To provide artists with the best possible support and achieve the goals outlined in the Cultural Message 2025-2028, Pro Helvetia regularly reviews its funding activities and further develops them as needed. This article provides an overview of the most important changes as of 5 January 2026.
Innovation & Society
New support format
The new support format Event: culture in transition will replace three existing formats from January 2026 onwards: Art+: thematic event, Diversity: event and/or work tool and Environmental sustainability: event and/or work tool.
This new support format focuses on cultural events that provide fresh impetus to art and culture and promote sustainable development in the Swiss cultural sector. It is aimed at cultural institutions and organisations in Switzerland. Applications can be submitted throughout the year.
Transformation: process support workshop
From 2026, we will be expanding our support for diversity processes for cultural institutions and organisations in Switzerland to include all transformation areas. The two-day workshop (28–29 May 2026 in Bern) will cover the basics of understanding transformation processes.
Following the Transformation: process support workshop, cultural institutions and organisations can undergo a transformation process. Applications for transformation processes can be submitted from January 2027.
Adjustments to the Art+ support formats
The format Art+: research grant will be dedicated to structural aspects of sustainable development and digitality from January 2026. It is aimed at artists from Switzerland. For artistic research projects, please consult the support offered by the individual disciplines.
The format Art+: contextual creation, formerly Art+: transdisciplinary collaborative creation, is being offered for the last time. From January 2026 onwards, it will focus more on conceptual creation in the context of sustainability and sustainable digital transformation. It is aimed at artists from Switzerland. Application deadline: 1 March 2026.
Literature
Additional exclusion criteria for creation and translation
The format-specific exclusion criteria for various creation and translation support formats have been expanded. Only literary texts written by natural persons are eligible for support.
Further information:
Support for literature
Additional selection criteria for literary translations
For literary translation applications, which can be submitted throughout the year, the translator’s visibility in the publication is now a selection criterion. This can take various forms, for example, in the afterword, as a short profile, on the cover, or in another suitable manner.
Further information:
Music
New formats for research support
The format Artistic or thematic research is aimed at nationally established music professionals from Switzerland who wish to conduct artistic or thematic research without production pressure, try out new formats, or refine their skills. This support format is open throughout the year.
Three new partner calls for applications
These new collaborations support emerging composers in the field of contemporary music.
- International Young Composers Academy Ticino
- Protonwerk by the Proton Bern ensemble
- Composers’ Next Generation by the Vortex ensemble
Performing arts
Three new partner calls for applications
These new collaborations will support emerging artists and production and diffusion managers in the performing arts:
- K3 Hamburg
- circusnext Platform (from 12 January)
- Producer’s Academy Brussels
Residencies
Pro Helvetia’s residency programme is implemented in close collaboration with a network of partners in Switzerland and the regions covered by the liaison office. Residency guides are now available for each region, providing practical information on the respective partner networks as well as descriptions of the residency programmes. These guides serve as orientation and inspiration to help artists find the right framework for their artistic endeavours.
The residency guides, application deadlines, and further information on the residency programme can be found on the residencies page.
Visual arts
Date change for production grants
From 2026 onwards, applications for both the production grant and production grant with presentation can be submitted once a year, from 1 July to 1 September. As with all jury-reviewed applications, the earliest project start date is four months after the application deadline, i.e. from 1 January of the following year.
Date change for art spaces
From 2026 onwards, applications for the support formats Emerging artists: annual programme art space and Emerging artists: project grant art spaces can be submitted twice a year, in the periods from 1 March to 1 May, or from 1 September to 1 November. The earliest project start date is eight weeks after the application deadline.
Perform! is to be integrated into support activities
Following a pilot phase, Perform! is being integrated into the regular support activities. Perform! supports visual artists from Switzerland who want to professionalise, deepen and develop their performance practice.
Applications can be submitted between 1 January and 1 March 2026.
This call for applications will be published every two years.
All the support formats valid as of 5 January can be found under Find support.
Please select the parameters that match your search (practitioner or institution).
