European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists Opens 15 January, 2024

Around 50 residencies will be selected, involving 50 emerging artists in collaboration with a minimum of 2 festivals from different countries. All arts festivals from the EU member states, Creative Europe, and other included countries (see 'Who Can Apply' below) registered on FestivalFinder.eu are invited to apply.

Leading up to the application deadline on 19th March, EFFEA have planned a series of info sessions, Q&A, and networking opportunities.

The first session will be on Tuesday, 9th January at 10am Irish time (11am CET) on Zoom. Register here to attend.

What is the EFFEA Residency?

The EFFEA Residency is an artist-in-residence programme co-produced by a leading festival and at least two partner festivals, each from a different eligible country. It provides emerging artists the opportunity to explore their ideas and creative projects, whether original works or the evolution of existing ones, by providing them with dedicated time, space, and support. Within this framework, artists forge intimate ties with festival programmers, emphasising a commitment beyond a singular presentation. The goal is to establish lasting and meaningful connections between artists, festivals, and audiences.

There are two categories:

1. Discovery: Festivals (leading festival + minimum 1 partner festival, each from different eligible countries) take an early career artist(s) with exceptional talent and ready to break through internationally under their wings. The residency should include: training/ mentoring/ coaching, support to reach out to local communities and/ or other features the artists describe in their needs assessment; work-in-progress presentation at the leading festival; workshop (online or live) hosted by the leading festival that exposes the artists to a minimum of 1 programmer from each partner festival Approximately 40 grants of €8,000 will be attributed to this category
2. Springboard: Festivals (leading festival and minimum 2 partner festivals, each from different eligible countries) take mid-career artists established in their own country and ready to develop their career internationally under their wings. The residency should include training, mentoring or coaching support to reach out to local communities or other features that the artists describe in their needs assessment. Production result or presentation at each of the festivals; masterclass (live) conducted by the artist at each of the festivals. Approximately 10 grants of € 15,000 will be attributed to this category.

Please note that the EFFEA Residency does not provide funding for touring.

Who can apply?

EFFEA Call 3 is open to all festivals and artists that fulfil the following conditions:

• Festivals exist for at least one edition and are registered on FestivalFinder.eu. Register here.
• Festivals and artists have their official addresses in one of the following eligible countries: EU member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden. Creative Europe countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Ukraine, Tunisia. Other included countries: Israel, Palestine, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Please note: Israel, Palestine, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK can only apply as partners and not as leading festivals. Artists from these countries can also be proposed.
• Festivals and artists that work in one of the following artistic disciplines: Architecture, Ballet Contemporary Dance, Circus, Design/ Applied arts, Digital arts, Film, Folklore and Folk Arts, Heritage, Interdisciplinary, Literature, Music, Opera, Street Art, Theatre, Photography/ Video, Sculpture, Painting.