FAQ
General information about the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Award Grants
The grant was established to offer awardees time and space to focus on their creative practice without any production obligations. The program fellows are invited to actively engage with Berlin’s and Germany’s vibrant cultural scenes, as well as with different communities within the city.
Each year, around twenty outstanding practitioners from diverse cultural backgrounds are invited to Berlin. The Artists-in-Berlin Program is committed to including and presenting a wide array of voices and perspectives, and to advancing gender equality.
Throughout its history, the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program has been a key player when it comes to fostering the internationalization of contemporary arts in Germany. Nevertheless, there is still much work to be done in terms of acknowledging the value and relevance of contemporary practices beyond Eurocentric frameworks. At this given moment in history, we consider it our responsibility to demonstrate a clear commitment to creating equality of access, visibility, and resources through our institutional practice without measuring artistic positions against a Western arts & culture system and its market.
The program is an award for outstanding practitioners. It is conceived for established artists who have already developed their own voice and standing. There is no age limitation (upwards). We support gender equality and diversity of origins. While an academic background is not required for selection, the Artists-in-Berlin Program is interested in work that intellectually examines and takes a critical approach toward historical and current issues and discourses. We therefore prefer artists who go beyond pure aesthetics and address the relevant topics of our times.
Every year the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program receives hundreds of applications. Many highly qualified applications cannot be considered because of the limited number of fellowship awards. An unsuccessful application in no way implies a negative evaluation of the applicant’s artistic work. It is possible to reapply.
While we are working on a long-term solution for inviting collectives and thus responding to current art practices more adequately, we currently do not have any specific possibilities to offer other than a duo being awarded two separate fellowships. The jury would have to select each member individually. Collectives with more than two members are not eligible unfortunately.
Each year around twenty internationally renowned and highly qualified visual artists, writers, filmmakers, composers, and sound artists of all ages, who have developed their own distinguished artistic voice and body of work, are invited to Berlin. For visual arts, literature, and music divisions, the residency lasts twelve
months, for film six months.
Revolving international juries convene each spring in Berlin. The juries review the submitted applications and materials, which should be as current as possible: publications, films, sound media, scores, and texts. Selections
are announced during the summer months. Invitations are extended for the subsequent year.
Residencies are scheduled to begin between January 1 and May 31 of the subsequent calendar year, or later in exceptional cases. The exact date of arrival should be arranged as soon as possible with the DAAD Artists in Berlin Program office.
Invited artists are welcome to bring along their families. Berlin has several international schools.
DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program fellowship awards comprise the following benefits:
1 Monthly grant installments for living expenses and rent
2 Provision of a furnished apartment*
3 Travel and baggage expenses (regular airline, economy class), also for spouse and children who will be staying in Berlin for the entire duration of the invitation
4 If required: health, accident, and long-term care insurance (contributions will be deducted from the monthly grant)
5 German language lessons (optional)