About the Open Call

Each year, the Prince Claus Fund offers a Seed Award to 100 emerging artists working in contexts where cultural expression is under pressure. The Seed Award provides recipients with the space and support to deepen their artistic interests and inquiries and amplify their practice — helping spark a new generation of changemakers. The 2026 Seed Award specifically targets emerging artists and cultural practitioners who add new ideas, perspectives, and energy to culture. Recipients will receive €5,000 as a trust-based grant to invest in the growth of their artistic and cultural practice, allowing them freedom and space without financial strain.

What is Offered

Each Seed Award recipient will receive €5,000 to invest in the growth of their artistic and cultural practice on their own terms.

Requirements

Applicants must be in the early and exploratory stages of their career (1 to 5 years professional experience, excluding study). They must have an innovative and interesting artistic or cultural practice addressing pressing social/political issues in their local context, and have received little to no institutional recognition. Applicants must be from, living, and working in eligible countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, as listed by OECD’s DAC.

How to Apply

Eligible individuals can apply by submitting a completed application on the Prince Claus online application platform. The application form includes questions about your practice and project, and requires supplementary materials: samples of your work, a C.V., a reference letter, and a pitch video/audio (max 3 minutes) answering 'What drives you as an artist?'.