Fellowship
“It is not about art, also not about pure technique. It is about life, and therefore it is about finding a language for life.“
— Pina Bausch
Finding a language for life – the Arts Foundation of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Pina Bausch Foundation have been following up on Pina Bausch’s credo since 2016 with a co-developed grant programme and award the Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance and Choreography.
FELLOWSHIP 2025
Dream, connect, broaden your horizons!
In 2025, the Pina Bausch Fellowship supports a wide range of cooperation formats: the fellowships can be realised on site with the cooperating partners, but can also take place virtually or in hybrid form.
Interested artists can apply with a cooperation format from January 15 until March 15, 2025. Applications should be based on realistic evaluations of their implementation. Applicants apply with a self-selected cooperating partner whose artistic work they are interested in or with whom they would like to work. The fellowship aims at enabling further artistic and personal development of the applicants.
THE SPONSORSHIP IS MEANT FOR
In 2025, a variety of cooperation formats will be supported, taking place on-site, virtually or in hybrid form. Through the various possibilities, the fellowship adapts to the individual situation of the artists and offers them the freedom to further develop their unique artistic style through mentoring, exchange and new experiences.
A cooperating partner can be a notable person or institution from the field of dance and choreography. Rather than the cooperating partner’s famousness, the applicant's eagerness to work with them and their willingness to support the applicant's further development are of importance.
The various formats allow grant holders to gain new experiences and enable them to gather new influences for their artistic work. The cooperation format is planned and realized jointly with the cooperating partner. The design of the individual fellowship format is left to the creativity of the applicants and their cooperating partners. Each applicant has to contact their cooperating partner and confirm their cooperation for the respective period through a letter of intent.
Overview of previous cooperating partners.
Download Information for
Cooperating partners
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Pina Bausch Fellowship is not a project fund, nor is it aimed at the development of new pieces.
The 2025 fellowships must take place between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Artists can apply for a full-time fellowship (21 hours or more per week) or a part-time format (20 hours or less per week) in 2025. The monthly allowance is 2,500 € for a full-time fellowship or 1,000 € for part-time fellowships. Each fellowship format is designed entirely by the applicants and their cooperating partners. The duration depends on the individually designed format, but should not be less than three months.
The participants themselves must calculate travel costs and state in advance within the application form. These travel expenses should cover travel to and from the fellowship location, and one visit to the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia for the final week.
In 2025, there will be a digital on-boarding for the new fellows in the second half of August. The total funding amount for all fellowships awarded in 2025 is 30,000 € and will be divided among the successful applicants. Travel expenses will be paid in addition to the monthly grant.
The fellowship is promoted internationally and aims at individual artists in the field of dance and choreography.
PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS
Who can apply
All artists from the field of dance and choreography with at least 2 years of professional experience and/or with a formal degree - all dance forms are welcome!
There are no age restrictions.
Artists, who meet the personal requirements can apply.