Mophradat launches Grants for Artists’ Practice Program

About

Mophradat has launched its Grants for Artists’ Practice program, which has two components: providing artists with flexible financial support that can be used towards their livelihood, periods of research, residencies, the production of new work, and curating and presenting shows, amongst other forms of artistic work; and a structured dialogue between the participating artists amongst themselves as well as one-on-one dialogue with peers (from the advisory committee).

In order to develop an art practice — an ongoing process of production based on conceptual and formal investigation — artists need time, stimulating input, access to technical skills, conversations with peers, and exchange with audiences.

The program is only open to those interested in an ongoing conversation with the professional peers that Mophradat is engaging for this purpose and to those committed to the take part in all the scheduled conversations during the running program.

Funding Information

• Each year, the program provides grants of either 4,000 USD or 8,000 USD to approximately eight artists, who also participate in six conversations, organized by Mophradat. The conversations would take place once a month during the first six months of the grant period as follows: three individual conversations with peers and three sessions where participants share about their personal project or practice, in conversation with the rest of the group, and following this timeline.

Details

• December 2023

  • Introductory call

  • One-on-one conversation with assigned peer #1

• January 2024

  • Group meeting #1 where two participants present and share their personal project/practice with the group.

• February 2024

  • One-on-one conversation with assigned peer #2

• March 2024

  • Group meeting #2 where two participants present and share their personal project/practice with the group.

• April 2024

  • One-on-one conversation with assigned peer #3

• May 2024

  • Group meeting #3 where two participants present and share their personal project/practice with the group.

• Exact dates will be communicated in November 2023.

Eligibility

Specific Eligibility Criteria

• This program is designed for artists or collectives from and in the Arab world who relate to this part of the world as “home.”

• In addition to complying with the general eligibility criteria that you can read here, please note the following:

  • Artists must be able to demonstrate their engagement with a specific project that they are developing.

  • Artists’ working methodology must be compatible with a progressive and inclusive approach to work.

  • Artists must have previously completed art works and be involved in an artistic scene.

  • Institutions are not eligible to apply but artists can apply to develop, collaborate, or present a project with an institution.

  • The proposal must have a clear intended outcome, whether practical, intellectual, or philosophical.

  • The proposal must be achievable within twelve months of the grant submission deadline.

  • The program does not cover production and post-production projects for feature films, producing LPs, degree-based study programs (such as MAs or PhDs), nor literary projects, which are notably eligible for the Writing Sabbaticals program;

  • Aiming for balanced professional relationships, Mophradat does not support applications to cover the costs and fees of artists invited to run a workshop, administer, or curate projects in Europe or North America that fall under categories of (temporary) employment in those contexts, and should be covered by those hosts’ institutional budgets.