Fund for appearances abroad by professional German music ensembles
This fund consists of project allocations of the German Foreign Office and is managed by the Goethe-Institut’s Music section. The object is to help finance the music projects of professional ensembles and individual musicians working in Germany by covering part of their travel expenses. The projects must be of superior artistic quality and cultural significance.
The Goethe-Institut is assisted in assessing project applications by its artistic advisory committee.
Funding requirements:
This fund consists of project allocations of the German Foreign Office and is managed by the Goethe-Institut’s Music section. The object is to help finance the music projects of professional ensembles and individual musicians working in Germany by covering part of their travel expenses. The projects must be of superior artistic quality and cultural significance.
The Goethe-Institut is assisted in assessing project applications by its artistic advisory committee.
Funding requirements:
- The ensemble/musician applying for funding must work professionally.
- The ensemble must do most of its work in Germany.
- The project must be of superior artistic quality and cultural significance.
- The ensemble must already have specific invitations from partners/organisers abroad.
- As a rule, only partial funding is available, limited to covering travel expenses. So funding for the project as a whole should already be by and large secured.
- Projects involving multiple appearances in a single region and in rapid succession will be preferred to applications for one-off appearances.
- Funding may be provided for projects involving virtually any genre of music, with the exception of Schlager (i.e. mainstream pop “hit” music), blues, cabaret, musicals, international folklore and volkstümliche (i.e. commercial “folksy” music).
- Funding may be provided for concerts, master classes, seminars, workshops, or a work-related stay abroad outside the academic/scholastic sector.
- Candidate selection will also be based on the cultural policy priorities and guidelines laid down by the German Foreign Office. Guest appearances by ensembles in foreign regions prioritized under the Foreign Office’s cultural policy will therefore be accorded special consideration, provided they receive expert endorsement.
- Projects involving young musicians, amateur music or professional choirs (which are covered by our Department for the Promotion of Young and Amateur Musicians)
- Commercial or tourist travel
- Friendship meetings and “get-acquainted” gatherings of chiefly local importance
- Short/weekend trips
- Benefit events
- Competitions/contests
- School or training-related projects (scholarships/educational grants, theses/dissertations, research work)
- Development aid projects
- Recent recording (audio-format CD, no mp3 files)
- Press material
- Copies of invitations including confirmation of concerts and services/payments to be rendered by the inviting parties
- Proof of having chosen very inexpensive means of transport
- Completed application form
Applicants have no legal claim to financial assistance. Any funds provided shall be voluntary payments for projects that conform closely to the cultural and educational foreign-policy objectives of the Federal Government of Germany and that could not have been carried out without this assistance.
Deadlines:
Applications must be submitted six months in advance. 
Application form (MS Word, German version only) Application form (PDF file, German version only)
Contact:
Goethe-Institut e.V., Music Section
FONDS
Dachauer Str. 122
80637 München
Germany
phone: +49 89 15921 878 (Mo and Wed, 9am to 5pm)
fax: +49 89 15921 671
fonds@goethe.de
