Introduction
The climate crisis is affecting millions, especially in the Global South. It exposes deep social and political inequalities. Artists and cultural workers are responding to these challenges. They use art and culture to highlight socio-environmental injustices. They are also starting practices that help their communities and ecosystems. In these tough times, culture plays a key role in imagining a new way forward.
About the Program
The Cultural & Artistic Responses to the Environmental Crisis (CAREC) is a year-long initiative. It aims to speed up community-based cultural activities focused on climate justice. This program looks at the social, political, and economic aspects of the environmental crisis. It offers an interdisciplinary platform. This platform supports critical artistic work. It connects practitioners, promotes cross-disciplinary exchange, and values diverse knowledge. The goal is to envision alternative models of climate justice worldwide.
CAREC gathers 12 mid-career artists and cultural workers with 4 mentors. These individuals come from various fields and focus on different environmental issues. Each artist gets an award of €10,000. This award is for developing a work concept outlined in their application.
Program Activities and Commitment
The program includes various interactions to promote collaboration. These include workshops, guest talks, and peer-to-peer sessions. Most activities happen online due to participants coming from various locations. However, there are two in-person Lab Weeks. These are week-long mentoring intensives. There is also a collective project that includes a publication and a web space.
Participants need to commit an average of 10 hours per month to program activities. This time commitment can vary throughout the year. Participants should also be comfortable discussing ideas in English. This ensures a space for mutual learning and exchange.
Application and Selection
The deadline for submitting project applications is 21 March 2024, 17:00 CEST. Applicants should review the detailed guidelines on Eligibility Criteria and How to Apply. Only complete applications submitted via the Prince Claus Awards Platform will be considered.
Background
The Mentorship Award comes from a partnership between the Prince Claus Fund and the Goethe-Institut. This partnership started with project-based support, backing 54 exceptional projects worldwide from 2018 to 2020. In 2021, the program transitioned into a mentorship format. Since then, it has supported 36 artists. The call for Cycle 4 applications marks the end of the partnership with the Goethe-Institut.
