Martin Roth Initiative Funding Program for Artists

Temporary relocation to Germany: Artists and cultural actors at risk have the possibility to temporarily stay and work in Germany with the support of a host cultural organisation. This funding option from the Martin Roth Initiative enables host organisations in Germany to temporarily take in artists and cultural actors at risk and enable them to continue their work in a safe context. In addition to a monthly stipend, the funding includes financial ressources to support artistic/cultural work, among other things.

Note: The MRI is not an emergency programme and therefore cannot provide immediate support or speed up processes. Scholarships last up to 15 months.

What does the funding include?

• a monthly scholarship
• individual support for the scholarship holders (e.g. necessary insurance, psychosocial support, language courses, trainings, networking activities, etc.)
• if necessary, financial support for additional personnel for the host organisation
• counselling by the MRI and further training (for example on topics such as safety, sensitive public relations, psycho-social support) as well as networking activities and exchange of experience with other host organisations and scholarship holders
• support in the visa process for scholarship holders (please note that the scholarship visa does not automatically entitle scholarship holders to take up employment or self-employment in Germany)

Who can be a host organisation?

• Host organisations can be cultural institutions or collectives (e.g. museums, theatres, festivals, etc.) and other socially relevant organisations that are based in Germany.

Eligibility Criteria

• Artists and cultural actors worldwide, who:
  • through their artistic work are committed to an open society, freedom, peace and democracy, who reject any kind of discrimination and who, because of their work or due to other circumstances, experience restrictions on their freedom or threats from state and/or non-state actors
  • are still active in their countries of origin, have only recently left their countries of origin (departure after the deadline of the last call for applications by the MRI on the 20/09/2023), or are not safe in their current locations
  • do not have access to a safe abode (e.g. due to dual citizenship or permanent residency by means of a national or humanitarian visa),
  • have the necessary language skills to facilitate collaboration with a host institution
  • are demonstrably artistically/culturally active and whose works have a proven artistic/cultural and/or social relevance (hobby artists or persons who undertake purely private artistic activities are not eligible for funding)
• Please note that all the above criteria must be met in order to be eligible for a MRI-scholarship and that MRI cannot provide matching with a host organisation. EU citizens are not eligible for funding.

Criteria

• After an assessment of the formal eligibility criteria by the Martin Roth-Initiative, an independent committee selects the project applications to be funded. The selection is based on the following criteria:
• Existing threats/risk situation for the artist/cultural actor
  • Profile of the artist / the cultural actor (quality and social relevance of previous work / fit with MRI mission).
  • Quality of the application & capacities of the host organisation (Are the goals and measures/activities reasonable, appropriate, realistic and coherent? To what extent is the professional development or continuation of artistic/cultural work of the scholarship holder supported?)
  • Artistic/work-relevant fit between host organisation and scholarship holder, support and integration (suitability of the host organisation)
  • Potential positive impact on the home/host community through the project.
  • Gender and diversity aspects.

For more information, visit Contemporary And.