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

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

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.