Church of Sweden - Grants for innovative cultural work on life issues

Church of Sweden Cultural Grant

You will receive a tax-free grant of 100,000 SEK (about 8,900 EUR) for a cultural project that explores issues relating to life and faith. Every year, the Church of Sweden awards five grants totalling 500,000 SEK in the fields of literature, music, film, visual arts and performing arts. You may use the money to cover your working hours, materials and similar costs. The grant supports artists who create works that explore questions of life, the Christian faith or key religious themes. A grant may be split between two recipients.

Who can apply

• Who you are: You are a professional artist working in any art form. Dioceses, parishes or other organisations within the Church of Sweden may also apply, but only in partnership with a professional artist.
• Field: Your project falls into one of five categories: visual arts (painting, photography, sculpture, architecture, installation, design, performance), literature, performing arts (theatre, dance, performance), music or film. Please apply in only one main category, even if your work combines several of them.
• Theme: Your project deals with questions of faith and life that are significant to human existence. It may draw on the Christian tradition and the Bible, but this is not essential.
• Religion: You do not need to be a member of the Church of Sweden.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Not funded: Educational or teaching projects are not eligible for funding.

How to apply

You should apply online, submitting your CV, a project plan with a budget and a brief project description. Applications in paper form will not be accepted, and late or incomplete applications will not be considered. A panel of experts from various fields of the arts assesses the projects primarily on the basis of their artistic quality and the extent to which they address questions of life and faith. The decision is made in the autumn, and the grants are paid out in October or November.

How realistic are your chances?

As only five scholarships are awarded each year, competition is fierce. Your project must clearly engage with questions of life and faith and must not merely demonstrate artistic skill. If your work addresses a genuinely existential theme and you present it well, your prospects are quite good. Projects that explore new forms of collaboration or touch on the lives of children and young people will be given special consideration.