All disciplines

Target group
Practitioner without connection to Switzerland
Submission deadline
1 June

What

New artistic co-creations, where the lead is equally shared between two artistic partners, one from Switzerland and one from a liaison office region.

For Whom

Two partners consisting of artists (solo artists, duos or collectives) who are active in any of the disciplines supported by Pro Helvetia. One partner based in Switzerland and the other in one of the regions of Pro Helvetia’s liaison offices. You can find a list of all eligible countries below.

Selection Criteria

  • At least one partner has completed a Pro Helvetia supported research trip or residency in a country or region of the other partner (i.e. in Switzerland or the region of Pro Helvetia offices abroad). Alternatively, applicants may provide references of their previous collaborations (at least two joint projects).
  • One participating artistic partner has a Swiss passport or permanent residency in Switzerland, regularly presents their work in nationally renowned, recognised institutions and can verify that they are active in national networks.
  • The application must be co-developed by both partners.
  • Co-creation processes can start earliest four months after the application deadline and must be completed within 18 months.

In addition to these specific criteria, the apply.

Financial Contribution

A maximum grant of CHF 25,000 may include:

  • Artists’ fees (incl. social security contributions)
  • Travel costs for both partners
  • Costs associated with the co-creation process and with planned activities including material costs, equipment hire, transport costs, etc.
  • If travels abroad are part of the Co-creation project, artists with childcare responsibility can apply for financial support of up to CHF 1,000 per month (for a maximum time of 4 weeks) as a contribution to childcare or for the travel expenses of their children and, if necessary, a carer. This also applies if the child/children stay at home and are cared for. Applicants must submit an approximate budget of all expenses in advance.

Content Of Application

The application must contain the following documents co-developed by both partners:

  • Project description (max. 4000 characters)
  • Implementation plan (including time schedule, division of roles, planned activities/presentations, process description)
  • Breakdown of budget in CHF (incl. information regarding financial support requested from third parties, if applicable)
  • Additional references compiled in a single PDF document (CV, video links, list of previous presentations/activities)
  • Joint declaration of intent/joint letter of motivation for the collaboration, signed by both partners

Format-specific Exclusion Criteria

Pro Helvetia cannot award a financial grant if the following applies:

  • The conceptual and organisational leadership is not shared between the two partners.
  • More than two partners apply together.
  • The project is a tour or presentation of an existing work.
  • One or both partners is an institution or a festival.
  • The support concerns infrastructure costs and the operation of cultural institutions, archives and collections.

Artists and cultural practitioners from countries outside the Pro Helvetia liaison offices’ area of responsibility may not apply. Pro Helvetia is unable to consider funding requests if the applicant is enrolled in a school, university curriculum, basic training, or education programme.

Application Deadlines and Decision Timelines

Applications can be submitted from1 January
Submission deadline1 June
Notification of decision1 October
Earliest start date for the project1 October

Additional Information

  • Joint applications may be submitted by either: an artist, artist duo or collective living in Switzerland or in a region of Pro Helvetia liaison offices, and should specify the other artist or collective as a co-creation partner.
  • Co-creation projects are expected to be completed within 18 months of a positive decision.

Downloads

Regions of the liaison offices

Arab region

  • Algeria
  • Egypt
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Morocco
  • Palestine
  • Tunisia
  • United Arab Emirates

East Asia

  • Mainland China
  • Hong Kong
  • Macau
  • Taiwan

South America

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Ecuador
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela

South Asia and Vietnam

  • Bangladesh
  • Bhutan
  • India
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • Vietnam

West, Central, East and Southern Africa

  • Angola
  • Benin
  • Botswana
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cabo Verde
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Comoros
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Djibouti
  • DR Congo
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Eswatini
  • Ethiopia
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Rwanda
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • Togo
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
Images by hesign

General Requirements

Introduction

Pro Helvetia promotes the professional contemporary Swiss art and cultural production (without film) with a view to diversity as well as national and international reach. It supports the creation of new artistic works and productions, the exchange between Switzerland’s various linguistic regions, the dissemination of Swiss art and culture outside Switzerland and international cultural exchange. As a national foundation, Pro Helvetia supplements the promotional activities of Swiss cantons and municipalities and only supports projects that are cross-regionally or internationally recognised.

Pro Helvetia will only consider funding applications if they are complete and have been submitted on time.

To be eligible for support, projects must

  • have a clear connection to Switzerland
  • be of nationwide importance
  • be adequately co-funded by other public or private means
  • respects/guarantee fair working conditions

Connection to Switzerland

A connection to Switzerland is given, if one of the following conditions is met:

  • The production or project in question is developed or implemented by artists and cultural practitioners, who verifiably hold Swiss citizenship or are permanent residents of Switzerland and who are regularly artistically involved in relevant events in Switzerland.
  • The project is created, developed, or implemented by an independent group or cultural institution whose place of production is in Switzerland and who is regularly and publicly active in Switzerland.

Nationwide relevance

Nationwide relevance is given, if one of the following conditions is met:

  • The art and cultural practitioners participating in the project are regularly involved in programmes of nationally recognised art and cultural institutions in Swiss regions other than their own or abroad, and the project in question has a transregional appeal.
  • The artistic potential of an emerging art practitioner involved is exceptional in terms of a national or international career.
  • The project makes a significant contribution to the development of Swiss artistic and cultural production and its dissemination.
  • The project is of significant importance for the exchange between Switzerland’s various linguistic regions.

Assessment of content and quality

Within the framework of the available funds, Pro Helvetia prioritises projects that most comprehensively meet the funding criteria. The Foundation assesses whether

  • the project demonstrates high degree of independence and professional competence as well as social and thematic relevance
  • the project is implemented according to professional standards
  • the costs are commensurate with the expected impact
  • a lasting impact can be expected

Furthermore, the Foundation attaches great importance to the following aspects:

  • The project has an appropriate commitment to diversity.
  • Resources are used in an ecologically responsible manner and work and production are planned sustainably.

Restrictions

Pro Helvetia is unable to consider funding requests if

  • the same part of the submitted project is already received funding from other federal bodies (e.g. Federal Office of Culture, Presence Switzerland, Swiss National Science Foundation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation)
  • the project is part of a school or university curriculum/basic training or continuing education programme (including dissertations, diploma projects, university scholarships, etc.)
  • funding is intended to cover infrastructure and equipment costs, as well as the costs of operating cultural facilities, archives and collections
  • the project does not depend on funding from Pro Helvetia

Status: January 2024