Shimer College

Seeking an arts-related scholarship? Funds for a project?

Opportunities for applicants from and in the Middle East have expanded so much in the past few years thanks to increased appreciation for the cultural sector. What a time to be alive.

Regardless of whether you're a high school student, undergrad, or professional - you'll find opportunities in the below list focused on arts-related disciplines that for the most part, are set uniquely for Lebanese and Arab applicants. Applying to a region-specific scholarship may increase your chances as opposed to applying for global opportunities where competition could be a little scary. Still - there are hundreds of global opportunities out there that you shouldn't discount too soon. For worldwide scholarships, check out this site.

ALL ARTS FIELDS

Fulbright Student Scholarship Program
Grant to obtain a master's degree at a US university
Who's eligible: Lebanese and Palestinians residing in Lebanon
Deadline for 2016: May 6, 2016
Details

Mawred Production Awards Program
Who's eligible: Arab artists under 35 in the fields of literature, music, theatre, film, and visual arts
Deadline for 2016: May 31 2016
Details

The Prince Claus Fund Grants & Collaborations 
Supports innovative cultural projects
Average grant: €15.000
Who's eligible: depends on call
Deadline: two calls per year
Details

Said Foundation Scholarships
Full scholarships for Masters degrees at partner universities in England
Who's eligible: Lebanese nationals under 35 years old with an undergraduate degree
Fields: not specified
Deadline for 2017: TBA
Details

Asfari Foundation Scholarship
Full tuition fee scholarship for Master's programs at partner universities in the UK
Who's eligible: Lebanese nationals/residents under 40 years old
Deadline for 2016: TBA
Details

MENA Scholarship Programme
Scholarships for short courses in the Netherlands
Fields: communication and arts and 11 other categories
Who's eligible: Arab nationals under 45
Details

Tomooh Scholarship
Scholarships for high school applicants for study in any Lebanese university
Details

Diana Kamal Scholarship Search Fund
Scholarships for high school applicants to study in partner U.S. universities
Details

The British Lebanese Association
Scholarships for graduate study in the UK
Deadline for 2017/2018: TBA
Details

Ford Foundation Grant
Financial grants
Deadline: rolling basis
Details

TRAVEL FUNDING

Lutfia Rabbani Travel Scholarship
Travel scholarship for students/professionals seeking experience in the Netherlands
Who's eligible: Arab and Dutch students
Fields: culture, science, educations
Details

Prince Claus Fund’s Ticket Fund 
Covers travel costs (flights, trains) for professionals of artists and cultural professionals for networking and developmental opportunities
Who's eligible: artists and cultural professional living in certain countries, including Lebanon
Deadline: rolling basis
Details

Safar Travel Grant
Facilitates and covers travel costs to develop experience
Who's eligible: Arab applicants between 15-35
Details

STEP Beyond Travel Grant
Who's eligible: artists and cultural workers from Lebanon and other select countries
Deadline: rolling basis
Details


VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS

Abraaj Group Art Prize
Exhibition at Art Dubai and prize of $10,000 for shortlisted applicant
Deadline for 2017: TBA
Details

ArteEast Sculpture Space Residency
A combination of a 6-week residency at Residency Unlimited in Brooklyn, NY and an 8-week residency at Sculpture Space in Utica, NY.
Who's eligible: artists from the MENA region
2016 Deadline: March 15 2016
Details

ArteEast Residency Unlimited 
6-week residency in New York City
Who's eligible: artists from the MENA region
2016 Deadline: March 15 2016
Details

Roberto Cimetta Fund
Grants up to 3000€ or residency placements in one of six cities
Who's eligible: Artists and cultural operators from the Arab world
Details

AFAC’s General Grant for Visual Arts
Annual grant up to $50,000
Who's eligible: Arab nationals working in the visual arts
Deadline for 2016: May 1 2016
Details

AFAC’s General Grant for Performing Arts
Annual grant up to $50,000
Who's eligible: Arab nationals working in the visual arts
Deadline for 2016: May 1 2016
Details

Mahmoud Kahlil Award
$5000 - $10000
Who's eligible: artists from the Arab World
Fields: Editorial Cartoons, Graphic Novels, Comic Strips, Graphic Illustrations, Children’s Book Illustrations
Deadline for 2016: TBA
Details

Mophradat Grants for Artists
Who's eligible: contemporary artists whose work relates to the Arab World
Deadline: April 1 and October 1 of each year
Details

Mophradat Grants for Temporary Spaces or Projects
Who's eligible: contemporary artists whose work relates to the Arab World
2017 Deadline: TBA

Liberal Arts Scholarship at AUB
70% funding for undergraduate study in studio arts, literature and 9 other programs
Deadline: May 31, 2016
Who's eligible: applicants to liberal arts undergraduate programs at the American University of Beirut
Details

Rusted Radishes
Chance to get published in the Beirut Literary and Art Journal; annual
Who's eligible: open to all, particularly submissions from Lebanon
Fields: Art, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama
Deadline for 2016: April 1
Details

Sharjah Art Foundation Residency 
A residency in Sharjah to research and produce projects with a max budget of $10,000
Who's eligible: artists, curators, writers and more
Details
FILM & DOCUMENTARY

Arab Documentary Photography Program
12 annual production grants of 5,000 USD each
Who's eligible: Arab applicants of all ages, both professional and emerging
Deadline for 2016: April 1 2016
Details

Alter-Ciné Documentary Grant
$7300 in cash prizes to assist in documentary filmmaking
Who's eligible: Filmmakers born in Asia, Africa or Latin America
Deadline: August 15 of each year
Details

AFAC Documentary Program
15 documentary projects to be supported with a maximum of $50,000 per film
Who's eligible: Arab applicants of all ages with projects in the production and post-production phase
Deadline for 2016: May 1 2016
Details

AFAC’s Cinema Funding
Annual grant up to $50,000
Who's eligible: Arab nationals working in cinema
Deadline for 2016: TBA after May 1 2016
Details

Beirut Film Station
Residency, technical support and $1000 monthly for daily needs
Who's eligible: filmmakers between 20-35 from the MENA Region
Deadline for 2016: TBA
Details

Berlinale WCF Funding
Up to 80,000 euros in funding to production companies
Who's eligible: production companies with a director from a WCF region (including the Middle East)
Deadline for 2016: Mid-July
Details

Doha Film Institute Grants
Funding for feature length film development, production and post-production
Who's eligible: first and second-time directors from the MENA region
Deadline for 2017: TBA
Details
ADVERTISING AND MEDIA

Creative Force Africa and Middle East & North Africa
Seed funding and collaborative projects
Who's eligible: NGOs, journalists, cultural managers, etc.
Details

Helen Lansdowne Resor Scholarship
Up to $10,000 scholarship and a paid internship at JWT
Who's eligible: Female students at AUB
Fields: advertising
Deadline for 2016: May 15 2016
Details

MENA Scholarship Programme
Scholarships for short courses in the Netherlands
Fields: communication and arts and 11 other categories
Who's eligible: Arab nationals under 45
Details

Chevening Scholarship 
Who's eligible: applicants for partner graduate programs in the UK
Fields: media and communications, or any course of study
Deadline: TBA
Details

CULTURAL STUDIES & MANAGEMENT 

The International Fund for the Promotion of Culture, UNESCO 
Financial support for cultural projects of $20,000-100,000
Who's eligible: artists, cultural managers and cultural promoters from developing countries
Deadline: TBA
Details

Arts Collaboratory
Structural funding and project support to visual arts organizations
Who's eligible: visual arts organizations in the Middle East and other regions
Deadline: TBA
Details

The International Fund for Cultural Diversity, UNESCO 
"Supports projects that aim to foster the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector"
Who's eligible: NGOs and instituions from developing countries, including Lebanon
Deadline: April 15 2016
Details

Marc de Montalembert Prize
8000 euros and research at the Institut national d’histoire de l’art in Paris
Who's eligible: applicants from the Mediterranean region under 35 in art history with an academic level equal to a Phd
Deadline for 2017: TBA
Details

Creative Force Africa and Middle East & North Africa
Seed funding and collaborative projects
Who's eligible: NGOs, journalists, cultural managers, etc.
Details

Liberal Arts Scholarship at AUB
70% funding for undergraduate study in art history, literature and 9 other programs
Who's eligible: applicants to liberal arts undergraduate programs at the American University of Beirut
Deadline: May 31, 2016
Details

The Imkan Workshop
Cultural leadership training program that will take place in Lebanon during May 2016
Who's eligible: Arab applicants with over 5 years in the cultural sector
Deadline for 2016: March 12
Details

The Barakat Trust
Visiting scholarships for study in the University of Oxford as well as grants for select programs and UK universities
Who's eligible: Those working in conservation and history of the art, architecture and material culture of Islamic societies
Deadline for 2016: March 31 2016
Details

FASHION DESIGN

Starch Foundation
Who's eligible: Emerging fashion designers
Deadline for 2017: TBA
Details

The Creative Space Beirut
Free 3-year fashion education for applicants between 16-25
Details

Continue browsing on homepage