We currently accept applications!
Please note that the information on this page only applies to funding opportunities through our programme line 2 "Temporary relocation to safe locations in the home region". Information on our other funding opportunities can be found here.
Before contacting us, please read the general information as well as specific information for host organisations and artists and cultural actors at risk. Please pay particular attention to the information on secure communication!
General Information
Temporary relocation to safe locations in the home region.
MRI funding enables cultural and civil society organisations worldwide to temporarily host artists and cultural actors from their region, providing a free and safe space for them to continue their creative work and/or to recover from their risk context.
Host organisations must be cultural institutions or other relevant organisations worldwide with formal legal registration (please also see information for host organisations). Host organisations not only host scholarship holders but also (ideally) provide support for their personal wellbeing and professional development.
Please see full list of requirements under host organisation
The MRI supports:
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who (through their artistic work) are committed to an open society, freedom, peace and democracy and who, because of their work or due to other circumstances, experience restrictions on their freedom or threats from state and/or non-state actors,
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who are still active in their home countries or have only recently left their home country,
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who do not have access to a safe abode (e.g. due to dual citizenship or permanent residency),
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who have the necessary language skills to facilitate collaboration with a host institution,
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who are demonstrably artistically/culturally active and whose works have a proven artistic/cultural and/or social relevance (hobby artists or persons who undertake purely private artistic activities are not eligible for funding),
Please note that all the above criteria must be met in order to be eligible for a MRI-scholarship. EU citizens are not eligible for funding.
Please be aware that this programme line is a short term temporary relocation opportunity. MRI support ends after approved funding period. Please consider post funding phase in application/planning.
Note: There is no legal entitlement to the award of a grant by the MRI. Please also note that the funding is for the time being still subject to the availability of the budgeted project funds for the financial year 2022 due to the provisional federal budget administration after the federal elections in September 2021. Thank you for your understanding.
Approved MRI projects can involve:
- a monthly scholarship,
- budget in adequate scope for individual support for the scholarship holder (e.g. necessary insurances, psychosocial support, networking activities, etc.)
- financial support in adequate scope for additional personnel for the host organisation,
- support by the MRI throughout the project.
There are no set deadlines for submitting an application. Based on availability of funding, applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. MRI will communicate on this website as soon as all funds for 2023 have been assigned.
Projects must be concluded by the end of 2023.
Scholarships in the programme line 2 regulary last three to six months.
Please note that projects must be concluded by the end of 2023.
- Applications for funding must be submitted by host organisations.
- An application consists of an application form (incl. annexes) completed in full by the host organisation, and a personal statement completed by the artist/cultural actor. You will receive all forms from the MRI team after an initial consultation session. You can request a consultation by writing to info [at] mri-application [dot] de.
- Based on availability of funding, applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis following an initial assessment of the formal eligibility criteria. (MRI will communicate on this website as soon as all funds for 2022 have been assigned.)
- After a formal review of all submitted documents, successful applications are selected by an independent committee consisting of members of the German art and cultural scene and of representatives of civil society institutions. The selection is based on the following criteria:
- Profile and situation of the artists / cultural workers
- Quality of the project proposal (are project goals and measures meaningful and appropriate/realistic and coherent?)
- Host organisation's capability and capacity to implement the project (e.g. administration and project management, security, mentoring and guidance of the hosted artist, see also requirements for host organisations)
- Consideration of follow-up perspectives
Note: There is no legal entitlement to the award of a grant by the MRI. Please also note that the funding is for the time being still subject to the availability of the budgeted project funds for the financial year 2022 due to the provisional federal budget administration after the federal elections in September 2021. Thank you for your understanding.
FAQ for Host Organisations
Please note the following information for host organisations.
You are welcome to contact us regarding the support of a specific artist/cultural actor at risk or several artists/cultural actors at risk, or to signal a general willingness to cooperate. We will be happy to advise you and jointly determine possibilities for the implementation of a project. Please always observe our instructions for secure communication.
- The host organisation must have a legal form. Private individuals may not apply for funding,
- The host organisation must not pursue any economic gain from the project,
- The host organisation should have experience in dealing with public funding (ideally German public funding) or be willing to acquire the necessary skills to comply with the public funding regulations,
- The host organisation must be able to integrate artists or cultural actors at risk into its structures, support with the continuation of their artistic work, and/or to provide a necessary level of personal support for a rest and respite stay to recover from the risk context,
- The host organisation must be willing to deal with issues concerning security and to take the necessary measures to guarantee safety standards,
- The host organisation must have sufficient organisational and administrative capacities to deal with matters related to right of residence.
Host organisations organise and implement MRI funded projects. This means that MRI concludes funding agreements with host organisations, which in turn take care of the artistic, professional and personal integration of the scholarship holder(s). Host organisations are therefore responsible for the payment of a monthly stipend and the provision of everyday support to scholarship holders. Temporary relocations funded by the MRI aim not only to protect artists and cultural actors at risk but also to provide a free and secure space for them to continue their creative work and/or to rest and recover from the risk context. A host organisation should therefore be able to integrate the scholarship holder into existing structures/networks and provide a setting to further their work and professional opportunities and/or to rest and recover from the risk context.
FAQ for artists/cultural actors interested in programme line 2
Please note the following information for artists and cultural actors.
Please check if you meet all following criteria:
MRI supports
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who (through their artistic work) are committed to an open society, freedom, peace and democracy and who, because of their work or due to other circumstances, experience restrictions on their freedom or threats from state and/or non-state actors,
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who are still active in their home countries or have only recently left their home country,
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who, do not have access to a safe abode (e.g. due to dual citizenship or permanent residency),
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who have the necessary language skills to facilitate collaboration with a host institution,
- artists and cultural actors worldwide who are demonstrably artistically/culturally active and whose works have a proven artistic/cultural and/or social relevance (hobby artists or persons who undertake purely private artistic activities are not eligible for funding),
EU citizens are not eligible for funding.
Please be aware that this programme line is a short term temporary relocation opportunity. MRI support ends after approved funding period. Please consider post funding phase in application/planning.
Note: There is no legal entitlement to the award of a grant by the MRI. Please also note that the funding is for the time being still subject to the availability of the budgeted project funds for the financial year 2022 due to the provisional federal budget administration after the federal elections in September 2021. Thank you for your understanding.
No, all funding is channelled through designated host organisations. The provision of scholarships without a host organisation is not possible. If you need help in finding a host organisation, please contact the MRI. Please note that we cannot guarantee a successful matchmaking.
You can find all contact details here. When contacting us, please observe our Information on Data Protection and the information on secure communication.
If your security situation and the chosen communication channel allow, please describe as concisely as possible,
- how you became aware of the MRI,
- which nationality(-ies) you hold and in which country you are currently located,
- which artistic/cultural activity you pursue,
- what kind of support you are looking for and if you are already in contact with a potential host organisation,
- if all eligibility criteria are fulfilled, you will be granted access to our application form (Personal Statement), which you must complete to be considered for the MRI scholarship.
Note: The MRI is not an emergency programme. We therefore cannot provide immediate support or speed up processes.
Contact
Before you send us a specific request, please read the general and specific information and criteria carefully. Please also observe the following information on secure communication in order to reduce risks for all parties involved (these are recommendations for improving digital protection, 100% security cannot be guaranteed).
We recommend that you use encrypted communication services. We have listed one free provider below through which you can reach us. Before you do so, please check whether the installation or use of the respective service in your home country (or country of residence) could lead to security issues (suspicion, prosecution). If necessary, inquire locally and/or research (if possible) on the internet, for example under Privacy International.
Protonmail: This e-mail service allows for end-to-end encrypted messages between Protonmail users. You can create an account free of charge at www.protonmail.com and send us a message to info [at] mri-application [dot] de (please note that this is a Protonmail email address). Attention: If you send an e-mail from another provider to this address, it will not be encrypted!
ATTENTION: Unencrypted e-mails or phone calls are comparable to postcards in terms of security. This also applies to channels like Facebook, SMS, Skype and - to a certain extent - Whatsapp. If you still wish to contact MRI in this way, please make sure that you do not disclose any sensitive data (names of persons at risk, information on the risk situation, etc.) when contacting MRI.
email: Please send all requests regarding the MRI PL2 programme to the following email address only: info [at] mri-application [dot] de
Please note our Information on data protection and processing of your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
