residencies are opportunities for self-led professional development, artistic exchange and experimentation.
Made public through Open Studios and events, these opportunities encourage interaction, dialogue and professional networking.
Gasworks provides significant pastoral and curatorial support throughout the residency, however artists are also expected to be proactive and self-motivated and lead the research and production of their work while in London.
https://www.gasworks.org.uk/opportunities/residency-open-call-for-artists-based-in-pakistan
Artistic Developmental Exhibition
Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
Deadline: 26 March 2023
Artists are invited to apply for the 2024 cycle of the Artistic Development Program. Open to UAE-based early to mid-career artists and creative practitioners, this program offers recipients a 10,000 AED participation grant and guidance from experienced art educators, interlocutors, and curators to produce a new body of work that will be presented in a solo exhibition in 2024.
https://www.421.online/en/opportunities/artistic-development-program/
Internship & Mentorship Program 2023
421, Abu Dhabi
Deadline: 29 March 2023
The Warehouse421 Internship and Mentorship Program offers early career development support and professional preparation opportunities for emerging-creative professionals from diverse backgrounds.
The program takes place on-site, and offers participants the opportunity to be immersed in a cultural center's operations across various departments. Depending on the selected area of focus as well as Warehouse421’s needs, interns would work with the Head of Warehouse421, Programs Manager, Education Manager, Exhibitions Manager, Communications Manager, or Operations Manager.
The internship runs from January to June 2023 and from July to December 2023. Three applicants will be accepted every six months. This is a paid opportunity.
https://www.421.online/en/opportunities/internship-and-mentorship-program-/
Visual Arts Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 April 2023
The Visual Arts grant supports painting, sculpting, photography, installations, audio-video arts, publications (artist books or other publications) and multi-media works of a contemporary and innovative nature. The grant can support exhibitions, visual arts book publications as well as art production.
The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of 20,000 U.S. dollars for individuals and teams and 35,000 U.S dollars for institutions and collectives.
AFAC is open to receiving project applications from all Arab individuals working in arts and culture. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional and international institutions whose projects are related to Arab culture.
https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/22
Performing Arts Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 April 2023
The Performing Arts grant is open to classical, folk, and experimental theatre for all age groups including children and youth; dance performances, including but not restricted to contemporary dance; public intervention performances, street art, live art, interactive and site-specific format, documentary theatre, and festivals. It also supports playwriting, acting, directing, dancing, and choreography workshops.
The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of 25,000 U.S. dollars for individuals and teams and 35,000 U.S dollars for institutions and collectives.
AFAC is open to receiving project applications from all Arab individuals working in arts and culture. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional and international institutions whose projects are related to Arab culture.
https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/23
AFAC Documentary Program
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 April 2023
The AFAC Documentary Program supports creative documentary films in the Arab region. The program welcomes submissions of short and medium-length documentaries in production and post-production, and feature documentary film projects that are in development, production or post-production phases.
The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of ten thousand U.S. dollars for Development grants, up to fifty thousand U.S. dollars for Production and a maximum of twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars for Post-production grants.
AFAC is open to receiving project applications from Arab directors and producers living in the Arab region or in the diaspora. A non-Arab producer can apply for a grant provided that the film director is Arab.
https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/7
Creative and Critical Writings Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 April 2023
The Creative and Critical Writings grant provides support to critical writings on the arts and culture, theatrical writings, children and youth literature (including both the adaptation of classical Arabic and international literature as well as original stories), graphic novel, short story, poetry, in addition to online publishing platform. The final product should be in Arabic language.
The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of 20,000 U.S. dollars for individuals and teams and 35,000 U.S dollars for institutions and collectives.
AFAC is open to receiving project applications from all Arab individuals working in the fields specified above. Applications in this category can be also submitted by relevant Arab or non-Arab institutions (publishing houses, online literary platforms, …) as long as the final product is in Arabic.
https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/14
Future Generation Art Prize 2023
PinchukArtCentre, Kyiv
Deadline: 30 April 2023
The Future Generation Art Prize is a biannual global contemporary art prize to discover, recognize and give long-term support to a future generation of artists.
All artists aged 35 or younger from anywhere in the world, working in any medium are invited to apply for the Prize.
An outstanding selection committee, appointed by a distinguished international jury, reviews every application and nominates 20 artists for the short list. These artists will be commissioned to create new works that go on display at the PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv. Subsequently, all of them will present their works in the Future Generation Art Prize exhibition at the Venice Biennale.
https://futuregenerationartprize.org/
Cinema Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 July 2023
The Cinema grant is open to all kinds of fiction film projects. The program welcomes submissions of short and medium-length narrative films in production and post-production and feature narratives that are in development, production or post-production phases.
The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of ten thousand U.S. dollars for Development grants, up to fifty thousand U.S. dollars for Production and a maximum of twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars for Post-production grants.
Projects may be implemented anywhere as long as they are created by Arab filmmakers.
https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/12
Training and Regional Events Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 July 2023
The Training and Regional Events grant supports trainings and workshops in the different cultural and artistic fields, in addition to residencies, symposiums, forums, and festivals (multidisciplinary, music, film, performing arts, visual arts, literature…).
The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of 25,000 U.S. dollars for individuals and teams and 35,000 U.S dollars for institutions and collectives.
AFAC is open to receive project applications from all Arab individuals working in arts and culture. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional and international institutions whose projects are related to Arab culture.
https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/16
Music Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 July 2023
The Music grant supports production, performances, collaborations, album recordings and festivals.
The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of 25,000 U.S. dollars for individuals and teams, and 35,000 for institutions and collectives.
AFAC is open to receiving project applications from all Arab individuals working in arts and culture. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional and international institutions whose projects are related to Arab culture.
https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/15
The information shared here has been sourced from the online platforms of the listed institutions.