June 03, 2015

Saving the lives of threatened artists

tags:	#Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, #APF, #Artist Protection Fund, #Protection of threatened artists
by:	Deniz Zehra Tavli

The Artist Protection Fund (APF) is a three-year pilot program at the Institute of International Education. With funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, APF will make life-saving fellowship grants to threatened artists from any field of artistic endeavor, and place them at host universities and arts centers in safe countries where they can continue their work.

The Institute welcomes expressions of interest from arts organizations around the world interested in hosting threatened artists. Hosts can be traditional university art education programs and arts residencies, as well as arts centers, performing arts organizations and less traditional artistic communities. Hosts will be requested to match the fellowship support, through contributions that may include housing, studio space, art supplies, and other support from their networks.

The Institute welcomes inquiries from threatened artists directly or from individuals or institutions nominating threatened artists for support. APF is for artists who are facing or have recently fled from immediate, severe, and targeted threats to their lives and/or careers in their home countries or countries of residence. Information on how to apply will be available in the autumn of 2015.

Photo: Waayaha Cusub, Somali Hip Hop group

Credits: Humanitarian Bazaar