The Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts Fellowship

This unique opportunity provides a collaborative space to strengthen your organisation, enhance your professional development, and drive impactful advocacy efforts.

The programme will welcome up to 15 leaders working across diverse artistic disciplines and societal issues, who will work together to overcome challenges, share experiences and create innovative solutions that create greater impact within their local communities and the wider arts sector in Europe.

What do they offer?

• Starting in June 2025 and ending in November 2026, this programme will support personal growth, organisational development, and collaborative learning. The Fellowship will support each Fellow to overcome a key challenge or explore a new opportunity within their organisation or community through the development of a ‘leading question’. It will take Fellows on an interconnected journey, to amplify the impact of socially engaged arts.
  • The Seed of Change
    • Fellows are supported to identify specific challenges or opportunities for change individually or within their organisation, while gaining more confidence, skills and knowledge to tackle challenges.
  • Extending the Reach
    • Fellows will look at their organisation’s needs and aspirations, turning personal growth into strategies that boost their organisation’s ability to advocate for greater impact.
  • A Movement for Advocacy
    • Fellows will reflect on common challenges facing the sector and explore how their efforts can lead to systemic change, reshape narratives and drive advocacy for socially engaged arts across Europe.

Benefits 

• Immersive Residentials
  • Two in-person, hands-on sessions:
    • October 2025, Turin, Italy: Deep dive into socially engaged arts, value creation, and advocacy.
    • June 2026: Reflect and co-create strategies with your peers.
• Online Workshops
  • 12 interactive workshops focused on skill-building, peer learning, and community connections.
• Learning by Doing
  • Tackle real-world, concrete challenges by leading on developing advocacy work, projects and organisational initiatives as part of the programme.
• Action Learning Sets
  • Bi-monthly peer support sessions to refine your strategies.
• Mentoring and Support
  • One-to-one guidance, plus opportunities for external mentors and peer connections.
• Study Visits and Exchanges
  • Up to €5,000 in travel grants to connect with peers and learn from best practices.
• Fellowship Grants
  • €60,000 per organisation to support participation, development, and pilot actions.
• Online Community
  • A digital platform for sharing resources, collaborating, and staying connected throughout the programme.

Who can apply?

• This Fellowship is for leaders of socially engaged arts organisations whose mission is rooted in community engagement and social change. If your organisation is committed to making and deepening real impact through art, this programme provides the resources, network, and support to help you achieve your vision.
• They are looking for applicants who are:
  • Visionary and ambitious: You are a driven leader with a clear vision, dedicated to personal growth and to strengthening your organisation’s capacity to achieve lasting impact.
  • Aligned with the Fellowship’s Mission: You see this programme as a chance for personal growth while advancing the wider impact of socially engaged arts across Europe.
  • Advocates for Social Change: You believe in the power of the arts to address social challenges and are committed to meaningful change within and beyond your local context.
  • Collaborative and Open-Minded: You thrive in working with others, welcome new ideas, and approach challenges with curiosity.
  • Community-Driven: Your organisation is focused on creating social change by responding to community needs through art.
  • Organisationally Stable: Your organisation is ready for growth and has a sustainable model to fully benefit from the Fellowship.
• The Fellowship is open to non-profit organisations with legal status in a Council of Europe state or Kosovo, operating in the cultural and arts sector, and meeting the following requirements:
  • Based and operating in one or more European countries.
  • Established for at least five years, including time before formal registration.
  • The majority of activities are focused on socially engaged arts.
  • The Fellow has at least 3 years of senior leadership experience in socially engaged arts, with a minimum of one year in their current role.
  • The Fellow is proficient in English to fully participate in all programme activities.

For more information, visit Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts.