Baltic - North Sea Lighthouse Call

The TIDAL ArtS project is an initiative offering financial grants to artists, collectives, and creatives in the Baltic-North Sea Lighthouse regions. This program aims to inspire and engage communities in the EU Mission to "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030" through artistic endeavors. The submission window opens on April 14, 2025, and closes on June 14, 2025, at 23:00 Brussels time. This is a single-stage application process, with the expected participation duration extending until May 31, 2026. A total budget of €75,000 has been allocated, allowing for the distribution of five individual grants worth €15,000 each. Artists will create artworks that celebrate and connect communities to their local water bodies, showcasing the mission's themes and the four main ocean and water basins that serve as regional hubs for inspiration. Awarded artists will benefit from workshops that facilitate collaboration with scientists, civil society, educators, and other stakeholders. These workshops will cover the goals of the EU Mission and provide tools for co-creation and citizen engagement. Artists are expected to co-create meaningful artwork, exhibit their creations to the public, and document their work on social media. Furthermore, they will be encouraged to support the sustainability of their projects and will be integrated into the TIDAL ArtS Alumni Group to foster future networking and collaboration. To apply, interested candidates should visit the tidalarts.eu website and submit a project proposal, CV, and artistic portfolio. Applications will first be screened for eligibility, followed by an evaluation based on the project's relevance to the mission, artistic experience, project design quality, and potential impact on the community. Overall, this opportunity provides artists with the chance to contribute to vital ecological initiatives while leveraging their creative skills to foster community engagement and advocacy for ocean and water restoration efforts.

The TIDAL ArtS project is offering financial grants to artists, collectives, and creatives in the Baltic-North Sea Lighthouse regions. The goal is to inspire and engage people in the EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 through artistic creations.

Opening date is 14 April 2025. The deadline is 14 June 2025 at 23:00 (Brussels time). This is a single-stage submission model. The expected duration of participation is until May 31, 2026. The total funding available is €75,000.00. The project acronym is TIDAL ArtS. The full name of the EU funded project is TIDAL ArtS: TransformIng anD inspiring Aquatic Landscapes through Art and Sciences. The grant agreement number is 101157796. The topic is HORIZON-MISS - Ocean & water and arts: the contribution of creative sectors to Mission Ocean and waters.

Five grants of €15,000 each will be awarded. The artworks should connect communities to their local waters, celebrate that connection, reflect the Mission's themes, and highlight the four key ocean and water basins that serve as regional hubs for inspiration and action.

Awarded artists will receive support through workshops that bring them together with scientists, civil society, educators, and others. These workshops will introduce the Mission and relevant themes, and provide tools for co-creation and citizen engagement. Artists have until June 2026 to implement their projects and engage with the public.

To apply, applicants should visit tidalarts.eu and follow the instructions. They should read the call document in its entirety. The online application form requires the submission of three documents: a project proposal (template provided), a CV, and an artistic portfolio.

After submission, applications will undergo an eligibility check. Eligible applications will be evaluated by a committee based on the following criteria:

1. Relevance of the project to the Calls – 30%:Alignment with the Mission’s goals and the TIDAL ArtS Lighthouse Calls objectives, understanding of the target community, and reflection of the artist’s embeddedness within that community.

2. Artist's experience and profile – 25%:The artist's portfolio showcases relevant work, innovative and meaningful artistic contributions, and experience with participatory and co-creative processes.

3. Quality and circularity of the project design plan – 25%:Clear objectives, sustainable practices, cost-effective resource allocation, a solid work plan, and artistic quality while respecting and preserving cultural heritage.

4. Impact – 20%:Engagement of citizens and stakeholders through co-creative processes, inspiration and education of communities with innovative approaches, and a comprehensive plan to showcase and communicate about the artistic work.

Selected artists are expected to:

Collaborate with scientists and local communities to co-create artwork that addresses Mission goals.

Complete and exhibit the artwork at a venue they organize to engage the public.

Participate in online workshops offered by TIDAL ArtS in autumn 2025.

Document their work and engage via social media channels.

Support sustainability by repurposing the artwork or displaying it in multiple locations.

Remain part of the TIDAL ArtS Alumni Group for future networking and collaboration.

In summary, this opportunity provides funding for artists to create projects that promote the EU Mission to restore oceans and waters. It involves collaboration with scientists and communities, participation in workshops, and public engagement. The projects should be relevant to the Mission's goals, demonstrate artistic quality, and have a lasting impact. The selected artists will become part of a network for future collaborations.

Eligible Applicant Types:Artists, collectives, and creatives are eligible applicants.

Funding Type:Grant, specifically cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement:Single. While collaboration is encouraged, the grant is awarded to individual artists or collectives, not necessarily requiring a formal consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The Baltic - North Sea Lighthouse regions.

Target Sector:Culture, environment, specifically focusing on art related to ocean and water restoration.

Mentioned Countries:The Baltic and North Sea regions are mentioned, implying countries bordering these seas are relevant. Specific countries are not named, but the region is the focus.

Project Stage:Development and demonstration. The artists are expected to create and exhibit artwork, engaging the public.

Funding Amount:€15,000 per grant, with a total of 5 grants available (€75,000 total).

Application Type:Open call, as applicants can apply via tidalarts.eu.

Nature of Support:Money (financial grants) and non-monetary services (workshops, networking opportunities).

Application Stages:2. Eligibility check and evaluation by a committee.

Success Rates:The success rate can be estimated. With 5 grants awarded, the success rate depends on the number of applications received. Without that information, it is not possible to estimate the success rate.

Co-funding Requirement:Not explicitly mentioned, so it is likely not required.

Summary:

The TIDAL ArtS project is offering five grants of €15,000 each to artists, collectives, and creatives located in the Baltic - North Sea Lighthouse regions. The goal is to inspire and engage the public in the EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 through artistic creations. The selected artists will create artworks that connect communities to their local waters, celebrate this connection, reflect the Mission's themes, and highlight the four key ocean and water basins that serve as regional hubs for inspiration and action.

The application process involves submitting a project proposal, CV, and artistic portfolio via the tidalarts.eu website. After an eligibility check, an evaluation committee will assess the applications based on the project's relevance to the call, the artist's experience and profile, the quality and circularity of the project design, and the project's potential impact. The evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Relevance of the project to the Calls (30%), Artist's experience and profile (25%), Quality and circularity of the project design plan (25%), and Impact (20%).

In addition to the financial grant, the selected artists will receive support through workshops that bring them together with scientists, civil society representatives, and educators. These workshops will provide an introduction to the Mission, discuss themes affecting their bodies of water, and offer tools for co-creation and citizen engagement. The artists are expected to collaborate with scientists and local communities to co-create artwork, exhibit their work to engage the public, participate in online workshops, document their work on social media, and support the sustainability of their artwork beyond the project's timeframe. They will also become part of the TIDAL ArtS Alumni Group for future networking and collaboration. The opening date for submissions is April 14, 2025, and the deadline is June 14, 2025, at 23:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is until May 31, 2026. The project falls under the topic HORIZON-MISS - Ocean & water and arts: the contribution of creative sectors to Mission Ocean and waters.