03/09/2025
The European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) is back with its fourth call, running from 1 September to 3 November 2025. The fund will support around 50 residencies in 2026, giving at least 50 emerging artists the chance to work closely with 150 festivals across Europe and beyond.
An initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA), EFFEA empowers festivals to collaborate across borders and join forces in supporting artists at the stage of expanding their international careers.
What is an EFFEA Residency?
An EFFEA Residency is an artist-in-residence programme designed to give emerging artists time, space, and support to develop new ideas or advance existing projects. Each residency is carried out by a partnership of at least three festivals from different countries: one leading festival and two partners.
Emerging artists are not defined by age but rather by their novelty to programmers and audiences and their potential for international breakthrough. Artists can be individuals or groups working across various artistic disciplines.
Two Residency Categories
1. EFFEA Discovery: Festivals support artists at the early stages of their careers with a strong potential to break through internationally. Approximately 40 grants of €8,000 will be awarded.
2. EFFEA Springboard: Festivals support artists established in their own countries and ready to expand internationally. Approximately 10 grants of €15,000 will be awarded.
APPLY NOW
EFFEA Sessions
During the open call, the European Festivals Association team is hosting a series of EFFEA Sessions: info, Q&A, and networking moments designed to help you find clarity on the application process, answer your questions and meet other festivals who might become your partners. Always on Tuesdays, always at 11.00 CEST.
Save the dates:
9 September 2025 - Register here
30 September 2025 - Register here
7 October 2025 - Register here
21 October 2025 - Register here
Don’t miss these opportunities to get inspired, get informed, and get connected.
For more information
EFFEA website
EFFEA Facebok Page
EFFEA Facebook Community
Send us an email: [email protected]
EFFEA is an initiative of the European Festivals Association, co-funded by the European Union, implemented in partnership with the EFFEA Platform Members: Croatian Composers Society (Croatia), Culture Matters (Czechia), PLMF Arts Management (Estonia), France Festivals (France), Festival Friends (Germany), Stichting Caucasus Foundation (Georgia), Summa Artium Kultúra Támogató Nonprofit Kft. (Hungary), Association of Irish Festival Events (Ireland), ItaliaFestival (Italy), ARC Research and Consultancy Ltd. (Malta), Asociația Centrul Cultural Clujean (Romania), ArtLink (Serbia), Sweden Festivals (Sweden), Development Centre "Democracy through Culture" (Ukraine). Associated Partners: Culture Action Europe, European Music Council, Pearle* Live Performance Europe, Circostrada, IETM, On the Move, European Dance Development Network, Művészetek Völgye Nonprofit Kft.
