Open call: WAYS funding programme 2025

This multi-tiered funding programme offers grants ranging from €27 000 (about $29 296) to €1.6 million to support long-term artistic collaborations between cultural institutions in Germany and non-European partners, particularly in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Oceania, and Central, South and Southeast Asia. The programme emphasises fairness and sustainability, with partners jointly defining these terms while developing their artistic projects.

WAYS consists of three funding stages: the Initiation Fund, the Fellows-at-Large Fund, and the Tandem Fund. Only projects that receive Initiation Fund support are eligible to apply for the subsequent funding stages. The programme supports contemporary projects in music,  performing arts, visual arts, literature, architecture, art and cultural history, and cross-disciplinary initiatives. Funding decisions are made by the executive board of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, based on recommendations from an international jury of experts.

Initiation Fund

The Initiation Fund provides financial support for research projects lasting up to nine and a half months. It is designed to help organisations explore potential collaborations, establish connections, and develop long-term partnerships. Activities may include in-person visits, workshops, and discussions to define artistic goals and establish a framework for fair and sustainable cooperation. The process culminates in the creation of a Roadmap of Collaboration, which forms the basis for applications to the Fellows-at-Large or Tandem Fund.

Eligible applicants include large and medium-sized cultural institutions or independent groups based in Germany or non-European regions, particularly in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Oceania, and Central, South and Southeast Asia. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

At least 60 projects are expected to receive funding, with grants of up to €27 000 per project. The total budget for this fund is €1.62 million.

Fellows-at-Large Fund

The Fellows-at-Large Fund supports two-year work visits (fellowships) that allow artists and cultural professionals to develop independent projects while experimenting with new models of equitable and sustainable collaboration. Funding enables fellows from non-European countries to work at a cultural institution in Germany, or vice versa, with fellows from Germany hosted at organisations abroad. Fellows gain insight into the artistic and operational approaches of the host institution while contributing new perspectives. Only cultural institutions based in Germany are eligible to apply.

A minimum of 12 fellowships will be awarded, with each fellowship receiving up to €248,000. The total budget for this fund is €2.976 million.

The Tandem Fund supports four-year partnerships between cultural institutions or independent groups in Germany and non-European countries. These collaborations focus on developing joint artistic projects while fostering long-term, equitable working relationships. The programme encourages participants to exchange knowledge, understand each other’s creative processes, and engage in collaborative decision-making.

Only cultural institutions and independent groups based in Germany are eligible to apply.

At least 12 transcontinental partnerships will be funded, with grants of up to €1.6 million per project. The total budget for this fund is €19.2 million.

Application process

Applications open on 1 April 2025 and can be submitted online via the official website. The deadline for submissions is 1 October 2025.

View the original call here.