Art

Making the extraordinary possible

© Wonge Bergmann

The joys of experimentation and adventurousness guide our work in the artistic field. In order to strengthen the voice of artists in society, we support contemporary projects of all kinds.

We place a particular focus on projects that transcend borders. By this we mean projects that surmount the boundaries which divide individual artistic genres or separate art from other disciplines. On the other hand, we also support initiatives that question the relationship between audience and art in a new way, or that network and foster exchange among artistic agents.

Individual artists and non-profit organisations alike are eligible to apply. We support both established artists and young talent. With our Fleetstreet Residency, we also provide support specifically for young artists. In addition to regular funding, we also support major artistic projects with international appeal – we actively approach potential funding partners in this regard.

Important note on the application process

The Rudolf Augstein Foundation will no longer be realising open calls for art funding until further notice.

In recent years, we have seen a steady increase in the volume of applications. In the last call, we received over 500 applications. As a result, our funding rate fell below ten per cent in 2024. As a result, the number of high-quality submissions and the number of funded projects are no longer in good proportion to each other.

We are therefore strategically realigning our art funding. As soon as this process is complete, we will communicate the results here and via our newsletter. Please refrain from submitting applications until then.

Our mentoring programme re:balance and our cooperation with the Fleetstreet residency are not affected by this realignment.

 

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Funding criteria

Applications received will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Artistic quality
  • Social relevance
  • Originality and independence of the artistic approach
  • Suitability of the chosen medium

What we do not support

  • Cultural organisations in the context of institutional support
  • Scholarships and awards
  • Festivals (no global festival funding will be awarded)
  • Guest performances (with individual exceptions for projects whose creation was funded by the Rudolf Augstein Foundation)
  • Catalogues of exhibitions not funded by us
  • Fees and travel expenses for participation in congresses, conferences and training programs
  • Cultural education projects which do not take place in class and which are not intended to last at least one school year.

Gender equality and diversity

We are committed to equal opportunities and want to fight discrimination against women and gender minorities in the arts. An intersectional perspective is important to us in this regard.

For our funding practices, this means:

 

  • We pay attention to gender equality when distributing our funding.
  • We award grants for childcare and/or travel and accommodation costs for accompanying children.
  • If an awardee becomes pregnant or faces care responsibilities and consequently has to postpone the project, we will maintain our funding commitment as a matter of principle. Please inform us of any changes in your time plan.
  • We regard the periods you spend giving child- or elder care as relevant career stages.

Fleetstreet Residency

Deadlines and information for application

Applying for a residency is possible once per year. The recent application deadline ended 15 September 2023. The next deadline is expected for autumn 2024. We will announce the date in due course.

Please apply directly to the Fleetstreet Theater. There you will also find all information about the application.

 

Fleetstreet

Selected funding projects