Mobility opportunities for artists

Last updated on Monday, 06/09/2021

Want to bring your creativity to a new setting? Young artists can now avail of countless opportunities to find inspiration abroad!

The movement of artists between countries plays a major role in cultural diversity. By travelling beyond borders you can extend your scope of activities, make your creations evolve, exchange experiences and learn from other artists. As creative talent moves throughout borders, cooperation and fruitful exchanges are made possible between creators from diverse cultural backgrounds and artistic traditions.

How do I begin?

Before you decide to leave, you need to know why you are going! Be sure to list your motivations for staying and working elsewhere. Included in this list should be the artistic facilities you will need access to, what skills you want to hone, and whether or not the area you are moving to is suitable!

Once you have these factors decided, you will need to begin thinking about funding. Funding from organisations and educational institutions can vary, but the European Commission has made it easier to obtain funding through Creative Europe, details of which you can find here. 
 

Where to look?

The EU-funded Creative Europe programme is supporting the mobility of artists and culture professionals with the objective of promoting the transnational circulation of cultural and creative works and operators, as well as capacity-building.

Other interesting resources:

• Erasmus+ youth exchanges offer a large variety of mobility opportunities for young people
• i-Portunus a mobility scheme for artists and culture professionals
• Roberto Cimetta Fund provides grants for the artistic exchange and the mobility of professionals in the field of contemporary performing arts and visual arts within the Mediterranean area
• On the move is a cultural mobility information network, with an overview of upcoming deadlines, guides and toolkits
• Bogliasco Foundation invites people doing both creative and scholarly work to apply for its fellowship programme in the Italian study centre 
• Mobility First! supports the mobility of artists and cultural professionals to travel from Asia to Europe, Europe to Asia 
• Res artis is a worldwide network of artist residencies.
• European Cultural Foundation develops and supports cultural initiatives by providing grants, giving awards, organising events and more.
• The Eurodesk Opportunity Finder is frequently updated to make sure you never miss out on a chance!

Worried about the change in scenery? Check out this article on going to live abroad to make the transition as smooth as possible!