Travel grants East-Central and Southeast Europe 2026

General information

In contrast to the fixed artist residencies in Switzerland and abroad, the travel grants are awarded to cultural professionals whose main focus is on cultural exchange with countries and regions in East-Central and Southeast Europe.

 

Travel grants offer cultural professionals the opportunity to access new networks, conduct research for current or future projects, realise concrete plans, and develop or flesh out ideas for new projects. Grant recipients have the freedom to choose when, within one year at the most, they will travel, arranging the times in accordance with their professional and family responsibilities. The travel grants are designed to foster creative processes and to serve as an inspiration for exploring the regions in question.

The Landis & Gyr Foundation does not fund travels in countries of East-Central/Southeast Europe that are on the list of countries the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) explicitly advises against visiting. Please consult the FDFA’s general travel advice before applying.

Travel and research projects must be conducted with due care and consideration of ethical aspects and cultural differences. The exact areas and times of travel can be organised freely within one year.

Travel grants are also suitable for stays with children. To promote a healthy work-family balance, the Foundation offers parents the opportunity to apply for financial aid of up to CHF 1,000 per month to help cover the costs of childcare and/or travel expenses for children. If a family stipend is desired, this must be communicated already in the application documents and family expenses must be specified in the breakdown of costs. In such cases, applicants are advised to contact the Foundation before submitting their application. Grant recipients are responsible for organising childcare; the Landis & Gyr Foundation does not assume responsibility for organising childcare.

Who can apply

Applications are accepted from Swiss cultural professionals as well as from non-Swiss cultural professionals whose official residence is in Switzerland at the time of application. Applicants must have a proven professional track record in the arts, curatorial work or art/cultural promotion, and they must present a project that specifically relates to the geographical region of East-Central/Southeast Europe.

 

Individuals as well as artistic duos from the following disciplines are invited to apply:

• Literature/translation
• Composition
• Cultural criticism/curatorial work
• Theatre
• Dance
• Visual arts

The Foundation welcomes projects with a transdisciplinary approach. Travel grants are not designed to support cultural professionals at the start of their careers. There is no age restriction.

Past recipients of a Landis & Gyr grant (artist residencies, travel grants and artist grants) must wait at least three years before submitting a new application. The reference date is the date of the final report. Persons who have unsuccessfully applied for a fellowship three times must wait three years before applying again. The reference date is the date of the most recent submission.

Application documents

Applications are accepted in German, French, Italian and English. Each application must contain the following three documents (PDF format, max. 3 MB):

• Letter of motivation/reason for application
• Documentation/portfolio of artistic career and activities including a curriculum vita (Please also provide a list of any grants and awards received to date, as well as previous residencies; all links in the document must be set as hyperlinks)
• Project idea/description of planned activities and budget breakdown (costs related to project, living expenses on site, travel expenses)

Evaluation criteria

• Level of artistic proficiency: artistic record of achievement and potential

• Relevance and motivation: personal and artistic connection to the region as well as added value the travel grant has for future creative work

• Quality and development potential of the project

Application modalities and deadlines

Depending on the individual project and the planned activities, grant recipients receive the stipend as a single payment or in several instalments over the course of the grant year.

Each year, the Foundation generally awards several travel grants of CHF 5,000 to 10,000 (for shorter trips and stays) up to CHF 30,000 (for longer projects).

Applications must be submitted online via the Landis & Gyr Foundation’s application platform. Any physical documents sent will be neither considered nor returned.

The application period for the 2026 travel grants opens on 1 December 2024. Application deadline: Wednesday, 31 January 2025.

The jury – made up of the Landis & Gyr Foundation Board and independent experts in the individual disciplines – convenes in March 2025. The final decision will be communicated to successful applicants by the end of May 2025 at the latest. Applicants who are not shortlisted will be informed in writing by the beginning of April 2025 (information sent to the address given in the application).

Social insurance contributions

The Landis & Gyr Foundation takes an active part in ensuring the social security of cultural professionals; mandatory social insurance contributions are deducted for all artist residencies, travel grants and artist grants of CHF 10,000 or more. The grant money is disbursed only after the grant recipient has provided the Foundation with the necessary bank account information. More information.

 

Contact in case of queries

Applicants are advised to contact the office of the Landis & Gyr Foundation before submitting an application.

Contact for queries about the travel grants: Anna Wälli, anna.waelli@lg-stiftung.ch, 041 725 23 58 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)