Prince Claus Seed Award 2025

The Seed Award recognises 100 emerging talents and offers support to creative work that engages with urgent socio-political issues within their local context.

Overview

Emerging artists and cultural practitioners bring a new wave of ideas, perspectives, and energy to the force of culture. They play a pivotal role in shaping new norms through free expression and creating safe spaces, fostering cooperation in times of community crises, and promoting just and fair ways of being. As such, emerging artists deserve the chance to experiment and build momentum in their work, and the Seed Award aims to support this journey. 

Each year, the Prince Claus Fund grants the Seed Award to 100 emerging artists who work in contexts where cultural expression is under pressure. The Seed Award is intended to give emerging artists the chance to amplify their practice and interests, thereby sparking a new wave of changemakers. 

Each recipient will receive a grant of €5,000 to invest in developing their artistic and cultural practice on their own terms.

The Seed Award is a trust-based grant, allowing recipients to determine the best way to utilise the support for their artistic and cultural development. This could include exploring new perspectives and nurturing connections, investing in materials, or simply taking time to experiment and focus on their work without financial pressures. 

Practical Info

The Seed Award offers support to talented and engaged emerging artists and cultural practitioners who are committed to improving their contexts and societies through socially and politically engaged work. Thet are particularly interested in supporting those with a grounded and innovative art practice that is inclusive in its process, implementation, and reach. 

Applications are welcome from individual applicants who are in the early and exploratory stages of their career, within the initial 1 to 5 years of their professional career (excluding study years), have established an innovative and interesting artistic or cultural practice that addresses pressing social/political issues that are important within their local context and have received little to no institutional recognition/support for their artistic/cultural practices. Plus, eligible applicants must be from, live, and work in their eligible countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.

Artists can apply by submitting an application on the Prince Claus Awards Platform. The application form includes a set of questions and requires supplementary materials which include: samples of their work, a C.V. and reference letter, and a pitch answering the question: What drives you as an artist?

About Prince Claus Fund

Prince Claus Fund is an independent foundation dedicated to culture and development. With trust-based funding, connections and recognition, they serve engaged artists and cultural practitioners in places where culture is under pressure.