Open Call 2024: Impact Grants and Creative Bursaries
The Supporting Act Foundation
Our Open Calls are live—apply before May 27, 2024. This year we’re offering:
12 Impact Grants of €50,000 for community-driven initiatives using art for social change
20 Creative Bursaries of €10,000 for undergraduate students entering their final year
For our third Open Call, launching on April 30, 2024, we’re doubling the number of grants to 32, and the total amount of money awarded to €800,000. These grants for emerging artists and artist-led non-profits from underrepresented communities in the arts will be given on an unrestricted basis, in keeping with our trust-based approach to grant-making, so recipients are free to use the funding as they see fit.
This no-strings approach is informed by research into the most effective methods to address the precarious conditions and restricted opportunities that face both non-profit organizations and emerging artists from marginalized groups. In tandem with a lightweight application process, this model plays a significant role in helping recipients expand their practices and operations, with 95% of last year’s grantees citing the unrestricted nature of their grant as very helpful in meeting their financial needs.
Reflecting on this vote of confidence, Jenne Meerman, our Director, says: “Traditional grant-making often focuses on specific projects or initiatives, while we’re keen to give our grantees the freedom to spend their grants however they choose. We believe they’re in the best place to know how these resources can help them to reach their goals, and to make a positive difference in their communities. As a result, the impact of our grants is maximized, which is the ideal scenario.”
Impact Grant: 12 grants of €50,000 will be offered across two years to artist-led non-profits supporting marginalized communities and using arts for social change. They are open to non-profits registered in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, or with a fiscal sponsor in one of these countries. Reflecting on last year’s grant, Oroko Radio, Impact Grant recipient, say it “enabled us to bring people onboard to improve our operations, website, and internal processes, alleviating some of the administrative pressure we feel. This all means we have more capacity to help develop our community and their creative journeys."
Creative Bursaries: 20 bursaries of €10,000 will be offered over a year to emerging artists from underrepresented groups looking to develop their practices and initiate positive change for their communities. They are open to students entering the final year of their studies based in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. For 2023 recipient Elleanna Chapman, this funding “quite simply enabled me to keep making after graduation. Without the financial support, I wouldn’t be able to dedicate time and energy to my practice, as I would have to work full-time to make ends meet."
Independent juries have now been appointed for both programs, each composed of cultural leaders, artists, and activists, including previous Supporting Act Foundation grantees.
Impact Grant Jury
Creative Bursary Jury
You’ll find further information, full eligibility criteria, and details on how to apply in the Open Call Guides on our Programs page.
Key dates:
30 April: Open call is launched
27 May: Deadline for submissions
End of September: Announcement of grantees
Please do share these Open Calls with anyone you think might be interested, we’re keen to spread the word! And if you have any questions, we’d be grateful if you’d check our FAQs first. For any further inquiries, please contact hello@thesupportingact.org.
