Call for festivals to support emerging artists: Applications for EFFEA Call #4 open on 1 September 2025 and will supporting 50 residencies in 2026.
The European Festivals Association is pleased to announce that the next round of the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists will open for applications from 1 September to 3 November 2025. EFFEA Call #4 will support around 50 residencies taking place throughout 2026, each involving at least 3 festivals from different countries that will take an emerging artist—whether an individual or a collective—under their wings. Application guidelines and full details will be released soon.
What is an EFFEA Residency?
The EFFEA Residency is an artist-in-residence programme co-produced by a leading festival and at least two partner festivals, each from a different eligible country. It provides emerging artists the opportunity to explore their ideas and creative projects, whether original works or the evolution of existing ones, by providing them with dedicated time, space, and support. Within this framework, artists forge intimate 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.
Two residency categories:
1. Discovery - €8,000 Grant:
The residency proposal must include:
- Co-production by a leading festival + at least 2 partner festivals
- Training/ mentoring/ coaching, community outreach or other elements based on artist needs
- A workshop (live or online) hosted by the leading festival, with at least one programmer from each partner festival.
- A work-in-progress presentation at the leading festival
2. Springboard - €15,000 Grant:
The residency proposal must include:
- Co-production by a leading festival + at least 2 partner festivals
- Training/ mentoring/ coaching, community outreach or other elements based on artist needs
- Final presentations/ Production results at each of the involved festivals (minimum 3 festivals)
- A live masterclass led by the artist at each festival (minimum 3 festivals)
Who can apply?
EFFEA Call #4 is open to all festivals and artists that fulfil the following conditions:
- Festivals exist for at least one edition and are registered on FestivalFinder.eu. Register here.
- Projects must fall within these artistic fields: Architecture, Ballet Contemporary Dance, Circus, Design/ Applied arts, Digital arts, Film, Folklore and folk arts, Heritage, Interdisciplinary, Literature, Music, Opera, Street Art, Theatre, Photography/ Video, Sculpture, Painting.
Interested in applying?
A series of info, networking and Q&A sessions will run in September and October to help you navigate the process, connect with potential partners and artists, and find relevant replies to your questions. Save the following dates, always held on Tuesdays, and register now to join the EFFEA Sessions:
09.09.2025 - Register here
30.09.2025 - Register here
07.10.2025 - Register here
21.10.2025 - Register here
In addition, keep an eye out for decentralised info sessions with EFFEA Platform Members and Creative Europe desks in your region.
In the meantime, think about:
💡 the artist your festival will present
💡 the category you are applying for - Discovery or Springboard
💡 two (or more) partners with whom you would like to develop the project. Reach out to potential partners through the EFFEA Facebook Community and FestivalFinder.eu
💡 Add your festival edition on FestivalFinder.eu
Our Partners
The European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists - EFFEA is co-funded by the European Union.Over the next four years, the European Festivals Association and its partners will work together to reach more communities, regions, and artistic disciplines, ensuring a more inclusive and diverse artistic landscape:
EFFEA Platform Members
Croatian Composers Society (Croatia), Culture Matters (Czech Republic), PLMF Arts Management (Estonia), France Festivals (France), Festival Friends (Germany), Stichting Caucasus Foundation (Georgia), Summa Artium Kultúra Támogató Nonprofit Kft. (Hungary), Association of Irish Festival Events (Ireland), ItaliaFestival (Italy), ARC Research and Consultancy Ltd. (Malta), Asociația Centrul Cultural Clujean (Romania), ArtLink (Serbia), Sweden Festivals (Sweden), Development Centre "Democracy through Culture" (Ukraine).
Associated Partners
Culture Action Europe, European Music Council, Pearle* Live Performance Europe, Circostrada, IETM, On the Move, European Dance Development Network.
Connect with us:
EFFEA website
Facebook
EFFEA Facebook community
For more information:
Donika Rudi Berishaj, EFFEA Project Director: donika@european-festivals.eu / Luana Santos, EFA Communication and Project Manager: luana@european-festivals.eu