Artist Funding in Taiwan

18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles is a partner in Taiwan’s Arts Residency Network, regularly hosting Taiwanese and other international artists and curators. Its Visiting Artist Residency Program offers 1–3 month stays (sometimes longer) with studio space and institutional support, and artists are encouraged to secure funding through cultural ministries and other programs, including Taiwanese public funds for mobility. The residency primarily supports visual artists but is also open to performing artists, writers, curators, musicians, and filmmakers, with funding packages tailored case by case.

Through its international mobility and residency platforms, the Ministry of Culture co-funds programs that send Taiwanese visual artists abroad and host foreign artists in Taiwan, often in partnership with international institutions. Support typically covers travel, per diems, studio or residency fees, and production costs for exhibitions or projects developed during the stay, with grant caps frequently around NT$500,000–NT$1,000,000 or defined per partnership. Many schemes require the artist to be Taiwanese or Taiwan-based, but a number of incoming programs explicitly welcome international artists via open calls or partner-nominated residencies.

The Ministry of Culture is the central public agency for cultural policy and funds multiple grant schemes for visual, performing, cross-disciplinary, and technology-based arts. Its programs include grants for visual arts, performing arts, cross-disciplinary arts integrated with technology, and technology arts creations, as well as mobility schemes that support Taiwanese artists going abroad and foreign artists engaging with Taiwan. Typical support covers travel, residencies, production costs, and international exchange, with project ceilings often reaching NT$500,000–NT$1,000,000 or more depending on the program.

Within NCAF’s Regular Grants, the Visual Arts Grants category specifically supports creation, curation, exhibitions, publications, research, and international exchange projects in visual arts. Eligible applicants include individual artists, curators, collectives, and private institutions engaged in visual art, with priority given to forward-thinking projects and international collaborations; funded budgets often range from modest project support to substantial six-figure NT$ amounts, depending on scope. Foreigners with permanent residency and Taiwan-based organizations working with international artists can apply.

NCAF is Taiwan’s primary national arts foundation, offering Regular Grants and Project Grants across disciplines including visual arts, literature, performing arts, audiovisual media, and arts environment and development. Regular Grants support individual artists, art groups, and private institutions (excluding government bodies, schools, and political parties), typically covering project production, research, exhibitions, and international cultural exchange; amounts often range from mid- to high six figures in New Taiwan dollars, and project grants can go higher for strategically important initiatives. Foreigners with an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate can apply directly, and international collaboration and forward-thinking projects are explicitly encouraged.

While not a funding body itself, the On the Move mobility guide for Taiwan compiles national, regional, and international funding opportunities supporting the mobility of Taiwanese and Taiwan-based artists, as well as incoming schemes for foreign artists. It lists programs run by the Ministry of Culture, National Culture and Arts Foundation, international partners, and other foundations, with details on grant sizes, eligible costs (such as airfare, shipping, insurance, and venue rental), and whether funding is outgoing, incoming, or both. Visual artists can use this guide to identify precise schemes offering up to NT$1,000,000 per project or co-funding for residencies and exchanges.

Sunpride Foundation, while privately funded, is a significant arts supporter connected to Taiwan through exhibitions and initiatives such as the Gay Games Diversity Arts Festival listed in Taiwan’s mobility guide. It focuses on LGBTQ+ visual art and culture, supporting exhibitions, commissions, and related events, often in collaboration with museums and festivals in Asia including Taiwan. Support is usually in the form of production and exhibition funding rather than open individual grants, and international artists working with queer themes are often eligible via partner institutions.

The Tainan City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs distributes municipal funds to artists and arts-related organizations in Tainan, with a focus on strengthening local culture and creative industries. While its programs are less internationally visible than Taipei’s, they typically support project-based visual arts, public art, community arts, and cultural events that take place in or relate to Tainan, with grants helping cover production, exhibition, and program expenses. Eligibility generally targets individuals and organizations registered in Tainan or with strong local relevance.

The Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs administers subsidies for arts and culture projects funded by the Taipei City Government, granting more than 600 arts proposals annually. It supports individual artists and legally registered organizations with permanent residence or registration in Taipei, focusing on professional arts (including visual arts, design, and media art), community culture, and projects related to disadvantaged and minority groups; projects must be thematically linked to or primarily located in Taipei. Grants typically cover creation, exhibitions, publishing, seminars, field studies, training, and related expenses, usually within small to mid-range NT$ budgets per project.

TASA is a network of independent art spaces and organizations in Taiwan that, together with the Ministry of Culture, has helped map and channel funding for the international mobility of Taiwanese artists and cultural professionals. While TASA itself is more of a coordination platform than a direct grant-maker, many member spaces (such as residencies and project spaces) offer artist-in-residence opportunities and project support that are underpinned by public and foundation funding. These opportunities often provide studio space, exhibition platforms, and modest production or travel support for both local and, in some cases, international visual artists.