Artist Funding in Tunisia

Al Mawred Al Thaqafy is a regional nonprofit that supports artistic creativity and cultural exchange in the Arab region, including Tunisia, and has run programs that bring together government and civil society around arts for social change. Its programs often combine training with small grants for cultural projects, with selected proposals receiving up to around 10,000 USD to implement local initiatives such as workshops, performances, and visual arts interventions. Tunisian artists can usually apply directly or in partnership with local organizations, particularly when projects emphasize community engagement and cultural rights.

AFAC’s Visual Arts program supports the production and exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, installations, video and sound art, art publications, and multimedia works from artists in Arab countries, including Tunisia. Individual artists and teams can receive up to 20,000 USD, while collectives and institutions can receive up to 35,000 USD, covering research, development, production, and exhibition costs, including materials, rentals, and professional fees. The program is open to both individuals and organizations, and travel linked to project implementation can be covered as part of the grant.

Archivart, highlighted in the Grants for Growth in Tunisia initiative, is an example of emerging platforms that support African and Middle Eastern artists in earning income from their work, connecting them to markets, buyers, and sometimes small-scale support schemes rather than traditional grants. While not a classic grant-giving body, such initiatives can provide practical support, visibility, and revenue opportunities for visual artists based in or working with Tunisia. They often focus on professionalization, digital tools, and market access for artists.

The British Council in Tunisia supports arts and culture through partnerships, co-productions, and occasional grant schemes, often within larger EU or bilateral cultural projects like Tfanen. Visual artists benefit through calls for collaborative projects, workshops, exhibitions, and capacity-building initiatives that link Tunisian artists and organizations with UK and regional partners, with budgets that can cover production costs, training, and limited mobility. Calls are usually thematic and time-limited, announced via the British Council’s website and social channels.

Creatives Unite’s "So You Need Money!" tool is an EU-backed information platform that maps regional, national, and project-based calls and finance providers for the cultural and creative sectors, including opportunities relevant to Tunisia. It does not issue grants itself but aggregates funding opportunities from public institutions, foundations, and EU programs that may support visual arts projects in or about Tunisia. Artists can use it to discover current calls related to production, mobility, and residencies across Europe and neighboring regions.

The Kamel Lazaar Foundation is a private foundation based in Tunisia and Switzerland that supports contemporary art in the Arab world and the Mediterranean, including through its Culture Solidaire programme and calls for projects linked to the B7L9 Art Station in Tunis. It funds artists from all disciplines, as well as researchers, curators, and writers, for projects related to Tunisia, offering endowments of roughly 3,000–10,000 USD for artistic projects and 1,000–5,000 USD for research and curatorial work, to be developed over 6–18 months. Projects may include exhibitions, performances, publications, or research, often culminating in public presentations in Tunisia.

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs is Tunisia’s main public cultural authority, funding museums, heritage, festivals, cultural centers, and occasional project grants to artists and associations. Visual artists typically access support indirectly via state-run exhibitions, commissions, and subsidies to cultural associations or festivals that then hire or commission artists. Support levels vary, but can cover production costs, exhibition expenses, and artist fees for projects that align with national cultural policy and public programs.

PACT is an EU–Tunisia cooperation framework that has hosted several multi-year cultural funding schemes aimed at strengthening the Tunisian cultural sector, including support for visual arts, cultural infrastructure, and capacity-building. It typically channels funds through specific projects and calls, such as Tfanen, rather than direct open-ended grants, with project budgets ranging from small-scale community initiatives to larger regional cultural programs. Visual artists generally benefit by applying through these partner schemes or by collaborating with Tunisian NGOs and art spaces funded under PACT.

Tfanen – Tunisie Créative is a bilateral EU-funded project implemented by the British Council and EUNIC in partnership with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, with a budget of 9.7 million EUR dedicated to strengthening the Tunisian cultural sector. Since 2016 it has subsidised 88 projects that enhance local cultural engagement, young artists’ creativity, festivals’ sustainability and heritage preservation, often covering production, audience development, and capacity-building components. Grants have generally targeted Tunisian cultural actors—artists, collectives, and organizations—through competitive calls, providing both financial and technical support for visual arts and interdisciplinary cultural projects.

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tunis periodically offers grants and open calls that support educational, artistic, and cultural programs, including visual arts projects that promote cross-cultural dialogue, youth engagement, or skills-building. Funding is typically project-based and can cover workshops, exhibitions, and collaborative art programs, with awards ranging from small seed grants to larger initiatives depending on the call. Tunisian NGOs, cultural organizations, and sometimes individual artists or curators working with a host institution are eligible to apply.