Socially Engaged Art Support Grant FY2025
Application Guideline
Towards the Socially Engaged Art Support Grant
At this age of globalism, Japanese artists are actively working in broad areas both domestic and abroad, and increasing numbers of grants and awards that support such artists’ activities have developed over the recent years.
In such condition within the international art field, Socially Engaged Art, which aims to realize a better society through direct artist involvements with communities and societies, are attracting increasing attention among their approaches towards various controversies such as environmental issues, economic discrepancies, immigrant issues, and more others.
In Japan however, Socially Engaged Art is not yet well renowned, and no particular system could be found up until this point that support such activities. Taking into account of such condition, Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation will start a new grant system in which would be the first case to support Socially Engaged Art in Japan.
We hope this grant system would contribute in attaining a broader understanding of Socially Engaged Art along with its social meanings and possibilities, and intensify the activities and practices of artists who aim to realize a further better society towards the future.
We look forward to receiving your ambitious and innovative project applications.
Yoshihisa Kawamura
PURPOSE OF THE GRANT
SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART SUPPORT GRANT will support Socially Engaged Art projects that will take place in Japan and commit to the community and society; implement activities together with communities and residents; and aim to build and demonstrate models of a better society. This would further enhance in-depth relationships between art culture and the society and will contribute in cultivating higher cultural developments in Japan.
* Definition of “Socially Engaged Art”
Socially Engaged Art (SEA) is a generic term of artistic activities that aim a certain “change” amongst existing rules and systems through a proactive process of participation and communication with the society, on both daily and social levels.
GRANT OVERVIEW
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Grant amount and number of grantees:
JPY 1,000,000 to 2,000,000: 1 grantee
JPY 300,000 to 500,000: approximately 2 to 10 grantees
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Grant Period: From April 1st 2025 through March 31st 2026
● Grant amount will be based on project proposals. Grant amount may be reduced on occasions of changes occurring from the project proposal.
REQUIREMENTS (project content)
* Applications need to fulfill requirements below to be acknowledged legitimate:
- Projects applying strikingly new methods or ways of expression
- Socially Engaged Art projects that would be newly implemented in Japan
- Projects that would become a catalyst towards social changes
- Projects aiming to build and demonstrate models of a better society
- Projects with artists taking initiatives as its leader
- Dialogue based projects which focus on building continuous partner relationships with communities
- Projects which include a collaborative production process with participants
REQUIREMENTS (applicant)
* Applications made by individuals and organizations fulfilling below would be acknowledged legitimate:
- All age ranges, all nationalities
- Artists and Art organizations
■ PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE REJECTED:
- Projects based on production for an exhibition, a theatrical act, or an exhibition piece
- Projects with outcomes unrelated to local communities
- Projects that have been already shown in exhibitions (or would be shown)
- Projects based on artist-in-residence/studios (would be accepted in case the project fulfills everything listed in “ 3. REQUIREMENTS (project content),” and if the artist-in-residence/studio outcome would directly relate to the grant project)
SUBMISSION
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HOW TO APPLY
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Please download the APPLICATION GUIDELINE and APPLICATION FORM, fill in necessary fields, and upload all required documents including APPENDIX DOCUMENTS through our WEB application.
* Number of application towards our organization is limited to one per applicant per year.
* Applications with modified formats, and submissions sent by postal mail, e-mail, and facsimile would basically not be considered as legitimate applications.
* Late submissions due to network errors and / or computer crashes would not be taken into consideration to maintain equality. Please send submissions well in advance to avoid such conditions.
APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
The application period has ended. -
MATERIALS
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Please prepare all documents (I APPLICATION FORM and II APPENDIX DOCUMENTS ) listed below and upload through the WEB application before deadline. Applications should be thoroughly reviewed and considered before submission to avoid changes after submission.
I. APPLICATION FORM (in designated format only)
1. GRANT APPLICATION FORM
2. APPLICANT INFORMATION FORM (INDIVIDUALS/ORGANIZATIONS)
II. APPENDIX DOCUMENTS (no required format)
3. LIST OF EXPENSE BREAKDOWN
4. PROJECT OUTLINE (If there is more information than filled in the application form)
5. ATTACHMENT DOCUMENTS
(documents that will help the selection committee to overview your activities, e.g., movies, sound materials, flyers, catalogues, organization leaflets, and etc.)
* Please submit movies and sound materials only shorter than 5 minutes
* For publicized materials (e.g., catalogues, etc.), please scan the related area and complie into one pdf format
* Please refer to formats below upon submitting data:
movies (mov), sounds (mp3), documents (pdf)6. ORGANIZATION CONTRACT/GUIDELINES/MEMBER RULES (ORGANIZATIONS ONLY)
7. BUSINESS REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF LAST FISCAL YEAR (ORGANIZATIONS ONLY)
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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2-15-2 Soto Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0021 JAPAN
Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation Grant System Section
Tel: 03-5295-2120
E-mail：info@kacf.jp
APPLICATION PERIOD
APPLICATION START: August 1st, 2024 [Thu]
APPLICATIONDEADLINE: October 6th, 2024 [Sun] *18:00 Japan Time
* Please note confirmation inquiries of application receipt is unfeasible
SELECTION AND DECISION
The grant selection committee will examine all applications, and the chairperson will make the final decision.
All applicants will be contacted their results by email in December 2024. Please note this may be delayed due to number of applications and/or the reviewing process.
* Reasoning behind each result will not be disclosed
GRANT SCHEDULE
Grant presentation ceremony is planned to take place around March 2025 in Tokyo.
OBLIGATIONS OF GRANTEE
1. SUBMISSION OF PROJECT PLAN, PROJECT REPORT, AND FISCAL REPORT
a. Grantee must submit PROJECT PLAN prior to beginning the project.
b. Grantee must submit PROJECT REPORT and FISCAL REPORT in their designated formats within 2 months after completing the one-year grant support.
c. Grantee is obligated to disclose their report and achievements to the public.
2. SUBMISSION OF PROJECT ALTERNATION REPORT & RESUBMISSION OF PROJECT PLAN
Major change requested made to submitted PROJECT PLANS are basically not approved; but in case of unavoidable changes including new venues or periods occur please inform our foundation as soon as possible. We will ask you to resubmit the PROJECT PLAN and also to submit explanations of why the change needed to occur. Please note entire project could be cancelled, or grant amount could be recalculated, according to content of change.
3. PUBLICITY COOPERATION with Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation
: INDICATION OF GRANT NAME AND LOGO MARK
Grant Name and Logo Mark of Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation must appear on flyers, posters, program books and other publicized materials, as well as all announcements made on website related to the grant.
Please cooperate in public relations activities such as media coverage and public relations events related to the projects targeted for the subsidy and this support subsidy project.
4. SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION/REPORTS
Grantee must submit interim reports of the project. (We also may ask the interim report to be open to public.) Please note grant amount may be reduced from the second payment due to the content of the interim report.
5. SUBMISSION OF ARCHIVE IMAGES
Grantee is required to cooperate in submitting footage images related to the project.
* Name of project, name of applicant, outline of project, total amount of grant, and other related information would be shared on Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation website.
TREATMENT OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation will use personal information of the applicant/grantee only for the purpose of selecting and executing the grant project.
OTHER NOTES
- Our organization will not support the project in negotiation, research, introduction, staffing, or any other aspects towards the community and the project.
- Our organization will not support grantees in aspects of visas; visas are required to be prepared on behalf of grantees themselves.
- Please note decision of grant may be canceled or changed in cases where necessary visas were unable to arrange within required schedule for the project to take place. arrange within required schedule for the project to take place.