Artist Protection Fund

The Artist Protection Fund draws upon the unwavering commitment that the Institute has demonstrated for nearly 100 years to preserve the lives, voices, and ideas of scholars around the globe. In 2002, IIE created the Scholar Rescue Fund to formalize this commitment, and has provided fellowships to enable over 625 scholars from 54 countries to escape from harm and continue practicing their scholarship in freedom and safety.

With funding from the Mellon Foundation and with the participation of many arts organizations from around the world, IIE developed the Artist Protection Fund to fill a critical unmet need to provide relief and safe haven to artists on a large scale and for extended periods. While current emergency arts efforts in the United States and Europe advocate for artists and provide short-term assistance to get them out of immediate danger, a larger effort is needed to enable threatened artists to continue their work until conditions permit a safe return or re-settlement in a more hospitable environment.

Eligibility Criteria

Artists from any country and artistic discipline may qualify. Applications are reviewed for artistic merit, the quality/potential of the applicant's work, and the severity of the threats that the applicant faces. Preference is given to artists who:

• are facing or have recently fled from immediate, severe, and targeted threats to their lives and/or artistic practice in their home countries or countries of residence;
• demonstrate accomplishment and promise in their artistic practice;
• will benefit their home and/or host communities.

We encourage applications from women and members of ethnic, racial, cultural, or religious minority groups, or those otherwise underrepresented in their fields.

Please note that APF does not grant fellowships to students seeking to continue their academic studies. In addition, APF gives priority to individuals still living in their home country or who have recently fled. APF typically does not consider applications from individuals who have been displaced or in exile for more than two years, or who hold citizenship or other permanent status in a second country.

Please direct any questions to APF@iie.org.