Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts Fellowship 2025: Empowering Arts Leaders to Drive Social Change

Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts Fellowship 2025: Empowering Arts Leaders for Social Change

The Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts Fellowship is a pioneering 18-month programme designed to empower and connect visionary leaders of arts organisations dedicated to community engagement and social impact across Europe. This Fellowship offers a collaborative environment to enhance professional growth, strengthen organisational capacity, and advocate for meaningful policy changes.

Applications Now Open for 2025

This is an opportunity to join a network of changemakers committed to leveraging the arts for societal transformation. If you are passionate about using the arts to address pressing social issues, this Fellowship is for you.

Why This Fellowship Matters

Across Europe, socially engaged arts organisations are addressing challenges such as inequality, migration, and climate change. Despite their invaluable contributions, these organisations often struggle with funding, policy influence, and public recognition.

The Fellowship aims to equip arts leaders with the necessary tools, networks, and resources to amplify their impact, advocate for systemic change, and strengthen their organisations for the long term.

Programme Structure and Key Phases

Running from June 2025 to November 2026, the Fellowship supports personal and organisational development through hands-on learning and peer collaboration. Fellows will tackle a leading question that addresses a key challenge or opportunity within their organisation or community.

The Fellowship consists of three key phases:

The Seed of Change – Identifying core challenges and opportunities while developing leadership skills.
Extending the Reach – Transforming personal growth into organisational strategies for advocacy and impact.
A Movement for Advocacy – Exploring ways to drive systemic change and reshape narratives around socially engaged arts.

Programme Highlights

Fellows engage in a variety of activities to enhance their leadership, advocacy, and strategic capabilities:

Immersive Residentials:
- October 2025, Turin, Italy – Exploring value creation and advocacy in socially engaged arts.
- June 2026 – Focusing on strategy development and peer collaboration.
Online Workshops: Twelve interactive skill-building and peer-learning sessions.
Learning by Doing: Practical projects focused on advocacy and organisational growth.
Action Learning Sets: Bi-monthly peer support sessions.
Mentorship and Guidance: One-to-one coaching and external mentorship opportunities.
Study Visits and Exchanges: Travel grants of up to €5,000 for knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Fellowship Grants: €60,000 per organisation for development and pilot projects.
Digital Community Platform: A space for continuous collaboration and resource sharing.

Financial Support

To ensure full participation, the Fellowship provides comprehensive funding:

€30,000 Organisational Development Grant – Supports operational and capacity-building efforts.
€30,000 Leading Question Grant – Funds initiatives tackling key organisational or community challenges.
€5,000 Mobility Grant – Covers travel for study visits and knowledge exchanges.
Residential Costs Covered – Travel, accommodation, meals, and materials are fully funded.
Access Budget – Support for accessibility needs and caregiving responsibilities.

Commitment and Timeline

Fellows commit approximately 20 hours per month, involving:

Self-directed work on organisational development and advocacy.
Online sessions (3-5 hours monthly).
Two in-person residentials (9 days total).

Key Dates:

Early June 2025 – Fellowship selection announcements.
16 June 2025 – Fellowship launch.
24 & 26 June 2025 – Online Orientation Workshops.
20-24 October 2025 – First Residential in Turin, Italy.
November 2025 – September 2026 – Ongoing training, mentoring, and action learning.
15-18 June 2026 – Second Residential.
November 2026 – Closing session and final outputs.

Application Process

The selection process consists of three stages:

Stage 1: Expression of Interest – Applicants submit a brief statement outlining their experience and suitability for the Fellowship. This allows an initial assessment of eligibility and alignment with the programme’s objectives.
Stage 2: Full Application Submission – Longlisted candidates are invited to submit a more detailed application, providing deeper insights into their leadership experience and organisational impact.
Stage 3: Interview – Shortlisted applicants will participate in a final interview with the selection jury. This is an opportunity to elaborate on their application, discuss their goals, and engage with programme representatives. Following this stage, 15 successful candidates will be selected as Fellows.

Eligibility Criteria

The Fellowship is open to leaders of socially engaged arts organisations based in Council of Europe member states or Kosovo. Eligible organisations must:

Have operated for at least five years.
Primarily focus on socially engaged arts.
Be led by a Fellow with at least three years of senior leadership experience.
Have legal status within the arts and culture sector.

Ideal Candidates Are:

Visionary and ambitious – Committed to leadership and growth.
Aligned with the Fellowship’s mission – Passionate about personal and sector-wide impact.
Social change advocates – Using arts to address community challenges.
Collaborative and open-minded – Eager to participate in shared learning.
Community-focused – Dedicated to meaningful social transformation.
Organisationally stable – Ready to fully engage in the Fellowship.

Key Dates

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: Monday, 24 February 2025, 9:00 CET.
Full Application Submissions: 21 March – 14 April 2025 (for longlisted candidates).
Online Interviews: 13-22 May 2025 (for shortlisted candidates).
Final Selection Announcements: Week of 2 June 2025.

If you’re committed to driving social change through the arts, apply today to be part of this transformative Fellowship. Stay informed by following the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts on social media and subscribing to updates.

Join the Movement – Be a Catalyst for Change in the Arts!

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Scholarship at Uniplus Global to apply