About the Program

What is Stand for Art?

Stand for Art is a program that supports artists and cultural actors in the Arab region currently facing risk that threatens their safety and security either because of their artistic output and cultural activities or because of their presence in an unsafe environment inside their countries or abroad. Culture Resource launched the program in 2016 after conducting a study of the risks that artists and cultural actors are facing in the region as well as the types of support available to them locally and internationally.

The program prioritizes cases that are facing the following risks: kidnapping or detention, imprisonment, threats of physical harm, violence and abuse, and prosecution, irrespective of whether the threats are perpetrated using legal or illegal means.

Program goals

Safeguard the rights of artists and cultural actors in the Arab region to express themselves freely and to live and work in a safe and suitable environment that upholds their dignity and ensures their ability to pursue their artistic and cultural activities. Towards this end, the program works to provide temporary support that guarantees their safety.

Who is this program for?

  • Artists and cultural actors who are in danger because of their artistic or cultural expression or production.
  • Artists and cultural actors who are in danger because of the unsafe environment they live in, inside their countries or abroad.

Forms of support

Emergency fund, which provides financial support covering one or more of the following expenses:

  • Living expenses (including accommodation expenses) in the country of residence or the host country for up to six months,
  • Travel expenses (tickets and visa costs and/or internal transportation expenses),
  • Legal support (expenses for professional legal advice or hiring lawyers),
  • Other types of support that require expenditures (such as psychological and/or physical health care expenses).

Referral, which is a non-monetary support that can include putting beneficiaries in touch with the following entities: 

  • Short term artistic residencies inside the Arab region and abroad in order to guarantee a temporary safe haven where they can live and work,
  • International organizations that support artists at risk or offer temporary residencies. The program supports beneficiaries’ applications by providing a recommendation letter to these organizations. 
  • Advocacy organizations or lawyers to support the beneficiaries and provide free legal advice.

Eligibility criteria

  • The applicant must originate from an Arab country regardless of ethnicity and citizenship status or whether they are currently residing in the Arab region or abroad;
  • The applicant must be an artist or a cultural actor;
  • The applicant must be in peril or face a tangible and verifiable threat.

Application guidelines

How to apply

  • Fill out the encrypted application form via this link.
  • The application must be completed in Arabic except the fields required in English.
  • Ensure that all the following required documents are attached:
    1. Copy of the passport, ID or any identification document
    2. Applicant’s short bio or a detailed CV
    3. Previous works or links to previous works (up to 3 works)
    4. Two recommendation letters from individuals or organizations that are aware of the risk situation that you are facing and their contact information
    5. Official invitation from a host entity (if available)

Note 1: Saving the application form for later access is not possible due to technical reasons related to the privacy of encrypted forms.
Note 2: All your information and data are confidential and used internally by the Stand for Art team.

The selection process

  1. Once the application form is received, it will be evaluated in terms of eligibility of the applicant, the full completion of the application and inclusion of the required supporting documents;
  2. If all requirements are met, the program team will verify the accuracy of the information contained in the application. In some cases, the team may consult reliable individuals and organizations who know the artist or cultural actor and are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of the information;
  3. The program team will then submit the application to the program’s steering committee for assessment, deciding whether to approve it or reject it. The committee also determines the form of support it deems suitable based on the gravity of the case if accepted. The committee comprises 6 artists and cultural managers with expertise in their field and are aware of the social, political, artistic and cultural developments in the Arab region and exile. The formation of the committee takes into consideration gender diversity and geographical distribution;
  4. The program team will then inform the applicant of the committee’s decision. If accepted, the program team sends the form of support as proposed by the steering committee;
  5. After the applicant agrees to the proposed support, an agreement is signed between Culture Resource and the beneficiary.

FAQ

Does the program support journalists or photojournalists?

The program does not support journalists or photojournalists unless the journalist or photographer works in cultural or artistic journalism and has published articles or photographs in this field.

Does the program support artists or cultural actors who are not at risk?

The program does not support artists or cultural actors who are not at risk. 

Please check out Culture Resource’s other programs to learn about the various support opportunities that the organization offers.

Does the program offer support to artistic and cultural organizations at risk of closure or bankruptcy due to political or economic pressures in the country in which they operate?

No, the program targets individuals only, regardless of whether they belong to an organization or work independently.

Please check out Culture Resource’s other programs to learn about the various support opportunities that the organization offers to cultural and artistic organizations.

Does the program support only the individual artists or cultural actors or does it also cover their family members?

The support is offered only to artists or cultural actors, but it takes into consideration their family conditions and the number of people they support.

How much financial support does the program offer?

There are no preset figures. Rather, the amount is subject to clear criteria such as the severity and urgency of the case, the program’s budget and the living costs in the country of residence or host country of the artist or cultural actor. 

Does the program help with obtaining entry visas to the host country?

The program cannot intervene in the process of obtaining visas to any country. However, the organization can provide the beneficiaries of the program with a letter, if needed, certifying its support for the artist or cultural actor.

For your inquiries, please contact the program’s team [email protected]