Revival Funding

Laboratory funding: €5,000 – €15,000

Laboratory funding: 01.05.2026 – 30.11.2026

#Cultural education

Open-format and open-ended artistic (including hybrid, analog and digital) projects, as well as artistic-participative approaches with children and young people between the ages of 3 and 18, especially in risk situations, with children and young people with disabilities, as well as children and young people with refugee experience, in short, medium and long-term project durations

Alliances consisting of at least 3 partners from the fields of art/culture, education and society, organized as a legal entity or GbR

Requirements

Local location, alliance partners contribute their own work

Jury decision

expected April 2026

Laboratory funding: €5,000–15,000

Laboratory funding: 01.05.2026 – 30.11.2026

#Cultural education

Open-format, open-ended artistic (also hybrid, analog and digital) projects, as well as artistic-participative work approaches with children and young people between the ages of 3 and 18, especially in risk situations, with children and young people with disabilities, as well as children and young people with refugee experience, in short, medium and long-term project periods

Alliances of at least 3 partners from the arts/culture, education and society, organized as a legal entity or as a GbR

Requirement

Alliances of at least 3 partners from the arts/culture, education and society, organized as a legal entity or as a GbR

Jury decision

expected April 2025

€150,000 - €240,000

expected 01.04.2026 - 15.10.2028

Three-year concepts – with either three new productions or two new productions and a strategic-organizational project.

Professional artists/groups from the independent performing arts who have been working successfully for many years and are based in Germany.

Jury decision

Expected at the end of March 

€15,000 - €50,000

expected 15.06.2026 - 31.07.2027

Cooperation projects spanning several federal states in the field of knowledge transfer and professional qualification in the independent performing arts, which include at least one major discussion or information event to enable a specialist exchange of ideas of nationwide relevance.

Artistic productions and guest performances are not eligible for funding.

The call for proposals is subject to the approval of the funds allocated in the 2026 budget by the Bundestag by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

Long-standing associations, networks, production companies and nationally renowned festivals of the independent performing arts that are organized as legal entities.

Individuals and private partnerships are not eligible to apply.

Requirement

Co-financing of at least 50% of the application amount from verifiably approved public funds (German municipalities and/or federal states)

Board of Trustees decision

expected in mid-June 2026

€15,000 - €50,000

expected 15.04.2026 - 30.06.2027

Artistic work processes that focus on a new production project in the independent performing arts and that usually conclude with a premiere and performances shortly afterwards.

Long-term (at least 2 years) professionally independent producing artists/groups from the performing arts based and working in Germany.

Requirement

Co-financing of at least 50% of the application amount from verifiably approved public funds (German municipalities and/or federal states)

Jury decision

expected in early April 2026

€75,000 - €125,000

expected 01.10.2026 – 15.09.2028

New, nationally and internationally noteworthy artistic works by independently producing artists/groups in the performing arts – in co-production with or for performance at independent dance and theater venues, festivals, municipal and state theaters, private theaters as well as non-theater venues.

Established professional self-commissioned artists/groups from the performing arts who are based and working primarily in Germany.

Requirement

Co-financing of at least 100% of the amount applied for, at least 50% of which must come from public funds.

Application

will likely be possible from April onwards

Jury decision

likely the end of September 2026

€5,000 to €10,000

expected 15.05.2026 - 15.11.2026 

Open-ended projects such as research, artistic-experimental laboratories, and concept development for upcoming productions that take place in a residency or in connection with a residency location.

Self-commissioned performing arts groups of all genres and disciplines in the independent performing arts sector that can demonstrate affiliation with a production house or festival based in Germany that is a member of one of the following interdisciplinary nationwide networks and is willing to offer them a residency at the venue/festival or to collaborate with them in realizing such a residency.

• Bündnis Internationaler Produktionshäuser
• FestivalFriends
• flukks+
• FREISCHWIMMEN
• Netzwerk Freier Theater (NFT) 

Requirement

Applicants must have received public funding for a production project in the independent performing arts at least once in the past three years (2023/2024/2025) and be able to provide proof of residency from one of the member institutions/festivals of the above-mentioned federal networks.

Jury decision

expected in mid-May 2026

EUR 125,000  - EUR 200,000 

expected 01.10.2025 - 31.07.2027

Funding is available for new artistic works by independently producing artists/groups from the performing arts at German city or state theaters.

Long-standing (at least 5 years) professionally independently producing artists/groups from the performing arts based and working focus in Germany or German municipal and state theaters that can demonstrate an intention to cooperate with such artists/groups.

Prerequisite
Co-financing of at least 100% of the application amount from public funds (federal states and/or municipalities).

Jury decision
Expected Mid-September 2025 
 

€10,000 - €25,000

expected 15.05.2026 - 31.07.2027

Revivals as well as the artistic or formal reworking of productions of the independent performing arts that have already been supported by the Fonds and have already had their premiere.

Long-standing (at least 2 years) professional working artists/groups in the independent performing arts based and working in Germany

Requirement

Productions applying for resumption must have received funding in one of the following programs: production funding (from 2023 onwards), concept funding

Co-financing of at least 50% of the application amount from verifiably approved public funds (German municipalities and/or federal states).

Jury decision

Expected mid-May 2026

€10,000 - €25,000

15.07.2026 - 30.09.2027

Revivals or guest performances with at least two performances in rural areas of independent performing arts productions that have previously been funded by the Fonds and have already premiered.

Long-standing (at least 2 years) professional working artists/groups in the independent performing arts based and working in Germany

Requirement

Productions submitted for resumption must have been funded under one of the following programs: Production Funding (from 2023), Concept Funding.
Co-financing of at least 30% of the application amount from verifiably approved public and/or private funds (German municipalities and/or federal states, foundation funds, cash own funds).

Jury decision

expected mid-July 2026

5.000 € or 7.500 €

two or three successive months between October and December 2022

open-ended artistic project from all genres and departments of the performing arts

self-commissioned protagonists of the performing arts who moved or had to move their residence and work focus from Ukraine to the Federal Republic of Germany due to war and refugee movements

€7,500

01.11.2023 to 31.04.2024

Grant-type funding for individuals that contributes to research, the development of artistic production projects or artistic qualification.

Long-standing, professionally producing artists from the independent performing arts who reside and work primarily in Germany.

Requirements

Proof of artistic responsibility or significant artistic participation in at least three productions supported with public funds (federal German municipalities and/or federal states)

Jury decision

expected mid-October 2023

75.000 € – 200.000 €

until 31.12.2024

Three-year concepts – with either three new productions or two new productions and one strategic-organizational project.

Professional artists/groups of the independent performing arts who have been successful for many years and are based and have the focus of their work in Germany.

25.000 - 50.000 €

Until 31.08.2022

Lab formats that, based on the changed situations of artistic work due to the pandemic, are focused on three overarching areas:

• Questions about the change in art itself – in terms of content and aesthetics
• Questions about current and future-oriented working and production methods
• Questions of reception and participation, of the audience and the public

Individual artists, collectives, ensembles, project-based and/or community-based associations of artists from the independent performing arts who have been continuously active professionally for many years.

7.500 €

three months

research and conceptual development of artistic projects without any determined outcome, projects that serve artistic further education as well as qualification

individual artists and curators, who can provide proof that they have been working professionally for at least three years in the independent performing arts

5.000 € | 5 x 5.000 €

two consecutive months

Projects without any determined outcome such as research, laboratories and conception

Artists, artist groups and curators from the independent performing arts that are connected to one of the venues of the Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser (BiP), the flausen+bundesnetzwerk or the Netzwerk Freier Theater

10.000 € – 50.000 €

until 31.12.2022 | 30.04.2023 | 30.06.2023

artistic work processes in the independent performing arts (also digital) without any determined outcome, also in terms of format, that serve the creation and possibly the presentation of productions

professional artists, artist groups, ensembles, collectives and projects from all categories and genres of the independent performing arts with their headquarters and work located in Germany

10.000 € – 25.000 €

until 31.12.2022 | 30.06.2023

revivals or artistic or formal reworkings of productions from the independent performing arts that are performed in accordance with pandemic measures

professional artists, artist groups, ensembles, collectives and projects from all categories and genres of the independent performing arts with their headquarters and work focus in Germany

25.000 € – 50.000 €

until 31.12.2022 | 30.06.2023

(digital) interstate cooperation projects in the field of knowledge transfer and qualification in the liberal performing arts that include at least one major discussion event, symposium, congress, or other information event on further education or subject-specific exchange of nationwide relevance

long-standing active associations, production centers, networks, production offices and supra-regional festivals of the independent performing arts that are organized as a legal entity. Artistic productions and guest performances are not eligible

€8,000 - €25,000

Until 30.09.2022

Artistic work or production cycles from the independent performing arts for one to two production periods

Open-air theaters as well as amateur theater companies and associations that collaborate with professional artists/groups of the independent performing arts as well as professional artists/groups themselves that work at the interface with amateur theater productions were eligible to apply.

€20,000 – €60,000

until 30.09.2021

Artistic work or production cycles from the independent performing arts for one to two production periods.

Professional artists/groups from the independent performing arts working in the fields of performance, dance, spoken and musical theater, as well as interdisciplinary theater based and working in Germany.

€10,000 – €50,000

until 30.09.2021

Artistic working or production cycles from the independent performing arts for one to two production periods

Professional artists/groups from the independent performing arts in the fields of theater in public spaces or contemporary circus with their headquarters and main focus of work in Germany.

€20,000 – €50,000

Until30.09.2021

Artistic work or production cycles from the independent performing arts for one to two production periods

Professional artists/groups from the independent performing arts in the field of off-touring theater based and working in Germany.

€8,000 – €25,000

until 30.09.2021

Artistic work or production cycles from the independent performing arts for one to two production periods.

Professional artists/groups from the independent performing arts in the field of figure and object theater based and working in Germany.

€10,000 – €35,000

until 30.09.2021

Artistic work or production cycles from the independent performing arts for one to two production periods.

Professional artists/groups from the independent performing arts in the field of children's and youth theater based and working in Germany.

€8,000 – €25.00

Until 30.09.2021

Artistic work or production cycles from the independent performing arts for one to two production periods

Artists/groups and projects working in the field of semi-professional independent performing arts, including open-air theaters, who have been collaborating with professional artists from this field for many years, with headquarters and main focus of work in Germany.

50.000 € – 100.000 €

until 30.09.2021

Projects for the optimization of process and operational procedures, which in particular integrate ecological, sustainable, and/or innovative elements into the operations and operational procedures.

Theaters and dance houses, performance and production venues, as well as festivals with nationwide appeal from the independent performing arts based in Germany.

40.000 € – 80.000 €

bis 30.09.2021

(Digital) cooperation projects that are realized nationwide and include at least one larger discussion or information event, a conference, further education, or an artistic exchange of nationwide relevance.

Festivals, production venues and cultural institutions, performance venues, non-profit associations, and societies from the independent performing arts based in Germany

20.000 € – 60.000 €

until 31.12.2021

Funding was provided for projects focused on the area of reorientation toward audiences: measures for cultural participation or audience development, creative strategies in communication and public relations work, as well as artistic projects for the development of new audience groups or to be able to reach audiences even in the face of the challenges caused by the pandemic.

Artists/groups, ensembles as well as festivals and production venues from the independent performing arts.

€5,000 | collectively up to 5 x €5,000

2 months each – depending on application deadline until February 28, 2021 | April 30, 2021 | June 30, 2021

Research to generate content and future concept development as well as activities aimed at stabilizing artistic activities.

Professional artists from the independent performing arts who have demonstrably worked in artistic positions in publicly funded projects of the independent performing arts or in transnational or international guest performances or productions of the independent performing arts in the last three years.

€5,000 | collectively up to 5 x €5,000

2 months each

Open-ended research, labs, or conceptual projects in connection with residencies of a venue belonging to the Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser or the flausen+bundesnetzwerk.

Professional artists/groups working in the independent performing arts whose artistic positions are connected to venues that are part of the flausen+bundesnetzwerk or the Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser.

5000€

Content-related explorative projects, such as research to generate content and future concept development, as well as all activities aimed at stabilizing artistic activities.

Applying artists must have worked artistically in a production supported by the Fonds within the last 10 years.

10.000 € - 25.000 €

until 30.09.2023

Artistic productions of the independent performing arts in rural areas and small towns (up to 20,000 inhabitants) that deal with global issues, among other things.

Professional artists/groups, ensembles, collectives and projects of all disciplines and genres of the independent performing arts from rural areas and small towns based and working in Germany.

8.000 - 20.000 €

Until 30.09.2021

Project durations – with or without subsequent performances – for the development of performing arts productions in rural areas.

Long-standing ensembles, artist groups and artistic institutions from rural areas or actors from small towns (up to 20,000 inhabitants) that have been active for many years.

5000€

Until 15.11.2020

Research for the generation of artistic content and future concept development as well as all activities aimed at stabilizing artistic activities, e.g., adjustments of plans and challenges in digital formats etc.

Long-standing artistic institutions, ensembles or artists/groups from rural areas or actors from villages and small towns with up to 20,000 inhabitants, with a special focus on rural areas.

10.000 - 25.000€

Until 15.12.2019

Lab projects lasting several days, focusing on the joint exchange of regional as well as international aspects between science, art, and society.

Long-standing artistic institutions, ensembles, or artists/groups from rural areas or actors from small towns (up to 20,000 inhabitants) with a special focus on rural areas.

possible in 3 categories:
(a) €2.000 – 5.000
(b) > €5.000 – 15.000
(c) > €15.000 – 25.000

01.09.2020

Projects from figure and object theater with a focus on digitalization

Professional artists/groups from the independent performing arts
performing arts based and working in Germany and with experience in the field of
experience in the field of puppet and object theater

€30,000 - €100,000

until 30.09.2021 | 31.03.2022

Projects in the various fields of the performing arts that deal with artificial intelligence.

Longstanding independently producing artists and ensembles from the performing arts that operate nationwide or across federal states and have dealt with the topic of AI in the years 2020-2022 in line with the call for proposals.