AFAC: Visual Arts Grant Program

The AFAC Visual Arts Grant Program provides financial support for the production and exhibition of various visual art forms, including painting, sculpture, photography, and multimedia works. Grants can reach up to USD 20,000 for individuals and teams, and USD 35,000 for collectives. Applicants are encouraged to diversify funding sources and must raise 70% of the remaining budget if the AFAC grant does not cover the full project cost. Open calls are held annually for applicants from Arab countries.

Since its launch, AFAC’s programs have steadily expanded to cover cinema, photography, visual and performing arts, creative and critical writings, music, documentary film, in addition to funding research, trainings and cultural events.
AFAC’s Visual Arts grant supports the production and exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, installations, video and sound art, art publications, and multimedia works.
The Visual Arts grant program provides annual grants of up to USD 20,000 for individuals and teams, and up to USD 35,000 for collectives and institutions.
When the grant from AFAC exceeds ten thousand dollars yet only covers a portion of the project’s overall budget, the grantee is obliged to raise 70% of the remaining budget in order to be awarded the grant. In the event that the grantee is unable to procure 70% of the remaining project budget within 90 days of receiving the grant, the latter will be canceled.
What Does The Grant Cover
AFAC grants are intended for project production, including research and development phases. They may cover project-related expenses, including but not limited to materials, space or equipment rentals, and fees for artistic and technical labor and collaboration.
An artist or institutional fee of not more than 30% of the total grant amount is also an allowable expense. If you are hesitant about how this works, you can always contact us with questions before submitting your final budget.
Given the high demand for production support, AFAC cannot guarantee that all selected grantees will receive their requested amounts in full. We encourage applicants to diversify their sources of funding whenever possible.
AFAC does not offer mobility grants, but travel expenses that are part of a project’s implementation and/or research may be covered by the grant.
For projects that have already started, we cover only expenses occurring after the agreement's signature date.
AFAC launches two open calls every year for its different grant programs. The first is open to applications for Creative and Critical Writings, Documentary Film, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts grants. The second call is open to applications for Cinema, Music, Documentary Photography and Training & Regional Events grants. Each applicant (individual or institution) can only submit one application during each open call.

Eligibility

Who Can ApplyAFAC welcomes proposals from individuals from Arab countries (22 member states of the Arab League), regardless of their place of residence, citizenship, or ethnic and national identification.AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional, and international institutions and organizations whose projects are related to arts and culture from the Arab region. These include artistic and cultural institutions, galleries, venues, and both nonprofit and for-profit entities.

Ineligibility

Ineligible candidatesTo avoid any conflict of interest or favoritism, members of the AFAC board of trustees and AFAC staff members, their business partners, or family members are not eligible to apply.Likewise, members of the current year’s reader and juror committees cannot apply for the categories they are evaluating.Recipients of grants in two consecutive years will not be eligible to apply for the next two consecutive years. For example, if you received a grant in 2021 and another one in 2022, you will only be eligible to apply in 2025.Applicants with a current open grant are also ineligible to apply.AFAC will not provide support retroactively to projects that have already been completed.