Svenska Hemslöjdsföreningarnas Riksförbund - Marta Gahn Foundation

Marta Gahn Foundation scholarship

You will receive a one-off grant of 30,000 SEK (about 2,700 EUR), which you can use for training or further education in the field of textile art. The funding comes from Hemslöjden, the national association of Swedish craft societies, which administers the foundation established by the textile artist Märtha Gahn (1891-1973). The foundation supports textile artists who work with ecclesiastical textiles such as altar cloths, chasubles and other sacred textile works.

Who can apply

• Who you are: You are a textile artist. Applications are open to both students and working professionals, including self-employed freelancers.
• Focus: You specialise in ecclesiastical textile art, that is, textiles for churches and religious use.
• What you use it for: You will be spending the money on education or further training in Sweden.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Age: No age limit.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online. The link will appear on the Hemslöjden scholarships page during the application period, which runs every year from 15 August to 15 September. Please attach images of your work as JPG files, not as PDFs. A panel of craft experts will review the written applications and portfolios, and the board will make the final decision. All applicants will be informed of the outcome by the end of October.

How realistic are your chances?

This award has very specific criteria. You must be a textile artist who specialises in ecclesiastical textiles, which means the pool of applicants remains small. If this applies to your work and you can demonstrate this clearly through images and a well-targeted application, your chances are good. As there is no interview, a convincing, well-documented portfolio is ultimately what counts.