Funding Resources for Artists Seeking to Travel
What are the resources for creatives seeking funding to make art in Morocco and other parts of the Arab world?
Artists who have applied and been accepted for a residency with Green Olive Arts will receive an official acceptance letter which can be used in requesting funding. A prospective budget for accepted residents is also available upon request to aid in this process. Green Olive Arts makes no claim as to the likelihood of funding from these resources for your particular needs, but we do encourage artists to pursue these options and organizations to learn about the process.
Never say that funding is a reason not to take time for a creative residency!
Crowd Funding
Crowd funding is the practice of raising funds for a project or venture through many small gifts from a large number (crowd) of people, typically via the internet. Inviting people to become part of the story of your art residency through crowd funding is a practice that is on the rise …as are the number of websites out there offering competitive and creative plans. See a starter list of the most commonly used sites below … and see AiR Carrie Mixon’s successful and well written campaign.
Note that “***” indicates artists have funded residencies at Green Olive Arts through this platform!
Kickstarter – Indiegogo *** – RocketHub – Peerbackers – Pozible – SponsuMe – YouCaring.com *** – ProjectTravel.com – GoGetFunding – GoFundMe *** – FanFunded ***
Arts Council Funding
Municipal and educational governing bodies invest in the arts. Chances are pretty good that the local arts council of your city or state may be interested in helping to send local artists into other contexts to make their art so that when they return, the city benefits culturally. The same is sometimes true at universities, where their may already be a program through which artists can apply for funding for art travel/residency. For example, if you are a California artist, visit the California Arts Council website for grant opportunities.
Private Foundation Grants
There are numerous private foundations started by individuals and groups whose sole interest is to empower creatives and culture-shapers in their work for the good of humanity. See the list of links below. It is not uncommon for these foundations to have a fairly specific culture, geographic location, social issue or even artistic medium in their funding profile.
Read ArtInfo’s helpful blog post on the 20 top Artist Grants and Fellowships You Might Actually Be Able to Get
Self-Funding – an entrepreneurial solution
Many professional artists wisely consider their vocation as partly a business venture requiring setting financial goals and making realistic plans for their production. Does your annual plan allow for you to grow and develop beyond your current work? Consider the price and quantity of paintings you might be able to complete in 6 weeks time away in your own studio in an inspiring new place … and add to that the number of paintings you might then go back home and finish, or even start. It is not impossible to think of having an exhibition within 6-8 months of a residency, during which you could sell 2-3 paintings and pay for the whole trip.
Embassy Sponsored Creative Exchange
Offering your skills, stories, workshops, exhibition, or other professional asset to your country’s Embassy or cultural attache can grow into an amazing opportunity to share across cultures in exchange for full or partial funding. In Morocco, the American Language Centers also offer such an exchange for any strong English speaking artists traveling in-country. This usually entails cutting into your residency time OR lengthening your stay beyond your project proposal by up to 5 days to accommodate traveling to and presenting at multiple ALCs in-country. Contact us about these opportunities to begin the dialogue.
North Africa Specific Funding Sources …
North Africa Cultural Mobility Map – This is a complete listing of funding sources for creatives seeking to travel in North Africa.
Euro region…
Resources by Country …
American (USA)
FULBRIGHT Scholar Program -With the support of the United States government and through binational partnerships with foreign governments, the Fulbright Scholarship Program sponsors U.S. and foreign participants for exchanges in all areas of endeavor, including the sciences, business, academe, public service, government, and the arts and continues to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
Also consider the the Fulbright Flex Awards available to U.S. scholars currently unable to spend extended periods of time abroad, an option more conducive to shorter seasons of artist residency
Lighton International Artist Exchange Program (LIAEP) – Support for visual artists and arts professionals to travel to international residencies and artist communities and for foreign visual artists to travel to and work in the United States.
Rauschenberg Foundation Artist as Activist Grants – ‘Artist as Activist provides game-changing resources to artists (of all disciplines – visual, performing, media, and beyond), designers, and other creative professionals who are addressing important global challenges through their creative practice. In years past this support has included a commissioned print edition to benefit a particular cause or organization.’
Sustainable Arts Foundation Awards – Awards are offered to visual artists and writers with families. Specifically, the applicant must have at least one child under the age of 18. In 2019, awards of $5,000 each to twenty artists and writers will be given, offering unrestricted cash, which recipients can use as they see fit. There are no geographic restrictions on applicants. Awards are based on excellence in a creative field and the strength of the submitted portfolio.The application opens February 1, 2019 and the deadline to apply is February 28, 2018, 5pm Eastern Time.
State of California
State of Indiana
Indiana Arts Commission – Individual Artist Grants
State of Minnesota
Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant – Travel and Study Grant Program for emerging artists. This program rotates disciplines every other year. In even years, the program is open to literature; film/video and digital production; and dance. In odd years, the program is open to music; theater/performance art; and visual arts.. The program is open to “generative” artists who have a record of creating original work. The program is also open to arts administrators in Minnesota who work at organizations who support such artists.
New York City artists
Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant – Travel and Study Grant Program for emerging artists. This program rotates disciplines every other year. In even years, the program is open to literature; film/video and digital production; and dance. In odd years, the program is open to music; theater/performance art; and visual arts.. The program is open to “generative” artists who have a record of creating original work.
Australian
Australian Council Arts Funding – a broad ranging list of grants available to Australian Artists/Creatives
Creative Australia, New Work Grant
Grants for developing artistic work internationally
Creative Development Grants – Western Australia
Southern Australia, Funding and Grants
Canadian
Ontario Arts Council – The Ontario Arts Council currently offers more than 65 granting programs to individual artists, collectives, ad hoc groups and organizations in twelve sectors.
United Kingdom (UK)
Arts Council England – “We invest money from government and the National Lottery in arts and culture across England. This funds a wide range of activities – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, crafts to collections; and helps us achieve our mission of Great art and culture for everyone.”
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust – “Nowadays it’s much easier to travel but the travel grant gives you the time and space, with full financial support, to learn, reflect, network and develop in your chosen field, returning revitalised and with renewed enthusiasm for your subject. You may have to operate out of your own comfort zone and will learn from doing so.”
Paul Hamlyn Foundation – Paul Hamlyn Foundation artist grants are typically by nomination only, but this new site points artists to their directory of grants to which artists can apply directly.
Jewish Culture in Europe – “The mission of the European Association for Jewish Culture will be pursued through grant-making programmes” … specifically for artists seeking to explore Jewish cultural impact and heritage internationally.
Indonesia
Crowd funding in Indonesia – Kita bisa – Ayo peduli – Crowdtivate – Wujudkan
Crowd funding explained for the Indonesian artist by Kita bisa.
Read more about grants available through Arts Network Asia and also about 2014 grants related to Indonesia/Asia by Luce Initiative
Brasil
Crowd funding in Brasil – Catarse – Kickante – Pontapés – Guigoo
Netherlands
Stichting Gerbrandy Cultuutfonds – AiR 2016 Maartje Jaquet received funding from this organization.
“De Stichting heeft ten doel het stimuleren van beeldende kunst in Nederland in de meest brede zin van het woord. De Stichting tracht dit doel onder meer te bereiken door het verstrekken van beurzen aan beeldend kunstenaars, die voor hun kunstzinnige ontwikkeling enige tijd in het buitenland willen verblijven. Bijvoorbeeld, voor het volgen van studies, het volgen of geven van workshops, het verblijven in kunstenaarsdorpen, het werken met speciale locale materialen, zulks ter beoordeling door het bestuur van de Stichting.”