Zad: Miles for Connection Program

Zad supports the mobility of artists, individuals and artistic groups from the Arab region who are currently residing in Europe, regardless of their ethnicity. This support covers all artistic and literary specializations and is open to individuals of all ages. Some examples of this support include: presenting theatrical works and live artistic performances, concerts at music festivals, streaming films in cities and places where they have not previously been streamed, organizing or joining literary readings, organizing and relocating art exhibitions, and sharing the outcomes of artist residencies.

Costs Covered

• Zad provides financial contributions to display artistic works in new spaces. This support could cover mobility within the current country of residence or travel expenses within Europe, and it falls within three main categories:
  • Travel and accommodation costs coverage: This includes transportation costs, internal transportation, daily expenses, travel insurance coverage, including any costs related to special needs or health conditions, and accommodation costs. This also covers the travel costs of children and partners as well as childcare cost, if the parents are unable to travel without them;
  • Coverage of transportation and shipment costs of artworks and production materials;
  • Coverage of the costs of translating artworks into several languages and the costs of simultaneous translation during live meetings with the public.
  • The program encourages the adoption of environmental and economic solutions, if possible, when considering travel options, such as using trains and shared public transportation that are less harmful to the environment, as well as opting for means of transportation that can be booked a sufficient period in advance.
• Zad is being launched for a period of 3 years (2024-2026), as part of Ettijahat’s current strategic plan and based on the recommendations of the first ten years evaluation, which included designing additional frameworks for artists moving from the Arab region to diaspora countries.

Eligibility Criteria

• All artists from the Arab region, regardless of their ethnic background, who have relocated to Europe since 2015, are eligible to apply to the program;
• The program gives priority to artists who moved from the following countries: Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, and Libya;
• Individuals and artistic groups have the right to apply to the program;
• Any artist who plays a major role in the artistic work and who needs support to travel can apply: director, writer, music composer, scenographer, producer, or curator, regardless of the nationality of the team who can benefit from ZAD’s framework;
• The program covers travel costs between all countries in Europe, and this includes travel within cities and regions in the country of residence;
• The program requires that the artist obtain an official invitation from the party or organization to which they want to travel, if the travel destination is different from the headquarters of the organizing party, and the organizing party must be an artistic or literary entity;
• Zad supports presenting the artistic or literary work to new audiences in new cities and/or countries where the artistic work has not been previously presented;
• The mobility of previously produced works and/or new works can be supported;
• The travel date must be at least two months after the results announcement date;
• When receiving ZAD support, artists will be required to obtain a formal declaration from the Hosting Entity, stating that the Hosting Entity will not cover the expenses that are supported by the ZAD Programme;
• An independent and specialized multicultural committee studies the applications, and the committees remain undisclosed until the results are announced.
• Applications can be filled out in Arabic or English, and invitation letters can be in any other language;
• Beneficiaries of other Ettijahat programs are not eligible to apply;
• Members of the Ettijahat team, members of its General Assembly, first-degree relatives of the team, and any artistic projects that involve cooperation with the Ettijahat team, are not eligible to apply. However, former members of Ettijahat work team are eligible to apply after 3 years have passed since the end of their commitment with Ettijahat;
• All applications undergo a fair evaluation. Members of the selection committee are not allowed to review applications from individuals with whom they have a first-degree kinship or with whom they collaborate on the submitted project. Instead, these applications are reviewed by other committee members;
• Recipients of grants retain full ownership rights to their artistic work, although they should mention “Ettijahat – Independent Culture” organization.

Evaluation Criteria

• Applications that meet all conditions are reviewed based on the following criteria:
  • Artistic destination: The relevance of the destination in terms of its connection to the artist’s artistic experience;
  • Audience: To what extent does the nature of the artistic event allow the artist to reach new audiences?
  • Networking: To what extent does the event contribute to building cooperation and partnerships that open new horizons for the artist?
  • Travel options: Are travel costs reasonable? Do they align with ZAD’s goals?

For more information, visit Ettijahat.