Pro Helvetia launches measure to support co-creation

Funding is available for:

• Artist fees – It is recommended that the fees correspond to the countries’ social-economic context. Fees must include payments for mandatory social security contributions.
• Travel costs for both applicants
• Costs related to co-creation process and planned activities including material costs, equipment rental, transportation costs, among others.

Who can apply?

• The applicants are tandems of artists or collectives, where one of the applicants is based in Switzerland and another in the regions covered by Pro Helvetia’ liaison offices (Arab region, China, Russia, South America, South Asia, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa).
  The other applicant cannot be an institution or platform (i.e. festival, venue, etc).
• The applicants are tandems of artists or collectives active in Design, Interactive Media, Literature (including poetry, comics, children/youth literature), Music (including podcasts), Performing Arts, Visual Arts (including Architecture and Photography). Projects between different artistic disciplines are also eligible.
• At least one of the applicants has completed a research trip or a residency supported by Pro Helvetia (digital, live, hybrid). Alternatively, applicants may present a compelling track record of previous joint collaborations with each other in Switzerland and/or liaison office region (at least 2-3 projects).
• One of the applicants has Swiss nationality or holds permanent residency in Switzerland and is presenting their work at recognised venues with a cross-regional reach or is visibly active in national networks.

Exclusions – Pro Helvetia is unable to consider funding requests if:

• The conceptual and organisational lead in the project is not shared between tandem partners.
• The project is a tour or presentation of an existing work.
  One of the applicants is a platform/festival or an art institution.
• The same part of the submitted project is already receiving funding from Pro Helvetia or other Swiss federal bodies (e.g. Federal Office of Culture, Presence Switzerland, Swiss National Science Foundation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation).
• The project is part of a school or university curriculum/basic training or continuing education programme (including dissertations, diploma projects, university scholarships, etc.).
• Funding is intended to cover infrastructure costs, as well as the costs of operating cultural facilities, its archives, and collections.
• No retroactive contributions are granted to projects already underway or lying in the past.

How to apply?

• One partner per tandem hands in the application.
• Applications must be in English and submitted, exclusively, via myprohelvetia.ch
• Only complete applications will be considered.
• Decision timeline: within 10 weeks of submission, candidates will be notified via email.

Applications must contain the following:

• A joint statement for intent/motivation for collaboration from both tandem partners or collectives.
• A description of the planned co-creation project, project plan (incl. planned activities and presentations in Switzerland and/or LO region), budget, explaining the requested amount (a single PDF), developed jointly by co-applicants.
• The portfolio of both applicants (or respective members of a collective) including links to videos etc., curriculum vitae, list of previous presentations / activities (compiled in a single PDF).