The Artist Protection Fund (APF) is an initiative of the Institute of International Education, sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The APF awards scholarships to threatened artists from any field of endeavour, and places them in host institutions in safe countries where they can continue their work and plan for the future.
IIE-APF welcomes enquiries from threatened artists directly or from individuals or institutions who nominate threatened artists for support. APF is for artists who are facing or have recently fled immediate, severe and targeted threats to their lives and/or careers in their countries of origin or countries of residence.
Eligibility criteria
The IIE-APF receives enquiries from institutions around the world interested in hosting artists under threat. Hosts can be academic institutions, artist residencies, cultural centres, performing arts organisations or artistic communities. Hosts will be required to match grant support financially or through in-kind contributions that may include housing, studio space, materials/supplies and other support from their networks.
Artists from any country and artistic discipline can qualify. Applications are analysed for artistic merit, the quality/potential of the applicant's work and the seriousness of the threats facing the applicant. Preference is given to artists who:
are facing or have recently fled immediate, serious and targeted threats to their lives and/or artistic practice in their countries of origin or countries of residence;
show fulfilment and promise in their artistic practice;
will benefit your home and/or host communities.
The IIE encourages applications from women and members of ethnic, racial, cultural or religious minority groups, or those otherwise under-represented in their fields.
For more information, visit
