An initiative of the European Festivals Association that offers emerging artists a platform to develop their careers on an international level through festivals.
What is EFFEA?
The European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) is an initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA) supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, built to empower festivals and offer emerging artists a platform to establish themselves on the international stage. EFFEA extends an open invitation for festivals to work across borders and create a network of colleagues with shared goals. It recognises that the future lies in the synergy of diverse perspectives and collective efforts. Through an EFFEA Residency, festivals join hands to foster the success of emerging artists.
EFFEA is the next step in a movement of festivals in Europe that recognise themselves and commit to working together at a European level. It builds on the preparatory action called EFFE: Europe for Festivals Festivals for Europe.
What is an EFFEA Residency?
The EFFEA Residency is an artist-in-residence programme aimed at fostering the international career of emerging artists in the seat of a minimum of 3 festivals. Co-produced by a leading festival in collaboration with partner festivals, each from a different eligible country, the residency provides emerging artists with dedicated time, space and support to explore their ideas and creative projects, whether original works or the evolution of existing ones. Within this framework, artists forge close ties with festival programmers, emphasising a commitment beyond a singular presentation. The goal is to establish lasting and meaningful connections between artists, festivals, and audiences.
Festivals act as fertile ground for tapping into and expanding talents. They are spaces of exchange between artists and the public, facilitating connections among artists themselves and with other professionals. Festivals are alchemists of innovation, curators of risk-taking endeavours, both guardians and intermediary springboards for artists across artistic disciplines.
There are two categories of residencies:
1. EFFEA Discovery: Festivals support artists at the early stages of their careers but with a strong potential to break through internationally. Approximately 40 grants of 8.000€ are attributed to this category.
2. EFFEASpringboard: Festivals support artists already established in their own country, ready to develop their career internationally. Approximately 10 grants of 15.000€ are attributed to this category.
Main Objectives
- To offer emerging artists more opportunities to present their work and develop their careers on an international level
- To offer festivals cross-border co-operation opportunities on the topic of emerging artists
- To offer audiences new and surprising encounters with emerging artists in their towns and cities through the platforms of their festivals
Who will benefit from this Fund?
FESTIVALS
How? Expanded network of festivals; Collaboration with peers; New programmes and new artists; Financial support to promote the work of emerging artists at a European level.
EMERGING ARTISTS proposed by the festivals (The EFFEA Fund defines emerging artists not by age but by their novelty to programmers and audiences and their potential for international breakthrough. This includes individual artists and groups across various artistic disciplines).
How? Time and space to develop ideas; Network of programmers and local artists in different countries; Residencies, seminars and workshops/ masterclasses; European visibility; Capacity-building; New presentation contexts.
AUDIENCES
How? Access to new talents and repertoire; Access to diverse and interdisciplinary works.
Applications for EFFEA Call #4 are open from 1 September to 3 November 2025: Approximately 50 residencies will be selected involving 50 emerging artists (individuals/ groups/ collectives) in the seat of around 150 festivals, a leading festival in collaboration with a minimum of two partner festivals each.
News
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01-09-25 EFFEA Call #4: Apply now!
The fourth call for festivals to support emerging artists is open! Submit your residency proposal by 3 November 2025. -
19-08-25 EFFEA Story: Polina Piddubna
Residency of Polina Piddubna hosted by Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin in partnership with Linoleum Contemporary Animation and Media Art F... -
08-08-25 EFFEA Story: Isabel Costa
Residency of Isabel Costa hosted by Fast Forward in partnership with POLIS Teatro Festival, Festival TNB, euro-scene Leipzig and Walk&... -
05-08-25 EFFEA Story: Marija Dejanović
Residency of Marija Dejanović hosted by Den Poezie in partnership with Thessalian Poetry Festival and Gwyl Arall Festival -
16-07-25 EFFEA Story: Karla da Silva
Residency of Karla da Silva hosted by La Panza in partnership with Percusounds and Ten Samba Festival -
07-07-25 EFFEA Story: Margherita Berlanda
Residency of Margherita Berlanda hosted by Signal To Noise in partnership with Festival A Estrada -
20-06-25 EFFEA Call #4: Get Ready
Call for festivals to support emerging artists: Applications for EFFEA Call #4 open on 1 September 2025 and will supporting 50 residencie... -
17-06-25 EFFEA After Three Calls
Three years, three calls, and 150 residencies later, the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) became a key platform for c...