Frequently Asked Questions
WHO CAN APPLY FOR THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE SCHOLARSHIPS?
Qualified artists as well as artists taking a non-academic path in life which led them to Urban and New Contemporary Art, and who have already appeared before the public in the form of works or publications. We also provide support to young talent (students). The AIR grants have no age limit.
CAN I APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP EVEN IF I DON‘T LIVE IN GERMANY?
Yes. Artists from EU member states can apply. The application process and further communication will be made in German or English.
DO I NEED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP OF AN EU MEMBER STATE?
When applying, please provide us with your citizenship. Additionally, please submit official proof of your current address (copy of official photographic ID, copy of a residence registration form).
CAN I USE REFERENCES FROM ABROAD FOR MY APPLICATION?
You can submit references from abroad so long as they are written in English.
WHAT LANGUAGE CAN THE DOCUMENTS BE IN?
We will accept application documents in German and English.
WILL I BE NOTIFIED ONCE I HAVE SENT MY APPLICATION?
Once we have received your application documents, you will receive a confirmation of receipt via email.
WHO CARRIES OUT THE PRE-SELECTION AFTER THE APPLICATION?
The Berliner Leben foundation checks the formal requirements and compatibility of the project submitted with regards to content using the funding priorities expressed in the advertisement. Furthermore, the viability of the project submitted, among others, is assessed in consideration of organisational and financial factors.
WHO MAKES THE DECISION ON THE AWARD?
An international assembled panel of experts decides whom to award the scholarship to. The panel is only presented with completed applications.
HOW AND WHEN WILL I FIND OUT IF MY APPLICATION WAS SUCCESSFUL?
We will let you know no later than one week after the selection meeting whether or not you will be receiving the scholarships.
DO I NEED TO DECLARE THE SCHOLARSHIP PAYMENT ON MY TAX RETURN?
According to our information, Artist in Residence scholarship payments are unremarkable with regards to tax. Therefore, you do not need to declare this on your tax return.
WILL I BE TOLD OF THE REASONS IN THE EVENT OF REJECTION?
Due to the large quantity of applications received, we are unable to provide individual feedback.
DOES IT COST ANYTHING TO APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP?
The application is free of charge. Provided that the application is approved, the scholars will only be required to cover the costs of travel to and from Berlin (Bülowstr.) and a security deposit amount of 300 Euros.
WILL A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS BE ACCEPTED?
Yes.
HOW DO I RECEIVE POST IF MY CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS CHANGES?
If your correspondence address changes, you must ensure that any post is forwarded to you. Please let us know of your address in good time should it change permanently.
WHAT OBLIGATIONS DO I HAVE TO MEET AS A SCHOLAR?
It is important to us that scholars develop during the scholarship. We expect scholars - to expand on the points in the programme for the URBAN NATION Museum in the form of a workshop, lecture or similar programme format for the general public during the course of the scholarship, - to be present at the final presentation of work results, - to be prepared for a cultural and artistic exchange with the Berliner Leben foundation and other reative artists.
I AM CURRENTLY SPONSORED BY ANOTHER AUTHORITY. CAN I STILL APPLY?
The scholar is authorised to receive state or private funding which does not exceed the ceiling of €450 a month. Possible sponsorship, which runs at the same time as the Artist in Residence scholarship must be communicated to the Berliner Leben foundation immediately.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE FUNDING FOR THE SAME PROJECT FROM ANOTHER PUBLIC INSTITUTION?
No. You may not apply with a project that you are already receiving support for.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE FUNDING GUIDELINES?
Funding guidelines can be downloaded here.
DO I HAVE TO PAY BACK MY SCHOLARSHIP?
No, provided that you comply with the participation conditions which are specified in the funding guidelines, you will not be required to pay back your scholarship.
WILL I RECEIVE A HEALTH INSURANCE ALLOWANCE?
No, you will receive no additional allowances other than those stated in the funding guidelines.
WHO CAN ACCESS MY DATA?
Only employees of the Berliner Leben foundation have access to any personal data. Documents relating to the project, and no personal data, are presented to members of the selection committee. Funding from the Berliner Leben foundation complies with the data protection provisions applicable in Germany. The data will not be passed on to third parties. The data will only be used for the purposes of selecting and supporting scholars. Any additional uses require an additional agreement.
Application MCS »UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Cartography of Identites in Transition«
The Martha Cooper Scholarship (MCS) offers a unique opportunity for an individual from Africa, Asia and Latin America to dedicate themselves for ten months to an artistic project through the medium of photography. With the newly announced MCS, the Foundation Berliner Leben acknowledges the importance of documentary photography and purposefully offers a production scholarship for documentary photographers who use their photography in an effort to promote positive impact on the world. The scholarship is based on the annual topic of Fresh A.I.R., the scholarship programme of Stiftung Berliner Leben. It addresses social and political developments that affect us in the present, and highlights the diversity of human experience and perception of the world.
The chosen photographer will be invited to live and work in one of our Fresh A.I.R. residencies in Berlin Schöneberg. The current call is for the 12th class starting in February 2027 and ending in November 2027.
Thematic Call: »UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Cartography of Identites in Transition«
There are times in life when the self seems to blur – not lost, but without firm ground. Breaks in identity are not only personal experiences; they also reflect social and political change. At a time when Europe is confronted with divisions and with its shared values being called into question, engaging with issues of belonging, origin and memory takes on new urgency.
»UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Cartography of Identities in Transition« is dedicated to these in-between spaces: moments in which familiar identities begin to crack, narratives fall apart and new meanings are not yet tangible. The focus is on phases of life in which identity once seemed clearly defined but has dissolved, disappeared or been consciously shed – as a break-out from a role determined by others. At the centre lies the field of tension between self and stories, between past, memory and possibility. This call understands itself as an invitation to explore the space between past and present.
Funding will be given to:
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Projects that examine what remains when familiar narratives fall apart.
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Projects that explore how identity can be newly developed or further evolved after a break between self-knowledge and self-creation.
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Projects that trace how political upheavals affect individual self-image and/or analyse the role art plays in dealing with collective memory, suppressed histories and identities that need to
Artists and other cultural practitioners whose biographies are marked by loss of belonging, ruptures (e.g.
with their family of origin), repression, uprooting or systemic transformation are invited to apply. We are looking for artistic responses to
loss and fracture of identity, self-alienation and reconstruction – regardless of whether these experiences
were lived first-hand, felt through their after-effects, or inherited through family and cultural memory.
We explicitly invite applicants to use autobiographical, genealogical or family-historical research as the basis for their artistic engagement. Private artefacts, suppressed stories, contradictory accounts or the silence
between generations can serve as starting points for new artistic narratives – in which identity appears not
only as loss, but also as a possibility that is visibly »under construction«.
Application
Application deadline: Sunday, 1st March, 2026
Applications can only be submitted via the application platform.
You can find further information at https://urban-nation.com/artist-in-residence-scholarships/
Please direct any other enquiries to: FreshAIR-office@stiftung-berliner-leben.de
Important information
We solely fund projects of which content, implementation and planned outcome are compatible with the principles of Fresh A.I.R., the Foundation Berliner Leben and the free democratic basic order. Projects with racist, anti-Semitic, queer-hostile or otherwise exclusionary and denigrating content are excluded.
We welcome project ideas that aim to actively involve local participants and organizations. Potential partners (institution, organization, association, public figure) should therefore be researched and named as part of the project application. If the project is approved by the foundation, these partners should be contacted immediately regarding cooperation. In addition, a backup should always be considered to replace any missing cooperation partners.
For project ideas that can only be realized in cooperation with a project partner (institution, organization, association, public figure), written proof of this partner's willingness to cooperate must be submitted by e-mail at the time of application, stating the applicant ID. The same applies to applications from people who belong to a network (e.g. artists, scientists, cultural workers, etc.) or who are associated with such a network and plan to involve this network as external partners in their project. In addition, a backup should always be considered in order to replace missing cooperation partners if necessary.
General Notes
The data input and transmission takes place via a secure Internet connection, so that third parties can not see your data. As you type, you can constantly review and change your information. All information in the application portal can be made in German as well as in English. Please provide all information completely and truthfully. Incorrect information leads to exclusion from the further selection procedure.
Should you have any questions, please contact: FreshAIR-office@stiftung-berliner-leben.de.
