Submit your application by 3 November 2025
The European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) has opened its fourth call for proposals. The fund will support around 50 residencies in 2026, giving at least 50 emerging artists the chance to work closely with 150 festivals across Europe and beyond. Submissions are are open until 3 November 2025, with full details available to view on the website. Information sessions are being held online on 30 September, 7 October, and 21 October, register in advance here.
The scheme is open to emerging artists of all ages, with an emphasis on potential for international breakthrough and uniqueness to programmers and audiences. Artists can be individuals or groups working across artistic disciplines.
Said Haris Pašović, Chair of the EFFEA Jury: “In today’s Europe, it is so important to encourage creativity, to give space and time to emerging voices. Europe is now facing some troubles that we are not yet able to solve. It is not the artists’ job to solve social and political problems, but it is their duty to contribute to our society and communities with their creative input. These are often the inspiration for new solutions, new energy, new hope in the world.”
The festivals and artists must work in one or more of the following artistic disciplines: architecture, ballet, contemporary dance, circus, design / applied arts, digital arts, film, folklore and folk arts, heritage, interdisciplinary, literature, music, opera, street art, theatre, photography/ video, puppetry, sculpture, and painting.
Artists and festivals can apply to be considered for two residency categories:
EFFEA Discovery: For which festivals support artists at the early stages of their careers with a strong potential to break through internationally. Approximately 40 grants of €8,000 will be awarded. These must include:
- One work-in-progress (or production result) presentation at the leading festival
- One workshop (live or online) between the artist and the festivals
- One EFFEA film about the residency (to be included in the final report)
- Participation in the EFFEA Intake and Outtake Seminars
EFFEA Springboard: Festivals support artists established in their own countries and ready to expand internationally. Approximately 10 grants of €15,000 will be awarded. These must include:
- One presentation of the artist’s work (finished work) at the leading festival and each partner festival, so at least 3 presentations
- One masterclass led by the artist in at least three countries, taking place at the leading festival and at least two partner festivals
- One EFFEA film about the residency (to be included in the final report)
- Participation in the EFFEA Intake and Outtake Seminars
Festivals and artists should have their official address in one of the following eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, and Ukraine.
Festivals with their official address from the following countries are allowed to participate as partner festivals only: Israel, Moldova, Palestine, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK. Artists from these countries can be proposed.
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The EFFEA Jury brings together a distinguished panel of cultural leaders from across Europe and beyond. Chaired by theatre and film director Haris Pašović, artistic director of the East-West Centre Sarajevo and a professor of directing at the Performing Arts Academy Sarajevo and Arts and Leadership” at the IEDC Bled School of Management in Slovenia.
The jury includes choreographer and dancer Serge Aimé Coulibaly; artistic director of Festival dei Due Mondi Monique Veaute; general director of Holland Festival Emily Ansenk; artistic director, choreographer and dancer Akram Khan; artistic director of Athens Epidaurus Festival Katerina Evangelatos; artistic director of Istanbul Music Festival Efruz Çakırkaya; director of Israel Festival Jerusalem Eyal Sher; artistic coordinator of C-TAKT Hugo Bergs; composer and artistic director of Music Biennale Zagreb Margareta Ferek Petric; director of European Festivals Forest and festivals consultant Peter Florence; co-director of Wonderfeel Festival Tamar Brüggemann; and opera and theatre director Tom Creed.
Find out more at european-festivals.eu.
Pictured: Ana Pi, Brazilian-French choreographic and imagery artist, presents Divine Cypher at Malta Festival Poznań, Santarcangelo Festival and Spielart, preceded by workshops with local dancers. Her work explores Blackness, urban politics and decolonial practices. Divine Cypher presents a contemporary lens on Haitian tradition through anthropological and urban perspectives.
