Open Call: Goethe-Institut Project Space (GPS) 2026
Call for Proposals 2026

Kids in a field with flowers in Lesotho playing with a camera on a tripod. © Tseliso Monaheng

The Goethe-Institut Project Space (GPS) grant is now closed.

DEADLINE 30th SEPTEMBER 2025, 12:00 PM CAT

The GPS programme grants seed funding of up to R 100.000 per project to three artistic projects that are realised in rural and peri-urban parts of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini between February and November 2026. The Goethe-Institut set up this grant to support art professionals who collaborate with cultural or public spaces and engage with the people in the areas where these spaces are located.

The GPS programme is supporting artistic projects that are engaging with communities outside the big urban centres and are focusing on the production and/or facilitation of artistic content. We also welcome projects that deliberately foster collaboration and exchange between rural and urban spaces, and projects that seek to build partnerships with a specific community or arts space.

Please note: We are explicitly not looking for social cohesion or social development projects. Such projects are not eligible for funding through GPS. This grant specifically intends to support professional arts and cultural production. Projects that solely take place in urban centres (e.g. Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban) will also not be considered.

In 2026, up to 3 arts projects will be chosen for support by GPS.

Information and documents for applicants:

Materials

The Goethe-Institut Project Space (GPS) grant is now closed.

The following information and materials should be prepared by you in order to fill in the application:

Check our explainer video

GPS Explainer Video

If the info provided doesn’t answer your queries, please send an email to: gpsapplications@goethe.de

If you experience technical difficulties during the submission process, or have any questions regarding the application process, please contact the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg team on: gpsapplications@goethe.de or through the Goethe-Application Portal (GAP) via the messaging option.

We also invite you to check the Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section on the website.

If you have not heard back from us by the end of November 2025, please consider your application as rejected. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to provide individual feedback to rejected applicants.

Evaluation Criteria of Proposals

WHAT IS THE GOETHE-PROJECT-SPACE (GPS)?

The Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg calls for proposals for the 2024 edition of the Goethe-Institut Project Space (GPS), a multi-disciplinary support programme for artists and art initiatives living and working in South Africa. The programme supports artistic work realised in any part of South Africa.

GPS aims to foster collaborations between art professionals and community spaces that can take the form of workshops or exhibitions, performances or events of any artistic discipline including visual arts, performing arts, film, music, or interdisciplinary work.

GPS is envisioned as a non-commercial, artist-centred platform, designed to support not only the artists and their projects, but also the many structures, spaces and festivals that currently exist and need partnerships of this nature to continue their work.
GPS signals a move to decentralize; supporting smaller, less institutional, and non-commercial spaces, and privileging those situated outside of the large metropoles of South Africa.
An independent jury of arts professionals, selected by the Goethe-Institut for their expertise in the field of high-quality independent art projects, arts project management and community work, is responsible for the selection of projects that will be supported in 2026.

GPS forms part of the Goethe-Institut’s programme that promotes cultural dialogue through fostering exchange in the arts. GPS was conceived succeeding the GoetheOnMain space, which was based at Arts On Main in Johannesburg from May 2009 to November 2016.