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
Call is open all year long.
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:
- Copy of the passport, ID or any identification document
- Applicant’s short bio or a detailed CV
- Previous works or links to previous works (up to 3 works)
- Two recommendation letters from individuals or organizations that are aware of the risk situation that you are facing and their contact information
- 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
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- After the applicant agrees to the proposed support, an agreement is signed between Culture Resource and the beneficiary.
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.
Stand for Sudanese Artists
Culture Resource and Action for Hope have launched an emergency initiative to support Sudanese artists and protect cultural resources in Sudan. This initiative started two months after the war in Sudan broke out, causing the death, and displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, including a large number of artists and writers who lost their homes, properties, and livelihoods, besides those who got injured or killed. This war also led to the destruction of several cultural resources, including collections of artworks, libraries and archives featuring important materials; noting that a considerable number of these resources are still at risk of destruction and theft.
This initiative includes different components, such as providing support to artists and writers who have been directly affected by the war, identifying and documenting the cultural and artistic resources at risk in Sudan and exploring ways to protect them, providing workplaces and meeting spaces for Sudanese artists who had to leave Sudan recently, and training a group of cultural actors from Sudan and South Sudan on protecting cultural rights in times of war and crisis.
The initiative will announce the opening of its different components successively. We announce here the opening of the call for application for the support for Sudanese artists and cultural actors to settle in a host city/country. The amount of the grant is fixed to €2,000 per grant.
Who is this component for?
This component is for Sudanese artists and cultural actors who have been the most harmed by the war in Sudan and its consequences, and who have families to support and have been forcibly displaced from their homes after 15 April, 2023.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant must be from Sudan, regardless of ethnic origin and citizenship status;
- The applicant must be an artist or cultural actor;
- The applicant must be residing and working in Sudan and had to leave their city or the country after 15 April, 2023;
- The circumstances the applicant describes must be verifiable.
How to Apply
In order to apply, you must first register and create an account on our online application site.
To register and create an account, please follow the following steps:
1- Enter the online application site and fill in the required registration information.
2- After pressing “Register,” you will receive a link by email. Press the link to activate your account.
3- Once you have activated your account, you can return to the online application site and sign in using your email address and the password you have created. You will find the application form for “Stand for Sudanese Artists” which you can complete online.
The application deadline is 14 July, 2023 at 16:00 Beirut time.
Applicants will be notified of the results in mid August 2023.
How are grantees selected?
After the program team ascertains the eligibility of the applicant, the application is forwarded to an independent jury formed especially for this component. The jury consists of 3 Sudanese artists and cultural actors with expertise in their disciplines and knowledge of the situation in Sudan ; they will assess the degree to which the consequences of the war have affected the basic elements of a dignified life for a dignified life for the applicant. Priority will be given to the most harmed applicants.
FAQ
Technical questions
How can I be sure the program has received my application form?
You will receive an email from Culture Resource with the title “Confirmation of Receipt of Application Form.”
I have a problem registering and opening an account to access the application form. What should I do?
1- Press this link.
2- Press “Register.”
3- Fill in the required personal information and press “Register.”
4- You will receive an email containing a link called “Activate My Account.” Press on the link.
5- Once the page opens, press this link.
6- Press the “Enter” button, then fill in the required information.
7- You will then be taken to the programs’ page. Press on “Stand for Sudanese Artists.”
I have a problem with the internet. Sometimes I get a totally blank page after pressing “Submit” when filling out the form.
If you encounter a problem due to a poor internet connection, please follow the following steps:
1- Remove the attachments from Part 5 of the application form.
2- Press “Save” after completing the form (all the other parts).
3- You will receive an email containing a link.
4- Please forward this link to us in an email to [email protected], in which tell us about the problem and include the required attachments. The program team will then submit the application on your behalf and notify you that we have done so.
How can I be sure the program has received my application form?
You will receive an email from Culture Resource with the title “Confirmation of Receipt of Application Form.”
I have a problem registering and opening an account to access the application form. What should I do?
1- Press this link.
2- Press “Register.”
3- Fill in the required personal information and press “Register.”
4- You will receive an email containing a link called “Activate My Account.” Press on the link.
5- Once the page opens, press this link.
6- Press the “Enter” button, then fill in the required information.
7- You will then be taken to the programs’ page. Press on “Stand for Sudanese Artists.”
I have a problem with the internet. Sometimes I get a totally blank page after pressing “Submit” when filling out the form.
If you encounter a problem due to a poor internet connection, please follow the following steps:
1- Remove the attachments from Part 5 of the application form.
2- Press “Save” after completing the form (all the other parts).
3- You will receive an email containing a link.
4- Please forward this link to us in an email to [email protected], in which tell us about the problem and include the required attachments. The program team will then submit the application on your behalf and notify you that we have done so.
Questions about the initiative
I live outside Sudan, and I am hosting some of my displaced relatives from Sudan in my home. Can I apply for the initiative?
You cannot apply as you have lived outside Sudan since before 15 April 2023. However, your relatives can apply.
I live outside Sudan, but I am distressed because my family is there. Can I apply?
Unfortunately not. This initiative’s priority is to support those among the artists and cultural actors in Sudan who have been the most harmed by suddenly having to relocate (whether inside Sudan or abroad) after 15 April 2023.
I live outside Sudan, and I am hosting some of my displaced relatives from Sudan in my home. Can I apply for the initiative?
You cannot apply as you have lived outside Sudan since before 15 April 2023. However, your relatives can apply.
I live outside Sudan, but I am distressed because my family is there. Can I apply?
Unfortunately not. This initiative’s priority is to support those among the artists and cultural actors in Sudan who have been the most harmed by suddenly having to relocate (whether inside Sudan or abroad) after 15 April 2023.