Funding: Arts for the environment

The S+T+ARTS4WaterII programme is a continuation of the successful implementation of its pilot predecessor S+T+ARTS4WaterI, initiated by the European Commission through the European S+T+ARTS initiative (Science, Technology, and Arts) and organized by Ars Electronica. S+T+ARTS4WaterII facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration, collective critical thinking, research, experimentation, and co-design led by artists through collaborative art residencies, international educational workshops, exhibitions, conferences, and networking activities that bring together artists, researchers, stakeholders, and ICT experts. These collaborations focus on addressing specific local or regional water challenges and envisioning future water management through creative, critical artistic works, novel digital solutions and public engagement.

Cultural Vistas is a globally active, non-profit exchange organisation with offices in Berlin and Washington, D.C. The organisation develops and implements various programmes such as study trips, exchange, scholarships, residencies, as well as professional development and training programmes. The Climate Action Artists Residencies are focused on climate change and its impact and consequences on the countries of the Vulnerable 20 (V20), as their very existence is threatened, for example, by rising sea levels or an increase in extreme weather events. The Residencies provide a novel approach to address these complexities by transcending borders and translating scientific research results into artistic media. To this end, the Residencies establish new networks between Germany and the countries of the V20, giving a new voice to those affected most and artistically conveying the global interdependencies of the climate crisis.

Ways of Repair : Loss and Damage is an online artistic research residency, a series of public events, and a set of commissioned texts, aimed at facilitating a transdisciplinary exchange around the issue of loss and damage caused by the climate crisis. “Loss and damage” is a term that is used in two ways. Firstly, it is used as a technical term by climate scientists, researchers and policymakers to describe the devastation that is being caused by the climate crisis. When used in that way it is stylised with a lower case “l” and “d” (“loss and damage”). Whilst, when stylised with an uppercase “L” and “D” (“Loss and Damage”) it is used to describe the policies and plans that are implemented to address loss and damage, such as those that are negotiated at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Throughout the year-long research residency, the selected artists and/or curators are engaged with the issue of loss and damage and encouraged to spend time exploring and developing their artistic and/or curatorial practice in dialogue with other like-minded cultural practitioners as well as a global community of climate change researchers, policymakers, advocates, activists, and negotiators, working on Loss and Damage — the policies and plans developed to address loss and damage.

EcoArt is a grassroots charity based in Southwest Scotland connecting community, art and sustainability, whose work embraces the transformational power of art for social and environmental justice. This call is open for creative proposals from individuals, collaborative partnerships or other collectives. Proposals can be a complete project, co-funding, seed-funding, development funding, residencies, research or any combination of the aforementioned. They need to be interdisciplinary collaborations by artists, scientists, activists and/or people with different kinds of knowledge and centred around exploring new ways of engaging a broad public with environmental issues. EcoArt is also willing to assist in the development of ideas for projects, especially from young people, and in using its networks to help make contacts between people looking for creative collaborations. The proposed project must cover the area of Scotland and especially Dumfries and Galloway. Longer-term projects that require funds over a number of years are also preferable. EcoArt will support a number of creative projects that respond to a broad range of ecological issues, raising awareness and leading to action at a local, national or international level.

The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grant (AWAW EAG) financially supports environmental art projects led by women-identifying artists in the United States and US territories. It focuses on environmental art projects that inspire thought, action, and ethical engagement. Projects should not only pinpoint problems, but aim to engage an environmental issue at some scale. Proposals should illustrate thorough consideration of a project’s ecological and social ethics. Projects that explore interdependence, relationships, and systems through Indigenous and ancestral practices are encouraged to apply.

The CRC Foundation’s Call for Destruction is a groundbreaking environmental and landscape restoration project centred on the province of Cuneo. It aims to rejuvenate neglected areas through destruction, redevelopment, or mitigation. Notably, community involvement is pivotal, using a unique two-phase tender process. Phase one collects proposals from local bodies and institutions for targeted interventions, while phase two allows citizens to vote on selected projects, fostering unprecedented public engagement. The call encompasses two measures: Measure 1 (up to €30,000) involves demolishing unused structures and restoring the area, and Measure 2 (up to €15,000) focuses on mitigating disfigurements. By promoting sustainability and enhancing the natural environment, the initiative contributes to cultural, tourism, social, and economic development in the province. It seeks to eliminate ugliness, restore beauty, and empower local communities in driving positive change.

The Climate Action programme, driven by a profound commitment to urgent climate action, finances impactful projects spanning diverse fields to promote a resilient and low-carbon society capable of adapting to global changes. This support initiative focuses on four key priorities. First, it seeks to identify, maximise, and endorse original and innovative climate solutions with a global impact. Secondly, it encourages transition to sustainable production and consumption models,such as circular economy and bioeconomy, while effectively leveraging technology to address environmental challenges. Thirdly, the programme emphasises enhancing knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes about climate issues, empowering individuals and communities with valuable insights and understanding. Lastly, it highlights the value of quality communication in raising public awareness about environmental concerns, inspiring action and engaging the broader public in ecological conservation efforts. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s support programme invites diverse stakeholders to collaborate, envisioning a sustainable and environmentally conscious future achieved through collective efforts, creating positive change for current and future generations.

Climate Cultures Call seeks to address the pressing challenges of climate change by supporting projects and initiatives that bridge the gap between climate and culture. The Call encourages a transformative shift in cultural practices and paradigms by fostering holistic approaches. It targets actors from civil society, arts and culture, and environmental protection sectors, with a particular emphasis on engaging younger generations and diverse target groups. The Call encourages visionary projects which explore innovative urban housing, sustainable rural mobility, the coexistence of people, animals, and plants, climate-related displacement recognition, and interdisciplinary collaborations between civil society, climate research, and art. It focuses on fostering transformational initiatives which embrace experimentation, openness, and forward-looking perspectives for a healthy and habitable planet.

Climate Story Fund is one of three pillars of Doc Society’s Climate Story Unit. The fund aims to catalyse new narratives and stories about the climate crisis by producing creative climate-related non-fiction projects, developing associated impact distribution strategies, and rolling out strategic campaigns. The objective is to create tangible effects on target audiences and/or target policies. Since 2020, the Doc Society Climate Story Fund has awarded $1.9M to stories and impact campaigns worldwide that move us closer to a more climate-just and biodiverse future.
Doc Society, a non-profit founded in 2005, is committed to enabling great documentary films and connecting them to global audiences. Doc Society works with filmmakers and partners worldwide to unite people to unleash documentary film’s transformational power. In collaboration with CIFF and the IKEA Foundation, Porticus supports the Climate Story Fund.

Amidst the ecological crisis, a remarkable shift is unfolding in art projects, characterised by a burgeoning spirit of cooperation. This transformation seeks to liberate us from the helplessness often induced by despairing diagnoses, and envision desirable and sustainable futures instead. Artists are pioneering novel work methods, actively engaging in collaborative partnerships with researchers, local inhabitants, intellectuals, associations, and professionals in healthcare, social work, and the environment. This call for projects aims to bolster these artistic endeavours, which bridge multiple domains of research and practice, encompassing scientific, empirical, and cultural dimensions. Through these collaborations, new visions are forged, empowering societies to embark on the ecological transition necessitated by the evolving climate regime. These art forms awaken our capacity for reflection and empathy by evoking emotions, steering us away from fear and resentment stemming from vulnerability. Instead, they inspire hope and instigate meaningful conversations, fostering a collective determination to embrace the challenges of the ecological transition.

DOEN seeks pioneers committed to nurturing radical imagination in the arts, encouraging projects which embrace societal change, and collectively engaging individuals and communities. Focus is on fostering diverse perspectives to create a different world. Support is provided to artistic and cultural projects that utilise radical imagination to demonstrate a better world while including a variety of viewpoints. DOEN also favours social engagement by working with artists and cultural organisations that involve individuals and communities in their artistic process, in order to explore alternative perspectives. Initiatives within the arts and culture sector which enable inclusion and horizontal collaboration are encouraged. The call emphasises the power of radical imagination to envision the world differently, encompassing both past and present. Social practice is greatly encouraged as a way for art to reflect societal change and create new worldviews. In addition to these criteria, initiatives must align with DOEN’s goal of promoting ecological, socially inclusive and cultural sustainability, while engaging new communities and fostering connections between diverse groups and actors.

Anthropogenic influences on the environment damage nature and nationally valuable cultural assets. The extent and nature of their injury has changed in recent years. These include changes in anthropogenic emissions as well as the effects of climate change and the handling of chemicals formerly brought in for protection. New strategies, methods, procedures, or products must be developed, applied as models, and communicated for sustainable cultural property protection. The DBU makes an essential contribution to the preservation and protection of cultural assets holding national value, through its funding theme. It promotes innovative approaches to the preservation of monuments and museum collections or the protection of historic parks and gardens, which are translated into practical conservation concepts. Project funding addresses a wide variety of damage potentials in this area, aims to exploit the opportunities offered by new digital technologies, and provides essential impetus for the advancement of conservation and restoration science in Germany. A vital component of this funding theme is the awareness that preserving cultural assets is a significant task and an obligation to future generations. To convey the value of cultural monuments to schoolchildren and teach them methods of preserving cultural heritage, the DBU also supports projects in the field of education for sustainable development and cultural heritage protection.

The 2023 edition of the Culture of Solidarity Fund invited European transnational initiatives to address the themes of just transition and environmental sustainability from a cultural perspective. Climate change urges a radical shift towards more sustainable models, reshaping individual and societal values related to work, the environment, and social justice. Culture plays a vital role in shaping people’s beliefs and behaviours. Arts and cultural organisations, community media, activists, and the creative sectors have the ability to foster solidarity and critical discussions, by considering the cultural context and values of communities to ensure fairness and inclusion for all. Open to European-based organisations in cultural, creative, or related sectors, the Fund encourages transnational and translocal collaborations, cultivating cross-border solidarity alliances. The 2023 edition seeks initiatives promoting just transition through public awareness, democratic decision-making, creative ecosystem solutions, and culture-driven cooperation between public and private stakeholders, for social and economic transformation.

Culture Onlife 2022 supported cultural organisations from the provinces of Padua and Rovigo by promoting the digitisation of activities and services and encouraging pro-environmental practices.

This grant is dedicated to projects bringing more daylight and fresh air into everyday life. Applicants are encouraged to propose original ideas to move indoor activities outside, thus fostering a healthier and happier environment. Applicants can be citizens, private and public groups, neighbours or classmates, with ideas for utilising spaces like school yards, forests, harbours, and cities for outdoor activities. For organisations and professionals, such as architects and builders, the grant is open to innovative projects that transition indoor activities to outdoor settings. Proposals should draw on existing architectural and construction traditions, with new possibilities like open-air teaching rooms or reimagined outdoor spaces such as atriums and arcades. Sustainability is a crucial criteria and projects should address energy consumption, materials recycling, or other climate-related concerns. A total of 20 million kroner are divided into two pools: 5 million for smaller projects, and 15 million for larger, primarily building-related initiatives.

Even though this open call was realised during 2017, it serves as an example of best practice. Applicants were encouraged to find solutions to, for example, the following questions: How are ecological and economic thinking reconciled through compensations? Do we know all the ecological boundary conditions related to compensation? Does political rhetoric correspond to ecological boundary conditions and facts? How is nature talked about in politics or the media, and what about in fiction or scientific publications ? The foundation encouraged multidisciplinary projects involving researchers from different fields, artists, journalists, activists, company representatives and other actors.

F2Click. Objective Climate is the first photography competition of the F2C – Fondazione Cariplo per il Clima project. F2C is Fondazione Cariplo’s main project dedicated to fighting the climate crisis through concrete initiatives for mitigation and adaptation, impactful communication and awareness campaigns, and vital research activities. This photography competition aims to collaboratively create an array of perspectives, ideas, and visions on climate change. All participants are invited to contribute their own photographic contribution and vision on the theme of climate change, which can be interpreted in the following ways: territorial transformations, the delicate balance between humanity and nature, citizen activism, and sustainable policies and actions. This competition seeks to foster a visual dialogue that engages and inspires new steps toward a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

In the summer of 2023, GLOBAL VILLAGE PROJECTS championed artistic production and initiatives in rural areas, which focused on global issues and their manifestations from a specific local perspective. This programme was tailored specifically for independent performing artists operating in rural regions. Historically, rural and small-town areas have provided fertile grounds for artistic experimentation and surprising innovations. Independent artists have found receptive audiences there, using or creating unique free and intermediate spaces, thus enriching the diverse theatre landscape in Germany. The GLOBAL VILLAGE PROJECTS encourages artistic production projects from all areas of independent performing arts that explore global issues such as climate, migration, war and trauma, political shifts, and digitalisation in rural areas from a contextual local perspective, while considering local implications.

This residency gives artistic researchers from various fields the opportunity to work on the intersection of art, science and ecological questions. The aim is to develop useful arts-led interdisciplinary research tools and artworks to examine how cultural practitioners critically address and creatively negotiate ecological futures. As part of the residency, the grant covers the expenses for materials, food and travel, and accommodation is provided as well as technical support, access to the Protolab TRAKK and its machines (3D printers, vinyl cutter, digital milling machine, laser cutter, electronic equipment, woodworking, etc.), access to the TRAKK Medialab and its equipment (motion capture suits, VR headsets, computer optimised for game engines, sound studio, binaural microphone heads, etc.), and access to the the CCN workshop (woodworking, ironwork and silk-screening).

The [N.A!] Project, formerly known as the [N.A!] Fund, was founded by Bertrand Jacoberger, the creator of [N.A!] Nature Addicts brand, with a solid commitment to nature protection and to promoting environmentally themed art. The contemporary art fund focuses on sustainable development, and shares strong belief in the power of art to raise awareness and explore new possibilities for the future. Each year, [N.A!] Project carefully selects a limited number of projects to support, driven by natural affinities rather than strict criteria. The fund goes beyond traditional corporate sponsorship, forming long-term commitments and relationships with artists, actively participating as a co-producer in the supported projects, and engaging with the art community. Regular roaming events called Escales bring together European artists, supported by [N.A!] Project and others, to facilitate interaction, collaboration, and creative exchange. Once artists join [N.A!] Project, they forge enduring connections, promoting ongoing artistic growth and exploration.

Project support for environmental and climate crisis – Art and culture, was a pilot scheme project. It supported artistic production, projects and practices which thematised and provided understanding and new insights related to environmental and climate issues, and which created debate and engagement in various professional environments and in the wider public. The programme was implemented during 2019 and is currently discontinued.

The Goethe-Institut and the Prince Claus Fund’s multimedia exhibition Take Me to the River curated by Maya El Khalil, showcases selected works from various countries, including Egypt, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, and Congo. Cultural professionals, artists, architects, and designers worldwide are addressing the challenges of climate change while engaging their communities. Their work opens up creative spaces that raise awareness on environmental shifts and potential solutions to counter the climate crisis. These works include film, photography, VR video, audio-visual archives, and community radio. Since 2018, the joint funding programme by the Goethe-Institut and the Prince Claus Fund has supported over 35 art and culture projects from around the world addressing global environment changes. Take Me to the River presents 15 of these projects online, highlighting voices against resource depletion, environmental exploitation, and violations of indigenous rights. The exhibition was presented online as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, and it weaves each individual project into narratives that explore nature’s rights, environmental abuse, nature’s imagined prosecution, human-induced natural disasters, and the complex impact of climate crisis. Additional funded works will be added to the presentation in the future, creating an online archive.

The Foundation is committed to nurturing culture in Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d’Aosta, preserving and enriching their unique cultural assets and heritage while fostering artistic and creative expressions. Guided by the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, this dedication revolves around celebrating the distinct cultural identities of these regions. To achieve this, the Foundation supports projects that embrace a shared and profoundly rooted interpretation of cultural assets that foster local networks, and that seamlessly integrate culture and tourism within sustainable development principles. One of the primary objectives of this call was to champion projects that offer an environmentally sustainable fusion of tourism and culture, emphasising the preservation of landscapes, water, and biodiversity resources. This encompassed revitalising contaminated areas, establishing green mobility paths, implementing waste recycling and circular economy initiatives, and promoting awareness, education, and communication to instil ecological respect. The Call prioritised initiatives which monitored and reduced their ecological footprint, in accordance with the European Green Deal principle “Do No Significant Harm” (DNSH).

Wonders offers an opportunity for individuals passionate about improving their quality of life and fostering community connections in their neighbourhoods. Wonders supports projects that create positive physical frameworks for communities and contribute to the development of their surrounding area. This includes initiatives related to buildings, urban spaces, or other physical structures with valuable qualities to build upon. Projects that receive support from Wonders should be built on original, solid ideas, enjoy widespread community support, have a general aim, and make a positive difference for many individuals. Additionally, Wonders focuses on creating a higher quality of life through improvements to the built environment, and projects should be led by competent, enthusiastic and permanent organisations, with sustainable construction and operating financing in place. Wonders aims to help turn innovative ideas into reality, impacting the communities they serve and improving the local environment.