Chances

Would you like to perform in Germany? We provide funding for ensembles from developing and transition countries. The Goethe-Institut funds festivals, theatres and organizers in Germany that wish to invite ensembles to Germany from “cooperation countries” receiving German development assistance. This gives performing artists an opportunity to present their works to German audiences and to engage with the German arts scene.
Deadline for submitting always open

The Goethe-Institut supports music projects in Germany involving artists and ensembles from developing and transition countries. An invitation and application from collaborators in Germany is a prerequisite for funding. These grants are for professional ensembles and performing artists as well as amateur and newcomer ensembles.
Deadline for submitting always open

Oberhausen is now calling for entries to the competitions of its 72nd edition. Our focus is on new works with their own visual language, new perspectives and forms. Oberhausen's strength for 72 years has been its openness for the innovative, surprising, and original.
Deadline for submitting: 19 January 2026

In association with the Goethe-Institut, Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S. (Alfred Toepfer Foundation) and the Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen (Cutural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony), the European Translators-in-Residence Programme offers residential fellowships for professional translators specialising in the translation of German literature.
Deadline for submitting:
25 January 2026

The six-month programme Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi, provides a platform for professional artists, designers, architects, writers, performers, researchers, filmmakers and other culture practitioners to advance their skills and practice through dedicated studio spaces and resources. The residency programme enables participants to produce, think and connect with the wider community, through studio visits from a variety of cultural practitioners and a final open studio night.
Deadline for submitting:
31 January 2026

In the framework of the Residency Programme Frankfurt Moves!, the foundation KfW Stiftung and the Frankfurt LAB invite professional international emerging artists working in the performing arts to work on their artistic projects and to exchange ideas with other creative artists. Applicants must have been trained in Africa, Asia, Latin America or the WANA (West Asia and North Africa) region.
Deadline for submitting:
31 January 2026 at 23:59 (CET)

This is an open call by Mophradat, Brussels for published literary authors from the Arab world working in contemporary fiction who are at the final stages of a new manuscript. The program supports writers to take time out of their daily preoccupations to focus on preparing their book for publication. Participants will receive a stipend and they will additionally be offered the support of a peer to help them edit and finalise their manuscript. Once completed, Mophradat will accompany the writer in finding a publisher to print and distribute it.
Deadline for submitting:
1 February 2026

International coproductions are exemplary of partnership-based, dialogue-oriented collaborations. We promote collaborative work processes and innovative productions involving international cultural exchange. In doing so, we support the creation of new networks and approaches within global contexts, while exploring innovative methods for intercultural collaboration.
Deadline for submitting:
01 April 2026

AFAC’s Visual Arts grant supports the production and exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, installations, video and sound art, art publications, and multimedia works. AFAC welcomes proposals from individuals from Arab countries (22 member states of the Arab League), regardless of their place of residence, citizenship, or ethnic and national identification. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional, and international institutions and organizations whose projects are related to arts and culture from the Arab region. These include artistic and cultural institutions, galleries, venues, and both nonprofit and for-profit entities.
Deadline for submitting:
2 April 2026

AFAC’s Performing Arts grant supports the production and distribution of classical, folk, and contemporary forms of theater and dance performances for all age groups. The grant also supports public and site-specific interventions, performance art, and festivals, as well as training and workshops in playwriting, acting, directing, dancing, and choreography. AFAC welcomes proposals from individuals from Arab countries (22 member states of the Arab League), regardless of their place of residence, citizenship, or ethnic and national identification. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional, and international institutions and organizations whose projects are related to arts and culture from the Arab region. These include artistic and cultural institutions, galleries, venues, and both nonprofit and for-profit entities.
Deadline for submitting:
2 April 2026

The Documentary Film program supports creative documentary films in the Arab region. The program welcomes submissions by Arab directors of feature-length documentary film projects that are in development, production or post-production phases, as well as short and medium-length documentaries in production and post-production. The Documentary Film grant program is open to applications from Arab directors and producers living in the Arab region or the diaspora. A non-Arab producer can apply for a grant provided that the film director is Arab. It is highly recommended that film projects applying to the production and post-production grants have producers attached to them.
Deadline for submitting:
2 April 2026

Project funding supports up to four film and media projects per year. Werkleitz provides these projects with technology (excluding insurance) free of charge for a maximum of 14 days. Requests for project funding can be submitted at any time by e-mail to info(at)werkleitz.de. In addition to the obligatory application form with technical data, the planned project should be presented clearly in the submission. Depending on the scope, this can be in the form of a script, project description, sketches and other visualisations, CVs of the team members involved and references as links.
The application must be received by Werkleitz no later than 30 days before the planned start of the project.

Goethe-Instituts abroad and their partner institutions work with musicians to lay the foundations for diverse forms of cultural exchange: we provide funding for projects to build individual musical skills and encourage participation in collaborative ensemble music activities. The fund supports professional musicians and music teachers based in Germany who are interested in putting on educational music projects abroad.
Applications: always open but should be received at least three months before the project is to start.

In association with the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the Goethe-Institut runs a shadowing programme for theatre people from abroad who have substantial prior experience in theatre abroad. After participating in the programme in Germany, you are expected to serve as a “multiplier”, i.e. to share the benefits of your experience in Germany with your theatre scene at home. We make it possible for selected theatre people from other parts of the world to get to know first-hand how at least one production is planned, rehearsed and performed at a theatre in Germany. They can also attend performances at other theatres.
Deadline for submitting:
Always Open

The Pollock-Krasner Foundation provides financial resources for visual artists to create new work, acquire supplies, rent studio space, prepare for exhibitions, attend a residency and offset living expenses. The Foundation welcomes, throughout the year, applications from visual artists who are painters, sculptors and artists who work on paper, including printmakers.
There are no deadlines.

Ford Foundation is offering grants to support artist-driven film and new media storytelling projects that explore aspects of inequality, as well as the organizations and networks that support these projects. They support independent, documentary film, video, and emerging media projects that explore timely social justice issues, with a focus on reducing inequality.
There are no deadlines.

Artists' houses support professional artists of all disciplines by providing them with studio space and accommodation for limited periods of time, often combined with the award of a stipend or grant. They are international meeting places and centres of cultural and creative exchange. On the following pages, the various artists' houses in Germany are listed with an outline of their programmes and selection procedures.

Arab artists and cultural actors face major challenges when it comes to traveling within the Arab region or abroad for professional purposes. Foremost among them are insufficient funding to cover travel expenses, difficulties in obtaining visas and lack of opportunities to network with organizations that could potentially become partners in the creative processes in this region. Wijhat (Destinations) was developed by Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy to address these concerns. The program provides grants of up to €7,000 to artists and cultural actors from the Arab region to support their travels within the Arab region or to any destination abroad.
Deadline for submitting:
Call is open all year long

The goal of the program is to attract international qualified specialists to the German labor market as well as to strengthen the professional and personal skills of the program participants. Partial and full scholarships are available.
Students and professionals, civil servants and employees, all are welcome to apply for the LEADERS for FUTURE program.
Deadline for submitting:
1- Summer internship program LEADERS for FUTURE: the application period is approximately 9 months.
2- Ongoing internship program LEADERS for FUTURE: the application period is approx. 3 months.