The fourth call for festivals to support emerging artists is open! Submit your residency proposal by 3 November 2025.
The European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) is back with its fourth call, running from 1 September to 3 November 2025. The fund will support around 50 residencies in 2026, giving at least 50 emerging artists the chance to work closely with 150 festivals across Europe and beyond.
An initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA), EFFEA empowers festivals to collaborate across borders and join forces in supporting artists at the stage of expanding their international careers.
- What is an EFFEA Residency? -
An EFFEA Residency is an artist-in-residence programme designed to give emerging artists time, space, and support to develop new ideas or advance existing projects. Each residency is carried out by a partnership of at least three festivals from different countries: one leading festival and two partners.
Emerging artists are not defined by age but rather by their novelty to programmers and audiences and their potential for international breakthrough. Artists can be individuals or groups working across various artistic disciplines.
- Two Residency Categories -
1. EFFEA Discovery: Festivals support artists at the early stages of their careers with a strong potential to break through internationally. Approximately 40 grants of €8,000 will be awarded. It must include:
- One work-in-progress (or production result) presentation at the leading festival
- One workshop (live or online) between the artist and the festivals
- One EFFEA film about the residency (to be included in the final report)
- Participation in the EFFEA Intake and Outtake Seminars
2. EFFEA Springboard: Festivals support artists established in their own countries and ready to expand internationally. Approximately 10 grants of €15,000 will be awarded. It must include:
- One presentation of the artist’s work (finished work) at the leading festival and each partner festival, so at least 3 presentations
- One masterclass led by the artist in at least three countries, taking place at the leading festival and at least two partner festivals
- One EFFEA film about the residency (to be included in the final report)
- Participation in the EFFEA Intake and Outtake Seminars
- Who can apply? -
Eligible countries
Festivals and artists should have their official address in one of the following eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, and Ukraine.
Festivals with their official address from the following countries are allowed to participate as partner festivals only: Israel, Moldova, Palestine, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK. Artists from these countries can be proposed.
Eligble Artistic Disciplines
The festivals and artists work in one or more of the following artistic disciplines: 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, Puppetry, Sculpture, Painting.
In today's Europe, it is so important to encourage creativity, to give space and time to emerging voices. Europe is now facing some troubles that we are not yet able to solve. It is not the artists’ job to solve social and political problems - but it is their duty to contribute to our society and communities with their creative input. These are often the inspiration for new solutions, new energy, new hope in the world.
Haris Pašović, Chair of the EFFEA Jury
- Join the EFFEA Sessions -
During the open call, the European Festivals Association team is hosting a series of EFFEA Sessions: info, Q&A, and networking moments designed to help you find clarity on the application process, answer your questions and meet other festivals who might become your partners. Always on Tuesdays, always at 11:00 CEST.
Save the dates:
09.09.2025 - Register here
30.09.2025 - Register here
07.10.2025 - Register here
21.10.2025 - Register here
Don’t miss these opportunities to get inspired, get informed, and get connected.
- Connect with us -
EFFEA website
EFFEA Facebook
EFFEA Facebook Community
Send us an email: info@european-festivals.eu
EFFEA is an initiative of the European Festivals Association, co-funded by the European Union, implemented in partnership with the EFFEA Platform Members: Croatian Composers Society (Croatia), Culture Matters (Czechia), 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, Művészetek Völgye Nonprofit Kft.