Open Call | National Lottery Artists’ International Development Fund (SIAP) from Arts Council of Northern Ireland

This programme is one of a number of Support for Individual Artists Programme schemes currently open for application.

You may apply to more than one scheme but you will only be awarded one grant in any funding round. If you choose to apply to more than one scheme:

• You must complete a separate application form for each scheme
• The projects within each application must be significantly different.
• If, in the view of the Arts Council, the projects are not significantly distinct, you will be contacted and asked to select which scheme and application you would like to proceed with.The Artists’ International Development Fund (AIDF) is an annual programme jointly funded by the British Council and Arts Council of Northern Ireland and is open to individual artists and organisations.
  Programme AimsThe programme will support early-stage international development opportunities for individual, freelance and self-employed artists and organisations based in Northern Ireland.It will afford recipients the opportunity to spend time building links with artists, organisations and/or creative producers in another country.The aim of the programme is to support individual international developmental opportunities for talent and artistic excellence from Northern Ireland and, thereby, enhance Northern Ireland’s international artistic development, reputation and standing.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants to the Artists’ International Development Fund are as follows:

• Although the Artists’ International Development Fund is aimed primarily at individual artists, arts organisations who wish to take small scale work abroad can apply as can small groups of artists who normally collaborate in their work.
• Artists of all disciplines and in all types of working practice including creative producers, curators and editors.
• Emerging artists: The Arts Council particularly welcomes applications from emerging artists – an emerging artist is someone who is in the early stage of their career as a professional artist. They are developing their artist ‘voice’ and are in the process of establishing a reputation and recognition among critics, galleries, producers etc, and will have practised as a professional artist for less than 5 years.
• Practicing artists who are also undergraduates, postgraduates and academic employed at 3rd level educational institutions are eligible to apply but – where their project proposal lies within the same artform area as their study or work – they must prove that the fund which they are seeking are for costs which are not properly the concern of their employer and/or are not related to their work or academic study. They must submit evidence of this in the form of a letter on headed paper from their Head of Department.
• In the case of post-graduate students, the letter must clearly state the title of the student’s PhD thesis and include a declaration by the Head of Department. This declaration must state “The project for which funds are being sought does not form part of any academic work undertaken in relation to the above-titled PhD nor will it be assessed as part of any academic course”.
• Applicants undertaking a Masters or a PhD must also include a separate statement which provides information on how the project applied for differs from their Masters or PhD work.

In addition, AIDF applicants must also

• have received recognition for their work in Northern Ireland;
• not have had extensive international experience;
• be applicants whose work will benefit from launching better international networks – either artistically or in terms of developing an audience for their work; and,
• be able to demonstrate an interest in their work from an overseas partner/host.

Eligible applicants must also

• Have made a contribution to artistic activities in Northern Ireland for a minimum period of 1 year within the last 5 years.
• Live in Northern Ireland
• Be at least 18yrs old and not in secondary education.

What you can apply for

• Art materials
• Costs of your own time in undertaking the proposed activity
• Residency costs, including travel costs (NB: if you are applying for a residency you must provide evidence of an invitation or support from the host organization.)
• Artistic or technical fees including those towards production or post-production costs associated with presentation or exhibition of work
• Venue hire e.g. rehearsal space
• Project-related travel costs, including mileage costs (@25.7p per mile) and air travel
• Technical equipment related to the project/proposal (equipment requests cannot comprise more than 50% of the value of your request)
• IT Equipment : A maximum contribution of £1,200 will be made towards laptops and pcs, and £500 towards tablet computers.

Further information regarding eligible costs is detailed in the relevant Guidance Notes.

Deadline for Applications

The deadline for applications is Thursday 14 August 2025 at 12noon.

For more information and to apply click here.