Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
The fellowship was established to offer artists time and space to focus on their creative practice without production obligations. Fellows are invited to actively engage not only with the dynamic cultural scenes of Berlin and Germany but also various communities within the city. Each year around twenty outstanding artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds are invited to Berlin. The Artists-in-Berlin Program is committed to including and presenting a wide range of voices and perspectives. Of particular importance to us here is the advancement of gender equality.
Since its inception, the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program has been a key player in cultivating the internationalization of contemporary art in Germany. However, there is still much work to be done in terms of recognizing the value and relevance of contemporary practices beyond a Eurocentric framework. At present, we see it as our responsibility to demonstrate a clear commitment to creating equal access, visibility, and resources through our institutional practice without measuring artistic positions against a Western art and culture system and its market.
The program is an award for outstanding international artists from the fields of visual arts, film, literature, and music & sound. It is intended for established artists who have already developed their own voice and standing.
There is no (upper) age limit.
An academic background is not required. However, the Artists-in-Berlin Program is primarily interested in positions that critically engage with historical issues as well as contemporary discourses. We therefore prefer artists who go beyond pure aesthetics and address the relevant issues of our time.
Applications may only be submitted in the categories of film, literature, and music & sound. Application requirements for these specific artistic areas can be found below (see→HOW DO I SUBMIT MY WORK SAMPLES?). In the visual arts category, artists are nominated and selected by a specialist jury. Accordingly, applications cannot be submitted in this category.
The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program receives hundreds of applications every year. Given the limited number of fellowships on offer, many highly qualified applications might not be accepted. An application that is not accepted in no way implies a negative assessment of the applicant’s artistic work.
Applicants can reapply at any time. By submitting an application, artists agree to the guiding principles of the program.
The Artists-in-Berlin Program fellowship is not designed to support emerging artists during their early development. Applicants who are still in school or have just completed their education will not be considered. Doctoral students, however, are eligible to receive support. Academic training is not a prerequisite for receiving a fellowship.
In the visual arts category, artists are nominated and selected by a specialist jury. Accordingly, applications cannot be submitted in this category.
German nationals are excluded from applying. German nationals (including dual nationals) who live abroad may only apply if they can verify that they reside primarily in the country from which they are applying—as a stipulation, applicants must have had residency there for a minimum of six years. Please indicate this clearly in your personal data form (under CURRENT POSTAL ADDRESS) and submit a document confirming your residency as the first page of your press PDF.
Artists residing primarily in Germany are excluded from applying, regardless of their nationality, except in cases in which they initially registered in Germany no more than fifteen months prior to the application deadline. Please indicate this clearly in your personal data form and submit a copy of your registration certificate as the first page of your press PDF. The registration certificate and date must be no older than September 1 of the previous year.
Alumni of the Artists-in-Berlin Program can not reapply.
We are working on a long-term solution to invite more collectives and better accommodate contemporary artistic practices. Currently, we can only offer one fellowship per year for a collective of up to 3 people.
For 2025 this collective fellowship will be awarded in the category of music & sound. We kindly ask you to submit only one application and select the option “I am applying on behalf of a collective” in the personal data form. In the application form, you should indicate all collaborators and describe the nature of your collaboration in the field “Are you planning to have others working with you during your stay?”.
In the categories of film, literature, and visual arts, we can only offer individual fellowships for 2025.
The application period usually begins in mid-October and ends in mid-December. The exact dates can be found in the current Call for Applications, which we publish on our website in October.
A personal data form and an application form including links to work samples must be completed online. The application portal can be accessed here during the application period.
A preview PDF of the application form can be viewed online for preparation purposes.
For detailed guidelines on submitting your work please see →HOW DO I SUBMIT MY WORK SAMPLES?
Optionally, one PDF of press reviews (i.e. articles & reviews of your work in magazines/newspapers/online media) can be uploaded. Please note that this is not a space to upload your own works/portfolio. Due to the multi-phase application process, all links must remain available until August of the following year (see →WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SUBMISSION?).
In contrast to previous years, we do not accept any submissions via email. Thank you for understanding.
After completing the personal data form, you will receive an email confirmation including a personalized link to the application form online.
- Please include at least one link to online work samples in the field
“Please submit your work samples here,” while paying attention to the specific requirements for applications in the categories of film, literature, and music & sound indicated below. Submitting no links will result in the application being excluded from the selection process. - Please make sure all credits are clearly indicated, especially if work has been developed collaboratively.
- Please ensure that all submitted material remains available online until August of the following year. Broken links will result in the application being excluded from the selection process. If you submit private or password protected links, please include the password in the application form.
There are various free cloud services that make it possible to share private and/or password-protected links in a secure manner (end-to-end encrypted if possible) for an unlimited period of time. For example, but not limited to: dropbox, google drive, apple iCloud for documents/files, vimeo and youtube for audiovisual content and soundcloud for audio material.
Please understand that we cannot assist you in hosting your work samples with any of these services, but there is extensive documentation available online.
→ If you apply for film
Please submit links to one complete film and up to three extracts (5 min each) of your most recent works, with subtitles. Please include a synopsis of every film submitted. We only accept Vimeo or YouTube links. No trailers.
→ If you apply for literature
We accept links to PDFs of published books (no online-only publications) in the application form. Please do not submit manuscripts and no more than four books. Original printed publications can only be sent from within the EU due to changes in customs regulations. Please see the instructions in the section “CAN I SEND WORK SAMPLES IN THE POST?”
→ If you apply for music & sound
Please only submit links to recordings, videos, or audio-visual material.
Please submit no more than four work samples, including corresponding materials for each work sample—i.e. the score, a description of the work, photos, videos. Specific sections to be listened to should be indicated accordingly.
Due to the large number of applications and their respective file sizes, we cannot host any work samples on our servers. Therefore we only accept 1 PDF solely for your press samples ((i.e. articles & reviews of your work in magazines/newspapers/online media) and in some cases the registration certificate (see exceptions of Who is not eligible to apply?) .
We kindly ask you to not upload any other material. Work samples may only be submitted via links.
There are various free cloud services that make it possible to share private and/or password-protected links in a secure manner (end-to-end encrypted if possible) for an unlimited period of time. For example, but not limited to: dropbox, google drive, apple iCloud for documents/files, vimeo and youtube for audiovisual content and soundcloud for audio material.
Please understand that we cannot assist you in hosting your work samples with any of these services, but there is extensive documentation available online.
We strongly encourage you to only submit work samples via links.
Furthermore, please note that it is only possible to send physical material from within the EU by post.
If you decide to send physical application material, you are still required to complete the online application process. When filling out the online application form, please indicate that you will send material by post in the field “Please submit your work samples here,” and you are advised to still include links to your works there as well (e.g., “I am submitting 3 books, titled A, B, C via mail, please find PDF copies here: ‘Link A,’ ‘Link B,’ ‘Link C’”).
After finishing your digital application, please send physical work samples together with your application ID, name, and artist name (if applicable) postmarked by Dec 1 to:
Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD
-APPLICATION MATERIAL-
Markgrafenstraße 37
10117 Berlin
Deutschland
Please do not enclose any other documents. If you submit work samples via postal mail, please note that the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program cannot cover customs-related costs nor assume any responsibility for submitted materials.
After the application process, original materials (books, scores) will be returned only at the written request of the applicant. Copies, manuscripts, copied DVDs, tapes, USB sticks, etc. will not be returned. Late or incomplete applications due to problems or delays at the customs office will not be considered in the selection process.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to submit application material in the mail duty-free. Please only submit material digitally and note that DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program cannot cover customs-related costs nor assume any responsibility for materials submitted by mail.
Due to the large number of applications and their respective file sizes, we cannot host any work samples on our servers. Therefore we only accept 1 PDF solely for your press samples (i.e. articles & reviews of your work in magazines/newspapers/online media – this is not a space to upload your own works/portfolio) and in some cases the registration certificate (see exceptions of Who is not eligible to apply?) .
We kindly ask you to not upload any other material. Work samples may only be submitted via links (see “HOW DO I SUBMIT MY WORK SAMPLES?” and “Is there a way or box to attach my work samples / books in PDF format?”)
The online application form is only available in English. It is possible, however, to translate the form into any language on your device.
If you can not find what you’re looking for or if you have any problems with your application, please get in touch with the applications team directly via email: residency.berlin@daad.de
We will add frequently asked questions over time, as they reach us.
After successful submission of the application form, you will receive an email confirming the completion of the application process.
In the next step, all applications will be reviewed for formal admissibility in a multi-stage process after the application deadline. Due to the high volume of applications, this process can take several months. Please refrain from contacting us regarding the status of your application during this time.
International, revolving, specialist juries meet every year between March and May in Berlin.
Decisions will be communicated after all jury meetings are completed. Invitations are sent out for the following year.
Residencies may begin between January 1 and May 31 of the following calendar year, or later in justified, exceptional cases. The exact date of arrival must be scheduled with the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program as early as possible.
The duration of the fellowship is twelve months in the visual arts, literature, and music categories, and six months in the film category.
A monthly stipend to cover living expenses and rent.
Provision of a furnished apartment. Please note that not all apartments have the same level of accessibility (e.g. elevator / equipment).
Travel and luggage expenses (scheduled flight, economy class), also for partners and children if they reside in Berlin for the entire duration of the fellowship
If necessary: health, accident, and liability insurance; premiums are deducted from the stipend payments.
German language courses (optional).
The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program is a family-friendly institution. The invitation also applies to your spouse, registered partner, and/or children up to the age of eighteen, provided they also reside in Berlin for the entire fellowship period.
If this is the case, a large enough apartment will be provided. Travel expenses are also reimbursed for family members. There are various international schools in Berlin for school-age children.
Unfortunately, depending on your country of origin, it may still be difficult to obtain a visa for your partner if you are unable to provide legal documentation of your partnership—e.g., as may be the case with domestic or same-sex partnerships.
Smaller pets are allowed in most apartments, but we have to speak to the landlords on a case by case basis and therefore cannot guarantee that you will be able to bring your pet.
Please let us know if you would like to bring a pet after receiving the fellowship so we can find out if they find out if they are allowed and make sure to check the quarantine and import regulations for your pet beforehand.
We ask for your understanding that due to the large number of applications, we cannot clarify these details sufficiently before receiving the scholarship.