Call for applications: Pro Helvetia To-gather International Collaboration fund

The To-gather International Collaboration fund seeks to support collaborations between arts practitioners, cultural organisations and institutions in Switzerland and their counterparts in the regions of the Pro Helvetia liaison offices. It aims to support either new or ongoing long-term international collaborative projects and encompasses all disciplines that are supported by Pro Helvetia, including music, design, interactive media, literature, performing arts, visual arts and architecture as well as projects that combine multiple disciplines both within and beyond the arts.

The call looks to support time for critical reflection on the current situation, for sharing ideas towards more equal forms of exchange between cultural ecosystems and across contexts, and for experimenting with new formats for collaborating.

The fund is aimed at projects with the following goals:

• To encourage artistic collaborations with long-term visions between Switzerland and one or more of the regions covered by Pro Helvetia’s international network of liaison offices.
• To maintain existing and develop new professional networks during and beyond the pandemic.
• To reflect on and develop new models of collaboration between artists, and between artists and organisations, towards a more equal and sustainable practice – both on the local and global level.

Criteria

• Applications should be for activities spanning a period of two to three years, and which must take place between 2022 and 2024, or until 2025 for three-year projects.
• Proposals must be complete at the time of submission and define all partners.
• All projects must include partners (artists, organisations, collectives, platforms, etc.) in Switzerland and at least one liaison office context.
• Applications including multiple partners in liaison office regions are possible and encouraged.
• All partners must demonstrate several years of experience in their field, and should illustrate in their application a genuine interest in testing new ground for future ways of collaborating internationally.
• Projects which are part of a school or university curriculum/basic training, or continuing education programme closed to the public, are not eligible.

Funding conditions

• All partners should invest according to their capability (financial, spaces, programming, accommodation, meals, network, visibility, advice, etc.) These investments should be declared and explained.
• Applicants can charge reasonable administrative, management and overhead costs to a project.
• Cost for the construction of new physical infrastructures will not be supported.

How to apply

Applicants can apply here before 3 October. Applications must be in English and must contain the following elements:

• A concept outlining the aims, form, content and implementation of the project, specifying multiple steps during the two to three years, the intended impact during the project period as well as long-term impact beyond the project period.
• Information about all participating partners: CV, role in the project, investment in the project.
• A budget and financing plan (with detailed information about the financial contributions of the partners) incl. specification of the amount requested from Pro Helvetia. The maximum grant per project is 50 000 Swiss francs (about $55 000).
• Additional relevant documents (e.g. documentation of past projects, media reports, etc.)
• Applicants will be communicated with before the end of December 2021.

View the original call here.