Creatives Unite has gathered open calls from all over Europe dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Sector. We keep an eye on available opportunities targeted to artists and creatives and make sure you don't miss the upcoming deadlines. This month we gathered open calls for fundings and cooperation opportunities that will complete the application process during October. Take a careful look, choose your suitable project or initiative and get ready to apply!
Pro Helvetia is going to support programmes that foster exchange between art, science and technology involving organisations in Switzerland and across the world. Activities like networking, residencies, research and exchange formats should provide a clear impact on the Swiss artistic and cultural scene. Proposals must be jointly submitted by a minimum of two organisations with one of them being a Swiss arts or cultural organization.
For Whom? Arts and cultural organisations
Countries: International together with at least one Swiss organisation
Deadline: 02 October 2023
Apply here
Pop the Vote is inviting young artists and students to become changemakers in their communities. The selected changemakers will mobilise citizens, especially underrepresented groups, using art and culture as tools to enhance political participation. Part of the programme includes training on artivism, campaigning and the use of artistic expression as a political language. This is your chance to bring the thoughts and issues of your generation to surface!
For Whom? Artists
Countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
Deadline: 15 October 2023
Apply here
Goethe-Institut and Artists at Risk will find a match between cultural institutions in Germany and creative artists fleeing from Ukraine.The program encourages smaller institutions to apply and aims to offer support for artists at risk from Ukraine.
For Whom? Cultural organisations in the fields of theatre, dance, film, music, literature, visual arts, performance, architecture, libraries, and museums
Countries: Germany
Deadline: 15 October 2023
Apply here
The European Cultural Foundation wants to safeguard democratic communities by supporting local libraries. The programme enables libraries and their communities to develop and implement creative solutions to local challenges with their community members. Each library and community group focuses on a local concern, which is often a common concern shared by many other groups across Europe.
For Whom? Libraries
Countries: All Europe countries
Deadline: 16 October 2023
Apply here
NordArt, one of the largest contemporary art exhibitions in Europe is looking for artists to take part in their upcoming exhibition. The exhibition thrives on the different perspectives of individual cultures, but also makes it clear that East and West, South and North share many common thoughts and similarities. Paintings and sculptures, photographs and installations will become a main piece of art to tell their story to the world.
For Whom? Artists
Countries: International
Deadline: 31 October 2023
Apply here
The European Cultural Foundation’s programme will support local libraries and their communities in addressing democratic, societal, environmental, and other burning challenges of local and global nature.
On 5 September 2023, the European Cultural Foundation and partners Fondazione Cariplo and Scottish Library & Information Council launch the Europe Challenge 2024: Libraries, Communities and Democracy. This new edition of the programme addresses various challenges facing Europe, such as social isolation, inequality, disinformation and climate crisis, through community-led local change.
The programme enables libraries and their communities to develop and implement creative solutions to local challenges with their community members through
Starting in January 2024 and running until September 2024, this is an opportunity for libraries and their communities to work on ideas and creative solutions that enhance democratic participation and social and environmental wellbeing. The deadline to submit the proposal is 16 October 2023, 9:00 CEST. Details on the open call can be found on the website.
The Europe Challenge is initiated by the European Cultural Foundation and supported by Fondazione Cariplo, the Scottish Library and Information Council and public funding by Arts Council England. The programme delivery partners are Changency, OBA and Public Libraries 2030.
About the Europe Challenge
The Europe Challenge is an annual programme that kicks off with an open call and brings together teams from libraries and communities across Europe. Each library and community group focuses on a local concern, which is often a common concern shared by many other groups across Europe.
Seven libraries from Latvia to Spain took part in the pilot programme from May 2021 to May 2022, working on a range of innovative solutions, from installing urban beehives at libraries as a practical teaching tool for championing biodiversity to tapping into virtual reality as a way to tackle digital exclusion. The 2022 edition, launched in May 2022, brought together 32 libraries and communities from 14 countries and 29 different locations (from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland to one of the most easterly islands in Greece) that in addition to public libraries included school, prison, university, volunteer and special issue libraries.
These 39 initiatives are showcased through in the publication Sense of Belonging which highlights the initiatives ignited by the Europe Challenge between 2021 and 2023, and tells the story of why and how the programme was conceived.
Libraries are safe, diverse, democratic spaces. They are trusted spaces. They are human spaces in an age of Artificial Intelligence.
About the European Cultural Foundation
The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) was founded in 1954 to help construct a united Europe where we can live, work, play, dream and express ourselves freely, share a sense of belonging based on solidarity and mutual respect, and collaborate across borders of all kinds, in harmony and in the fullness of our diversity. Since then, the European Cultural Foundation has initiated and supported projects in culture, civil society, environment and education throughout Europe to promote this sense of belonging. In its nearly 70 years of existence, the foundation has supported thousands of Europeans and organisations with grants and exchanges and has succeeded in putting culture and cultural policies on the European agenda.
Deadline: 16 October 2023
Apply here
Pop the Vote! is looking for young artists and/or art students from 14 EU countries to become Changemakers in their communities.
The 2019 European Parliamentary Elections marked a turning point with a remarkable surge in voter turnout – the highest in 25 years. However, to bridge the generational gap in political engagement, “Pop the Vote! Culture on the Ballot” is gearing up for an electrifying initiative leading up to the 2024 elections. Led by Culture Action Europe and co-funded by the European Parliament, this project calls upon young artists and student artists, aged 18-30, to be Changemakers in their communities. In early 2024, selected Changemakers will mobilise citizens, especially underrepresented groups, using art and culture as tools to enhance political participation.
52 Changemakers across 14 EU countries will be selected to participate in the Changemakers’ Playground Camp, a one-week training programme hosted in Belgium from 10-16 February 2024. The programme will include an immersive training on artivism, campaigning and the use of artistic expression as a political language. Also during the camp, Changemakers will spend a day in Brussels learning firsthand about the European Union, its institutions and the European Parliamentary elections. By the end of the Playground Camp in Belgium, Changemakers will have designed a blueprint to carry out two events in their respective countries. These engagement events, reaching a minimum total of 100 citizens, will use arts and artivism as a methodology to trigger citizen engagement leading up to the EP elections in June 2024.
Who Culture Action Europe is looking for?
Culture Action Europe is seeking Changemakers: artists, student artists and/or cultural workers between the ages of 18-30. Changemakers are people like you who want to deepen their artistic and activism practices by exploring innovative ways of community engagement using the language of the arts and culture for political change.
Funding and Support
Selected Changemakers will receive the following:
Eligibility Criteria
Requirements for applicants
Application Process
You must submit the following items to be considered for the Pop the Vote! project:
Your letter of motivation (max. 1 page, English) that touches upon the following:
Deadline: 15 October
Find more information here
Apply here
The Goethe-Institut together with the international NGO Artists at Risk (AR) bundles and supports funding programmes from cultural institutions in Germany to match them with creative artists fleeing from Ukraine.
Whom Goethe-Institut funds
Cultural organisations in the fields of theatre, dance, film, music, literature, visual arts, performance, architecture, libraries, and museums that offer support for artists at risk from Ukraine.
While cultural institutions of any size can apply, the aim is to encourage smaller institutions in particular to set up new programmes.
What Goethe-Institut funds
Funding of
The amount of the grant is a flat rate of 1.000 EURO per month for living expenses. After consultation, close family members (children) travelling with you can be supported.
Rent or other costs are supported according to need and on the basis of cost estimates and receipts.
Funding criteria
The applicant organisation must
Deadline: 15 October 2023
Find more information here
Apply here
NordArt, one of the largest annual contemporary art shows in Europe is inviting artists from all over the world to apply and take part in their upcoming exhibition.
Kunstwerk Carlshütte is a non-profit cultural initiative and has been organising the international NordArt since 1999. NordArt is one of the largest contemporary art exhibitions in Europe, which is conceived anew every year. Between June and October, paintings and sculptures, photographs and installations by more than 200 selected artists (internationally renowned as well as newcomers) from all over the world come together as a monumental piece of art. Each work stands for itself and at the same time in a dialogue with the others. In synergy with the imposing backdrop, a unique atmosphere develops, inviting you on a journey of discovery.
The exhibition thrives on the different perspectives of individual cultures, but also makes it clear that East and West, South and North have many common thoughts. In order to allow deeper insights, NordArt dedicates an individual pavilion to a different country every year and also presents special projects, cooperating with embassies, cultural institutions and curators from various countries.
Application for participation
Artists from all over the world can apply to take part in the exhibition. The application for participation at NordArt is preferably online. Alternatively, applications can be submitted by post or by email.
There are no application or participation fees.
The selection of artworks takes place until mid-February 2024 by a jury. A list of selected artists and special projects will be published on our website by the beginning of March 2024. All invited artists will be informed and asked to confirm their participation and to send the documents for the catalogue.
The delivery of selected artworks is scheduled until 19 April 2024.
NordArt Prize
The NordArt Prize worth 10.000 euros has been donated by Hans-Julius and Johanna Ahlmann since 2010. The NordArt Prize is awarded annually to one artist. The prize winner is announced towards the end of the exhibition and is invited to participate in NordArt again. The award ceremony takes place at the NordArt opening in the following year.
Public Choice Award
NordArt visitors have the opportunity to vote for their favourites. The three Public Choice Awards are endowed with 1.000 euros each and come with an invitation to participate at NordArt the following year.
Deadline: 31 October 2023
Apply here
The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia is looking to support research-based and process-oriented programmes that foster exchange between art, science and technology involving organisations in Switzerland and across the world.
From hackathons to fellowships, from residencies to think tanks – the Synergies open call offers support of CHF 20.000 – CHF 150.000 for international collaborations and encourages programmes which spark new approaches, methodologies and connect knowledge from different contexts.
If the following applies to your envisioned programme, it fits the open call:
The support is allotted to the conceptualisation, creation and implementation of the programme. This may include artists’ fees, travel costs, material costs, etc. Infrastructural costs (building, renting, etc.) and operational costs (salaries, insurances, etc.) of the organisations will not be supported.
Who can apply?
Proposals must be jointly submitted by a minimum of two organisations. The collaboration must consist of a Swiss arts or cultural organization with one or more partners from around the world. These can be, for example: music and exhibition venues, dance companies, literature platforms, cultural spaces or established networks and platforms.
Eligibility
Deadline: 02 October 2023
Find more information and apply here
