Open call: Goethe-Institut Project Space 2025

The application is open from 15 July until 15 September 2024. The GPS programme grants seed funds of up to R105 000 (about $ 5 700) per project to four artistic projects that are realised in rural and peri-urban parts of South Africa, Lesotho and eSwatini between February and November 2025.

The Goethe-Institut set up this grant to support art professionals from across South Africa who collaborate with cultural or public spaces and engage with the people in the areas where these spaces are located. For the first time since its existence, the call is extended to arts practitioners from the neighbouring countries eSwatini and Lesotho.

The GPS programme is designed to support artistic projects that are engaging with communities outside the big urban centres and are focusing on the production and/or facilitation of artistic content.

What’s needed in the application

All necessary materials and information will be asked for in the application form.

The following information and materials should be prepared by you in order to fill in the application:

Mandatory:

• A short synopsis of your project (200 words max).
• A detailed project description (1 000 words max).
• A short paragraph about the projects’ objectives and means how they will be met (200 words max).
• A project timeline including realisation plan and promotion strategy (500 words max).
• Short biographies/descriptions (500 words max) of all involved parties (artists, collaborators, space/venue etc.).
• An agreement form signed by all artists, collaborators and spaces involved in the project.
• A budget plan outlining the estimated costs (expenditure) and planned income for artists’ project

Optional:

• Supporting material/references of previous work (e.g. press reviews, visual documentation). No reference letters are needed. Applicants should upload up to three files and three website links.

Eligibility

• Only projects of a non-commercial nature will be considered.
• The Goethe-Institut offers financial support for chosen projects to the maximum amount of R105 000 per project. Should the project budget exceed this amount, the artist/project team should seek further support from other funding institutions, donors or sponsors – information of which should be included in the budget plan.
• The proposed space has an established track record, operating for at least one year and professionalism evident. The profile of the space must be such that realisation of the proposed project is viable.
• A clear and viable realisation/project plan is mandatory.
• The signed collaboration agreement outlining the form of commitment from the space is essential.
• A clear idea on how the project engages with communities, preferably outside South Africa’s big urban centres, must be part of the project proposal.
• Projects taking place in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban will not be considered. Collaborations between practitioners, collectives or spaces that are based in the rural and urban areas are welcome.
• Only one project proposal per artist will be considered by the jury.

Evaluation or criteria of proposals

• The project demonstrates artistic quality and cultural relevance and demonstrates rootedness in the respective local community.
• The project application has met the deadline and documentation is complete.
• Realisation plan, budget outline and partners/infrastructure are coherent and realistic for achieving the aims of the project.
• The project is feasible within the planned project period and takes place in 2024.
• A complete and realistic budget plan that outlines additional support in the case that a project’s budget exceeds the GPS total budget per project of R105 000. This is particularly important with large/ambitious projects, where eventual realisation may seem unlikely with inadequate funding.
• The work is appropriate for the space and audience and reflects what the artist/project team is aiming to achieve.
• The proposal illustrates that both artist(s) and the space where the project will take place are able and willing to support the project from start to finish.
• The project and the proposed space in which it will be presented need to operate in partnership with each other.
• The partners need to take into account all conceptual concerns and manage all logistical tasks.

Interested artists should apply here from 15 July to 15 September.

“We also welcome projects that deliberately foster collaboration and exchange between rural and urban spaces, and projects that seek to build partnerships with a specific community or arts space,” Goethe-Institut said. “We are explicitly not looking for social cohesion or social development projects. Such projects are not eligible for funding through GPS. This grant specifically intends to support professional arts and cultural production. Projects that solely take place in urban centres (e.g. Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban) will also not be considered.”

View the original call and previous projects here.