Organizer Information
The Martin Roth-Initiative is a joint project of ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen and the Goethe-Institut, founded in response to the global shrinking of civic spaces. It was established in 2018 in response to the global decline in pre-political freedoms, named after Martin Roth, the museum director and cultural scientist who served as President of ifa until his death in 2017. Its aim is to protect artists and cultural actors whose work is restricted by state or non-state actors by offering temporary relocation stays and enabling them to continue their work.
ifa, the initiative's co-founding partner, is Germany's oldest institution for foreign cultural policy, tracing back to a forerunner organization founded in Stuttgart in 1917. The Goethe-Institut is Germany's principal cultural institute, with a global network of branches promoting German language and culture and supporting international cultural exchange. Since its foundation in 2017, the Martin Roth-Initiative has supported 620 artists from 41 countries in cooperation with 119 host organisations, and is described by its partner institutions as one of the world's largest protection programmes for artists and cultural actors at risk.
Title & Description
Martin Roth Initiative — Application Programme Line 1: Temporary Relocation for Artists and Cultural Actors at Risk
This funding line enables non-profit host organisations in Germany to temporarily take in artists and cultural actors at risk, allowing them to continue their creative and professional work in a safe environment. The application is submitted jointly, in tandem, by the artist/cultural actor and the German host organisation — the two applications are assessed together and both must be received on time for the application to be considered complete. The programme explicitly states it is not an emergency programme: it cannot provide immediate support or expedite application or visa processes, and there is no legal entitlement to funding, which remains subject to available budget.
Categories
- Residency
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Multiple Disciplines
- All Discipline
- Culture
Eligibility
- Open to artists and cultural actors worldwide, across all fields of art and culture, provided all listed criteria are met
- Must, through their artistic work, be committed to an open society, freedom, peace, and democracy, and reject all forms of discrimination
- Must experience restrictions on their freedom or threats from state and/or non-state actors because of their work or other circumstances
- Must still be active in their country of origin, have only recently left it (departure after 20 February 2026, the deadline of the MRI's previous call), or be currently unsafe in their present location
- Must not have access to a safe abode (e.g. through dual citizenship or a national/humanitarian residence permit)
- Must speak English or German
- Must be demonstrably artistically/culturally active with proven artistic/cultural and/or social relevance — hobby artists or those pursuing purely private artistic activity are not eligible
- Applications can only be made jointly with an eligible non-profit host organisation in Germany (museums, theatres, festivals, cultural collectives, socially relevant organisations, NGOs); the MRI cannot assist with matching or finding a host organisation
- Excluded from funding: citizens of EU member states and the EEA, Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA
- Also excluded: artists and cultural actors who have already received MRI funding in Germany or in their regions of origin (except Fast-Track funding)
- Applications from persons currently located in Gaza cannot be accepted at this time, due to the inability to exit Gaza and enter Germany under current conditions; this is reviewed for each call
- Only one grant per artist is possible — no multiple or follow-up MRI funding, in Germany or in regions of origin
- A host organisation may submit one application per round, which may cover several artists only if they have already worked together, form a single unit, and apply with a joint project (e.g. a band, ensemble, or collective)
Program Benefits & Awards
- A monthly scholarship (stipend) for the artist/cultural actor
- Financial resources to support the artistic/cultural work itself
- Individual support for scholarship holders, including necessary insurance, psychosocial support, language courses, trainings, and networking activities
- Financial support for additional personnel at the host organisation, where directly related to the grant's purpose (does not cover permanent staff or unrelated freelance work)
- Counselling and further training from the MRI, covering topics such as safety and sensitive public relations
- Support in the visa process for scholarship holders (note: the scholarship visa does not automatically grant the right to take up employment or self-employment in Germany)
- Scholarships last up to 15 months
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Artist Application Deadline: 11 September 2026
- Host Application (digital) Deadline: 11 September 2026
- Host Application (signed hardcopy, postmark deadline): 25 September 2026
- Selection Committee Decision Announced: end of November 2026
- Earliest Funding Period Start Date: 15 January 2027
- Earliest Scholarship Period Start: 1 March 2027
- Application Consultation Workshop for Artists (English): 14 July 2026, 10:00 am CEST (registration closes 13 July 2026, 5:00 pm CEST)
- Application Consultation Workshop for Artists (English), second session: 20 August 2026, 3:00 pm CEST (registration closes 19 August 2026, 5:00 pm CEST)
- Application Consultation Workshop for Host Organisations (German): 16 July 2026, 2:00 pm CEST (registration closes 15 July 2026, 5:00 pm CEST)
- Application Consultation Workshop for Host Organisations (English): 20 August 2026, 2:00 pm CEST (registration closes 19 August 2026, 5:00 pm CEST)
Location
Germany
Additional Details
- The MRI cannot provide matching support to help artists find a host organisation
- A host organisation is limited to one application per round, though that application may cover multiple artists if they meet the joint-project conditions described in Eligibility
- Selection criteria applied by the independent committee include: existing threat/risk level to the artist; quality and social relevance of the artist's prior work and fit with the MRI's mission; quality of the application and capacity of the host organisation; artistic and working fit between host and artist, including support and integration; potential positive impact on the home or host community; and gender and diversity considerations
- The MRI recommends encrypted communication (e.g. ProtonMail) for all correspondence prior to application, citing safety concerns for at-risk applicants
- Private individuals cannot apply as host organisations — only registered non-profit legal entities (e.g. registered associations, non-profit GmbH, or non-profit sub-areas of public-law corporations such as universities)