PRODUCTION AND EXHIBITIONS

Grants for the production, dissemination, and exhibition of contemporary art in Denmark, as well as for exhibiting Danish contemporary art abroad.
Note:

Upcoming deadlines: 2pm on 24 October 2024, 18 March 2025, 23 October 2025.

The pool is open for submitting applications one month before the deadline.

To apply you first need to order a login for the Grant Portal.

IMPORTANT: Grant Portal registration name and address = Bank account name and address = Name and address to be stated in the required Word-template for international bank wire transfers. We can only transfer money to bank accounts registered in the exact same name/address as applicant’s. It is essential for any payout that these three names are identical.

Order login for the Grant Portal here: slks.dk/english/ - when registering, make sure to use the name and address associated with the bank account to which a potential grant should be wired.

The pool is open for submitting applications one month before the deadline. Note that there may be changes in the pool up to this time. We recommend that you prepare the mandatory annexes that must be attached to the application form well in advance. See under "What must the application contain".

Deadline

  • 18.03.2025, 2:00 PM

New Grant portal

You may apply to this fund through our Grant portal using a portal login.

Who may apply?

- Non-Danish artists are eligible to apply if they intend to create a visual work of art for exhibition in Denmark.
- Non-Danish venues may apply if they plan to exhibit the works of contemporary Danish visual artists outside Denmark.

Find out more about how to apply if your project combines different art forms.

You cannot receive funding for:

  • Permanent works in public space. This area lies under the Committee for Visual Arts Grants. 
  • Studio rental
  • Per diem allowance
  • Invitations, meals, etc. in connection with exhibition previews
  • Travel and accommodation for assistants (generally not covered)
  • Travel and accommodation in connection with exhibitions in galleries where the artist has a permanent affiliation
  • Local transport
  • Projects that the committee has previously processed (reapplications)
  • Exhibitions that opened before the application deadline
  • Expenses from previous calendar years. Only expenses from either the current or the next calendar year can be entered in the requested budget
  • Gallery exhibitions: Artists may apply for grants for the production of works. Other expenses for the exhibition are only covered if the committee assesses them as a special investment by the gallery

Purpose of the program

The purpose of Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Visual Arts Project Funding is to promote Danish and foreign contemporary art in Denmark, as well as Danish contemporary art abroad.

You can apply for funding in the following areas:

PRODUCTION OF NEW WORKS
If you are a Non-Danish artist, you may apply for grants to produce new works for exhibitions in Denmark. Please note that only artists are eligible as applicants for production grants.
Typical expenses covered include materials, production fees for artists, payments to others, and travel and accommodation related to production.

PRESENTATION
Presentation and dissemination projects solely focusing on a Non-Danish artist intended for a Non-Danish audience are not funded.
Grants are however available for dissemination of Danish contemporary art to a Non-Danish audience in printed or digital form. Grants are also available for dissemination of Non-Danish contemporary art to a Danish audience in printed or digital form. The presentation must meet an audience, either through a distributing publisher, or an exhibition open to the puclic. It is not sufficient to have an agreement with a printing company. Art books, catalogues, and publications are funded only when especially relevant for the artist or the project.

EXHIBITIONS IN DENMARK OR ABROAD
Exhibitions solely focusing on a Non-Danish artist intended for a Non-Danish audience are not funded.
Grants are however available for exhibitions featuring Danish and international contemporary artists in Denmark, as well as grants for exhibitions and fairs with Danish contemporary artists abroad.
Typical expenses covered include exhibition fees, technical equipment rental, installation, insurance for works, transport of works, and travel, hotel, or other expenses related to an exhibition but not directly tied to the production of the works.

EXHIBITION FEES
The committee encourages exhibition venues to pay fees to artists in connection with their work on an exhibition. Venues may apply for funding for exhibition fees, covering the artist’s activities related to an exhibition that cannot be directly linked to the production of works. This includes participation in meetings, setting up and dismantling an exhibition, and involvement in PR and presentation.

How your application will be evaluated?

Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Visual Arts Project Funding processes applications based on the following criteria for the project applied for:
•    The proposed project should promote contemporary art in Denmark and/or Danish contemporary art abroad
•    The proposed project must demonstrate high artistic quality and show a high level of artistic professionalism
•    The proposed project is part of a context with a high level of artistic professionalism
•    Awareness is shown regarding the project's communication and interaction with the audience
•    The proposed project is accessible to the public
•    The proposed project contributes to local or international networking
•    The proposed project is innovative

Artistic quality and professional artistic level
When evaluating the artistic quality and artistic professionalism of a project, the committee emphasizes that applicants can succinctly, concretely, and precisely describe the project seeking support, both in text and images.

The committee's assessment is based on the following three criteria:

  1. Professional coherent whole
    Does the idea and form express coherence?
    The committee prioritises applications that demonstrate competent and thoroughly thought through use of artistic effects, including media, materials, techniques and conceptual content. We find that it is important that the project's content and expression are consistent in the given context.
     
  2. Necessity
    What will the project communicate? 
    Art is for all of us, but is valuable and relevant for each individual in different ways. The committee wants to promote aesthetic understanding and conversation about art, in all its variety and diversity. Here, we emphasise the applicant's reflection and consciousness regarding the role of art and its importance seen in the light of historical, societal, ethical and environmental considerations.
     
  3. New perspectives
    Does the project challenge our common reality, and does it evoke new realisations?
    Here, the committee assesses whether the applications present a will and courage to develop artistic expressions and challenge genre-specific conventions in a thought-provoking and experimental manner.

Partial grants
The commitee reserves the right to fulfill the application with a smaller amount than requested, based on an assessment of the application in relation to the overall pool of applications, the allocated funds, and the desire to ensure diversity and a distribution of art support.
If you receive a smaller amount than applied for, details on whether you need to submit additional information before the grant can be disbursed will be outlined in your approval letter. If you have applied for a grant from Danish Arts Foundation within the last three years, this information will be considered in the processing of your current application. 

Sustainability
Danish Arts Foundation encourages applicants to incorporate green sustainability into their work. 

What must the application contain

You submit your application through the Grant Portal, which you can find on this page. Once you have created your profile on the Grant Portal, you can log in at any time to check if you have all the necessary attachments and information before submitting your application.
We recommend using the Chrome or Firefox browser when filling out your application.
All communication regarding your application will then take place in via the Grant portal.

YOU MUST ATTACH THE FOLLOWING:

  • 1: PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BUDGET
    You must complete the project description and budget in the mandatory template: Download the template for project description and budget here.

    If your application concerns an exhibition outside institutional frameworks, you should particularly explain how you intend to reach an audience.

    In the template, you should also briefly describe the goal of the project for which you are seeking funding. This could involve the production of new works to be exhibited in Denmark, digital or printed dissemination of contemporary art, or the establishment of exhibitions with Danish artists abroad, for example. If you need to report on a granted subsidy, we will assess whether you have achieved the goals outlined in your application.

    Activities and expenses related to the same project should be consolidated in a single application. If you are seeking funding for the same project from other committees within Danish Arts Foundation you mustindicate this in your application.

  • Guide for filling in budget: 
    • You must enter all amounts in Danish kroner
    • State only the amounts you are applying for from the Danish Arts Foundation in this current application.
    • It is important that you specify how your total expenses are financed.
    • If you are VAT registered, indicate amounts applied for, including VAT. Exclude the VAT you can have refunded from the Danish Tax Agency.
    • We acknowledge that due to you listing both support obtained elsewhere and the amount applied for from the Danish Arts Foundation, the project may appear overfunded.
    • The Committee welcomes co-financing
  • 2: RESUME

    You must provide the 10 most important points from your CV in the designated CV template. Complete one template per person (e.g., artists, curators, presentation holders, authors). For group exhibitions, the exhibition organizer must attach a list of artists who are seperately applying for production funding. If more than 10 artists participate, attach a list with a shortened CV for each artist, not exceeding 10 pages in total
    Get the CV template here

  • 3: AGREEMENT AND CONTRIBUTION
    How does the exhibition venue or, for example, the publishing house contribute to holding the exhibition/making the publication, and what working conditions are offered to the artist? Information about this must be completed in the mandatory template below by the exhibition venue/publisher etc. or by the artist, if they has the required information. The attachment must be attached regardless of whether it is the exhibition venue, artist or other applicant.
    Download the template here: The exhibition venue's contribution.

  • 4: IMAGES

    There must be a minimum of five images in total, corresponding to a maximum of 5 A4 pages. You can also attach up to 2 video or audio files in MP3 or MP4 format that relates to the project. The clips must each have a maximum duration of one minute. The images/audio files should document the practice of the exhibited artist(s).

    For new works: Include at least one sketch of the work or installation/situation for which funding is sought. Hand-drawn sketches are acceptable; there are no format requirements.

  • 5: BANK INFORMATION
    A completed bank information form. Find the mandatory template form in the "HOW MUCH YOU MAY APPLY FOR?" section. 

 PLEASE, BE AWARE:

  • The attached appendices must not exceed a total of 25 MB.

  • The attached material may only be submitted in the following formats: PDF, Word, MP3, and MP4. ZIP files are not accepted.

  • Before the deadline expires, you have the opportunity to edit a previously submitted application and submit a new version for the same case.

  • After the deadline expires, you may not edit your application.

  • The committee processes the last application that you have submitted to us.

  • Your application must include all mandatory appendices to be processed by the committee. Additional material beyond what is specified in the application guidelines will not be considered in the assessment of your application.

  • You are personally responsible for completing the application form accurately and ensuring that all required appendices are attached.

  • Appendices received after the deadline will not be considered in your application.

  • As a rule, you may not transfer your application – and any approval – to another legal entity or business. Therefore, it is important to clarify the applicant's identity before submission.

How much you may apply for?

There is no specified limit on the amount you may apply for. The committee evaluates each individual application and decides based on the merits of the specific project. However, to provide context, the grant sizes from previous years can offer insights into the financial framework of the program.

You can see previously awarded grants on our website (in Danish).

Payment

When

You will receive a response to your application no later than ten weeks after the application deadline. A notification email will be sent to you when the decision is available on your profile in the Grant Portal.
During the ten week period, the committee will review and process all submitted applications. Once all applicants have received the committee’s decision, we will publish all awarded grants on our website (in Danish).
The names of all applicants will be disclosed in the committees' minutes on our website (in Danish).

When you have submitted your application

  • You will not receive an email receipt confirming the submission of your application.
  • Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a screen receipt that you can download if you wish. However, you can always view your application and its status in the Grant Portal under "My Applications."
  • In the Grant Portal, on your case page, you can also review the appendices attached to the application. It is your responsibility to ensure that all necessary documents have been attached and sent, so remember to carefully review your application.
  • You have the ability to edit a submitted application as long as it is before the deadline. If you choose to edit a submitted application, ensure that all necessary documents are included. The committee will only consider the most recently submitted application.
  • If you need to contact a case officer in the secretariat, you can do so by writing via the contact form on your case in the Grant Portal.

Commitment

When the Danish Arts Foundation awards grants, it is important, and not least legally required, that the money is used for the purpose you have described in your application. Therefore, you must report on your project to the Agency for Culture and Palaces. How you must report depends on the grant amount you have received. Read more about how to report on your project.

Who will evaluate your application?

The Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Visual Arts Project Funding processes the applications and makes the final decision concerning the distribution of the committee’s funds.