Cultural Exchange Grants of the Federal State of Berlin (Residencies in Istanbul, Tokyo, New York, Paris)

Cultural Exchange Grants of the Federal State of Berlin (Residencies in Istanbul, Tokyo, New York, Paris) is sponsored by Federal State of Berlin. These grants are for the artistic development of professionally active artists in various fields (Visual Arts, Literature, Dance, Music, Comic Artists) through residencies in Istanbul, Tokyo, New York, and Paris.

Cultural exchange grants of the federal state of Berlin: Istanbul, Paris, New York, Tokyo - Berlin.

de Current language: English Cultural exchange grants of the federal state of Berlin: Istanbul, Paris, New York, Tokyo Link to contact information Application deadline: September 15, 2026 at 2pm (CET) The application deadline for the State of Berlin’s international cultural exchange grants for 2027/28 – residencies in Istanbul, Tokyo, New York, Paris – begins on August 03, 2026 and ends on* September 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM (CET).

* Please note that submitting an application after 2:00 PM is technically no longer possible and transmissions in progress will be canceled automatically. Application procedure : You can find the link to the online application form at the bottom of this page. Here you can access the call for applications for the 2027 Global Grants.

Overview of application deadlines for all funding programs in the cultural sector.

Istanbul: DEPO/Anadolo Kültür for artists in the field of Visual Arts 1 grant for 3 months – September – November 2027 1 grant for 3 months – March – May 2028 New York: International Studio & Curatorial Program for artists in the field of Visual Arts 1 grant for 3 months – September – November 2027 Tokyo: Tokyo Arts and Space for artists in the field of Visual Arts 1 grant for 3 months – September – November 2027 Paris in cooperation with the Cité Internationale des Arts for musicians/composers : 1 grant for 6 months – April to September 2027 1 grant for 6 months – October 2027 – March 2028 for artists in the fields of Visual Arts, Literature, Dance 1 grant for 6 months – May to October 2027 1 grant for 6 months – November 2027 to April 2028 Target Group / Objectives of Funding The grants are intended for the artistic development of professionally active artists in the specified fields.

The stay abroad is meant to enable them to acquire an understanding and knowledge of the culture of the residency location, study developments in the local art scene, build networks, exchange ideas, gain inspiration, and realize an artistic project on site. For this purpose, the foreign partner institutes provide studios/studio apartments for the regular hosting of Berlin artists (and curators in New York).

The artists are established through their artistic work and demonstrate this with corresponding work samples. Physical presence on site is required during the stay abroad. Applicants live and work in Berlin and are registered in Berlin (primary residence).

The artists are not enrolled at any university and do not teach as professors at a university. Artists from non-EU countries can only apply if their passport contains an endorsement from the Foreigners Authority allowing self-employed work. Former cultural exchange grant recipients whose stay abroad ended two years ago (October 2024 or earlier) can reapply.

for Istanbul: a monthly lump sum of €2,500 and rent-free use of the studio apartment for New York: a monthly lump sum of €3,000, use of the studio at ISCP, as well as an accommodation allowance of €1,000 per month (as ISCP does not provide living quarters); for Tokyo: a monthly lump sum of €3,000 and rent-free use of the studio apartment; for Paris: a monthly lump sum of €2,500 (travel costs, materials, living expenses) and rent-free use of the studio apartment at the Cité as well as participation in the Cité’s program offerings; During the stay abroad, the partner institutes support the Berlin artists and facilitate contact with the local scene upon request.

The events organized by the partner institutes (open studios, exhibitions, artist talks) provide the Berlin artists with the opportunity to present their work to an international audience. Call for Applications Period The grants are usually announced once a year in summer (August/September) for the following calendar year. There is a two-stage jury process.

The expert juries appointed by the Berlin Department of Culture make a pre-selection in November/December 2026. For Istanbul, New York, and Tokyo: Expert Jury Visual Arts Work Grants For Paris, Comic: Expert Jury Comic For Paris, Music and Visual Arts/Literature/Dance: Expert Jury International Cultural Exchange The respective partner institutes abroad make the final selection from the respective pre-selection.

You can expect to receive notification regarding the result of the pre-selection in January 2027 and the result of the final selection in February 2027. The names of the supported artists will be made public. Please note that you can only apply for one location.

Multiple applications for several residency locations are not possible! Please be sure to read the further instructions in the current information sheet before submitting your application.

Infoblatt Stip Istanbul, Paris, New York, Tokio (German) Information Sheet Cultural exchange grants (English) English application form for applications for Istanbul, Paris, New York, and Tokyo (please fill out in English and upload as an attachment in the online application).

Application Form Residencies Please submit your application – together with all relevant documentation – online: Submit an application online International cultural exchange E-mail to Constantin Abbondanza Further information about this