Call for applications: Cultural and Artistic Responses to Environmental Change programme

Cultural and Artistic Responses to Environmental Change is a year-long interdisciplinary programme aimed at accelerating engaged community-based cultural practices at the intersection of arts and the environment, initiating an international network of creatives, and fostering leadership.

Through this programme, the Prince Claus Fund and Goethe-Institut create a platform to explore critical artistic practices, connect engaged practitioners across the world, stimulate cross-disciplinary exchange and amplify new perspectives on environmental change.

The mentorship brings together 12 mid-career artists and cultural practitioners – with eight to 15 years of relevant professional experience – with four mentors, all working across a range of disciplines and environmental issues. In order to foster conversation and collaboration within the cohort, and to support each artist in their own individual practice, this programme – designed considering the needs of the selected participants – includes different types of interaction such as workshops, guest talks and peer-to-peer sessions.

The programme activities average a time commitment of 10 hours per month, though this varies throughout the year. Moreover, the participants should be comfortable sharing ideas in spoken English to promote a space of mutual learning where people with different life experiences and knowledge come together.

Each artist receives an award of €10 000 ($10 840) to work on the concept for a body of work that they outline in their application.

Through this mentorship programme, the Prince Claus Fund and Goethe-Institut aim to:

• Support critical and unconventional work by mid-career artists working on a range of issues related to the global commons, environmentalism, the climate crisis and climate justice.
• Stimulate leadership of individuals whose artistic work fosters awareness, social cohesion and empathy.
• Accelerate the artistic practices of artists and cultural practitioners who show a commitment to their communities and to creating lasting change through environmental activism.
• Strengthen and amplify new perspectives on environmentalism, the climate crisis and climate justice.

Eligible candidates

Support is only given to individual persons from, living, registered and working in any of the eligible countries here.

Previous grantees of the Prince Claus Fund are not eligible to apply unless their previous grant is finished and closed before the application submission deadline for this call.

Eligible expenses

This award is not restricted to a pre-decided budget, but must be used for the development of the concept outlined in their application. Participants are expected to actively participate in all aspects of the mentorship programme, and be available for all scheduled meetings, travels and communications. Continued support is dependent on this active participation. The Prince Claus Fund will communicate the given expectations in a timely manner.

The Prince Claus Fund and Goethe-Institut cover the costs related to the mentorship programme itself, including travel expenses, visa costs and stay. Individuals are responsible for their own travel insurance. Further details on the covered expenses are communicated with successful applicants at a later date.

How to apply?

Applicants can apply for this opportunity through an online application system here before 30 April.

The application includes a cover page with basic questions and information, concept outline of work to be developed within the mentorship, portfolio of previous work, and an open format motivation (audio, video, written).

Please check the eligibility criteria and guidelines before applying. 

“The world is currently facing a critical situation: alarming changes in nature and our environment are all around us; biodiversity is disappearing; air and water sources are increasingly polluted; sea levels are rising; and extreme weather phenomena are escalating,” the Prince Claus Fund said.

“Now, more than ever, we need the arts and culture to help us respond; to inspire and motivate us by challenging our perceptions, encouraging communal action by introducing intersectional and trans-disciplinary perspectives, and cantering non-hegemonic forms of knowledge to envision alternative models of climate justice in the world. Most of the activities are online as the participants are coming from different locales, but twice we come together in person for the two Lab Weeks (week-long mentoring intensives). Additionally, there is a collective project in the form of a publication that we will co-create.”

View the original call here.