Shared Knowledge:Survival
Guidefor Emerging
Audiovisual
Media Artists
Peter Zorn

EMAP manager and Chairman of Werkleitz Center for Media
Art, Halle (Saale), Germany, werkleitz.de & emare.eu

Introduction
An artist working with reproducible media faces particular challenges,
as markets have not yet developed as compared to those for more
traditional artworks (e.g. painting, sculpture), which are consideredunique. The coming years will reveal the extent to which the recently
emerging NFT market will become a game changer. There are separate
Shared Know ledge Transferrables on this subject on our website
emare.eu/shared-knowledge.
More and more artists, however, are working primarily with audiovisualmedia.

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

In addition to art funding and the art market, there is also a funding
landscape for film and other media carriers that follows a logic different
from that of the art world and has been largely economically oriented
since the 1990s.

2With the increasing number of processes that have changed themedia landscape in recent years, especially through digitisationand the growing use of audiovisual artworks in museums, film andmedia, funding is also opening up more and more mainly to artisticallyintended productions – if they can prove marketability. Above all, thisincludes the numerous international film festivals, where artisticallyambitious productions are notably celebrated.
The overview presented here from the years 2020-22 attempts tolist all forms of financing audiovisual artworks and artists’ survival
strategies that I have encountered in my 30-year career as a filmand cultural producer, without claiming to be exhaustive. The art andmedia world is in a constant state of flux, so many website links may
soon become obsolete. Adequate searches for funding instruments atregional, national and international levels should remedy these gaps
rather quickly.
At the same time, I would also be grateful for any tips on new, creative
ways people have found to produce art.
Peter Zorn
1st October 2022
In the section “Shared Know ledge” EMAP publishes results frominternal conferences and workshops to share them with othercultural organisations and artists. The aim is to exchange and gain
know ledge within the sector of media art.
Do you want to share know ledge?
Contact us: pr@emare.eu

General survival strategies

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

All images:
Robertas Narkus –Prospect Revenge(2018, Videostills)

3•

cost- reduced living•

rich relatives (parents, spouse, etc.) or patrons•social welfare•

looking for a solid, lucrative basic job
which gives you enough time for your work•

trained and open to working in related professions
as an organiser or teacher or in any design services

General advice•

Always research the profile of a funding body, festival, gallery, etc.
BEFORE you submit an application. This saves time and sometimes
even money for both sides!

•If possible call them before applying to make surethat you fit in their profile and go through the questions.

•Prepare a set of basic application material that you usually need.
You may even have it on your website (downloadable pdfs, etc.)•An updated CV in your language and in English, including youreducation, participation in festivals and exhibitions, prizes, etc.

•Examples of your best works wit h a short description, video andimages (if on-line)•Make sure that your website and social media profiles are accessible,
videos working, links updated.

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

How to apply for future projects

4•

Project descriptions should be as precise as possible!

•Start with a short description (half an A4 page)and offer details in attachments.

•

Including sketches, tech riders, timetables, budget estimations
is very helpful.

•Hybrid Strategies (different versions to exploit your next work, i.e. as
installation, performance, film for festivals, book, etc.)

Funding Resources

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

Here is an outline of the European funding landscape in the art and media
sector with particular focus on Germany. Depending on the type of work,
other foundations and grants may also be relevant, e.g. the creative
industries sector which may be part of the ministry of commerce or funds
from the socio- cultural or ecological sector.

5Art funding is the most precarious of all public funding (less than one
percent of the budget of your state, previously only 0,5% of the EU
budget.
So it is smart to look outside the box whenever possible ;- )1. Art Funds
1a.

Art funding at local and regional levels(your academy/university, city, district, federal state) University grants
and prizes, e.g. master student prizes, foreign exchange, etc.

•Academic exchange projects like DAAD in Germany daad.de(only about 5 years after graduation)•

There are several guides for PHD scholarships online.
Here are two examples:
scholarshipdb.net/PhD-scholarships
scholars4dev.com/category/level-of-study/phd-Scholarships•Keep a lookout for city or state funding such as project grants, traveland promotion grants (if you participate in exhibitions or festivals

abroad), scholarships and residencies.

•Apart from public funding:scholarships from other institutions in your region•Festivals, exhibitions and competitions in your region

1b. Art funding at the national level

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

In Germany there are 3 main bodies to fund the arts, but artists canonly apply directly to the first one, or to the BKM only for residencies

6□

Kunstfonds
Offers project grants, scholarships and other support direct ly toartists.
kunstfonds.de□

Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Arts Council)
For institutions and associations only,funding between 50.000 – 250.000,- Euros;
20% must already be secured at the time of application)
kulturstiftung-des-bundes.de□

BKM: Staatsministerium für Kultur und Medien
Rarely funds artists directly but does support some fonds
like the Kunstfonds and offers to apply to some prestigious
residencies like Villa Massimo in Romebundesregierung.de/breg-de/bundesregierung/bundeskanzleramt/
staatsministerin-fuer-kultur-und-medien/kultur/kuenstlerfoerderung

Similar funding bodies in other EU countries:□Arts Council of England□

The Ministry of Culture or the National Centre for Culture in Poland□

The Ministry for Culture and Communication in France

Just check for your country!
Additionally, some countries offer art funding through lottery funds,bank houses and/or their foundations, corporation foundations, i.e.
Migros Kulturprozent in Switzerland or Siemens Culture programmein Germany

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

71c.

Art funding at EU and international levels□

Creative Europe Culture
For organisations only! The smallest programmes usuallyneed partners from at least 3 EU countries
creative-europe-desk.de□

ERASMUS
Programs i.e. for stays abroaderasmusplus.de□

Grundtvig PorgrammeLifelong learning, stays abroad
eacea.ec.europa.eu□

European Culture Foundation
culturalfoundation.eu□

Ars Baltica
Provides information on grants, etc. for northern European countries
ars-baltica.net□Daniel Langlois Foundation
For international organisations and at times artists too
fondation-langlois.org□Pamela Jennings report on New Media Funding Models
for the Rockefeller Foundation
pamelajennings.org

2. Media fundsMedia funds exist in almost all EU member states.
Most of them are industry orientated, but some support art film
projects as well but generally with smaller grants.
In many cases, they are given as a loan and meant to be paid back after afilm is commercially successful, which rarely happens at least in Germany.
Therefore, film funds usually demand more work than an application to anart funding body. They want to see an exploitation concept, recoupment
plan, contracts or at least letters of interest by broadcasters, distributersor world sales, which make them rarely available for projects by artists,
although in some regions and cases they are.
In most cases, you will first have to find a producer / production company,
which will apply for the media funds and will consequently keep most or
all copyrights of your project – if not negotiated otherwise.

2a. Media funds in Germany
All federal states have their own media fundingor connected to other federal states.
□Kuratorium des jungen deutschen Films
Covers first, second, third production up to 45.000,- €kuratorium-junger-film.de□

BKM: Federal Ministry of Culture and Media
Also funds short films up to 30.000,bundesregierung.de/breg-de/bundesregierung/bundeskanzleramt/staatsministerin-fuer-kultur-und-medien/kultur□

FFA Filmförderanstalt
Economically orientedffa.de□

Deutscher Film Fernseh Fonds DFFF
German film and television fonds offers up to 25% of the production
costs for very high budgeted productions
dfff-ffa.de

2b. European and international Media funds
International film funding & guides:

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

documentary.org/funding/grants

8

moviesthatmatter.nl□Creative Europe MediaDemands min. 3 production companies from 3 EU countries
creative-europe-desk.de□Euroimages
Coproduction funds for films from 70 min. fiction, doc., animationcoe.int/en/web/eurimages

Various festivals award production grants:□

Hugo Bals Fund Rotterdam
iffr.com/en/hubert-bals-fund-0□

World Cinema Funds of the Berlinale
For films from Africa, Asia, Latin America
berlinale.de/en/wcf/home/welcome.html

3. Support for intercultural relations(travel and projects abroad)All countries have an embassy or institution to support the travels of
their artists to other countries and may even have special programmes
to support artists from other regions, i.e. Eastern Europe, for example:□Goethe-Institut
With headquarters in Munich and more than 150 institutes worldwide,
they support artists abroad through their own programmes and scholarships as well as on request, preferably from local partners (longterm planning, best to inquire before September of the previous year)
goethe.de□

IFA (Institute for Foreign Relations)
Scholarships and participation in exhibitions abroad,
only as an alternative to the Goethe-Institutifa.de□Institut Francais□Pro Helvetia (key in Switzerland)□Mondriaan Stichting (key in the Netherlands)

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

And so on...

94. Further Scholarships, Grants &Residencies□

Akademie Schloss Solitude
Provides about 90 prestigious residencies per year for all art sectors
akademie-solitude.de□

Edith Russ Haus Oldenburg
Offers one residency for 10.000,- Euros per year
edith-russ-haus.de□European ARTificial Intelligence Lab
Offers residencies to artists to explore AI
ars.electronica.art/ailab/en□

European Media Artists in Residence Exchange EMAP/EMAREOur European Media Art Platform EMAP offers 11 residencies
per year to 11 different organisations to support media artists
emare.eu□Transartists
Provides information on about 1.000 residencies
in all art sections around the worldtransartists.org

□Touring Artists
touring-artists.info□Res Artis
A network of over 400 centres and organisations in over
70 countries; its website includes a list of residencies worldwide
resartis.org□

On the move
Valuable information on training, residencies and travel grants
on-the-move.org□European Fund Finder by ietm.org
creative-europe-desk.de/files/downloads/European_fund_finder.pdf

Bear in mind that some hosts charge for a residency, others provide
free accommodation or even grants. This is not a comprehensive list.

4a. Grant Application Example

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

EMARE
call.emare.eu

10•

EMAP offers a 2-3 months residency, which includes a grant,
accommodation, production budget, lab studios and facilities, expert 		
consultation, travel•

You are applying not just to one but 15 organisations, therefore atEMARE, you always have to create a priority list of the host centres you
want to apply to, as this determines the order for the jury.

•Additionally, about 60 or more international media art organisations
have access to the submission database with your permission and cansearch for your work there.

•Besides the 7 questions (including a timetable and technical rider) anda taxonomy of your submission and your reference works, you should
upload your CV and portfolio.

•If you include links: Make sure everyt hing is updated and in English on
your website and ready for download as PDF (e.g. portfolio).

•Write a concise description of the project you are planning.
Further details can be attached in a pdf.

•Select your best 3 works as references.

•Do not apply at the last minute!

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

Other ways to finance Art Projects

11•

Commission or artist fee from fest ivals, museums, galleries,institutions•Co-production
Mostly for film and interactive media related projects•

Creative/Venture Capital
If your project has some exploitable market potential•

Crowdfunding
If you have a huge supportive network of friends and family etc.

Please let me know if you have discovered other ways...

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

Markets12•

Art market:
Runs mainly through galleries and fairs, limited editions of
7 to 10 pieces generally. It is mostly only about the license toshow them publicly as 99% of the buyers are public museums
and collections.

•Cinema market:
It does not really exist independently in most of Europe because
everything is subsidised, i.e. almost no German film can befinanced through cinema revenues alone.

•TV Market:
Difficult for anything unconventional, broadcasting slots forartistic documentaries are rare and usually shown after midnight.
The French-German broadcaster arte or Channel 4 and BBC
sometimes commission art films.

•Internet:Who earns money on the internet with films or art online apartfrom Amazon and Netflix? Nevertheless, there are some providers
for VOD like Eyz Media realeyz.de, re-voir.com, etc.
but unfortunately hardly any revenues...

Media Trainings & Festivals

Trainings

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

International training and pitching forums (usually for a fee)

13see Media Training at Creative Europe Media
creative-europe-desk.de/get-trainedA selection:□EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs)
eave.org□

Documentary Campus
documentary-campus.com□

Berlinale Talents
berlinale-talents.de□

Ex Oriente Film Workshop
dokweb.net/activities/ex-oriente-film/2022/about□

Biennale College Cinema VR
collegecinema.labiennale.org/en/2020-bcc-virtual-reality-presentation

Film festivals
Festivals could become your most important market even though only
a few pay a screening fee and many ask for a submission fee. But you
can win prizes and for funders festival successes are as relevant asrevenues.
You can first exploit your film or sometimes even installation at an
A-festival, which asks for a premiere, e.g. Berlinale, and after the world
and international premiere (2 different things), you can submit it to anyof the thousands of festivals worldwide.
A-festivals receive the most attention and usually also have markets
that other festival curators and broadcasters will attend. Smaller
festivals may be more charming and hospitable but are usuallyattended by fewer professionals.
It is important that you research the festival’s profile before you
apply, because it doesn’t make sense, for example, to submit an arty
documentary to a fiction only festival.
You will find guides for all kinds of film festivals online.

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

Media Art at Festivals

14

There are also hundreds of media art related festivals. Even among
EMAP members and partners (emare.eu), you will find some of the mostimportant ones such as ars electronica in Linz or transmediale in Berlin.
Some film festivals also have other sectors and are open
to experimental work, i.e.:□Rotterdam International Film Festivaliffr.com□Berlinale Forum Expanded
berlinale.de/en/festival/sections/forum-and-forum- expanded□

IDFAidfa.nl/en□

European Media Art Festivalemaf.de□

Sheffield Documentary Festival
sheffdocfest.com

Social Security & Welfare Services for Artists

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

Different security and support services for artists
exist only in a few EU countries, e.g.:

15□

Germany: Kuenstlersozialkasse
Includes Health Insurance, Social Services and Pension
depending on your income as an artist□

France: Maison des Artistes
Offers special social security conditions for artists□The Netherlands: Wet Werk en Inkomen Kunstenaars (WWIK)
Especially supports emerging artists with an income
for maximum of 4 years within a 10 years period

Golden Rule & Conclusion
I hope this guide gives you a bit of orientation and kicks off of yourresearch on financing your projects and career.
Now don’t be scared to start your career as a media artist. As witheverything, it will take some time but in my experience: If you are
talented and determined enough to undertake the materially deprived
but fulfilling path of creativity, you will find a way.
Make yourself visible at festivals, (self organised) exhibitions, internet,etc.) and just get started. Don’t wait for anyone to “discover“ yourgenius. First of all “genius“ is outdated and second there is no one todiscover your talent but you.
And in the bigger picture:
Historian Yuval Noah Harrari writes that 90% of our self-made reality
and world is fiction. So nothing has to be the way it is. Especiallythe politics of funding landscapes. Even if it sometimes sounds a bitoutdated: I still believe that we can determine the world we are living
in – at least tiny bits and pieces of it.
Most likely, it can only be changed through joint efforts.

Survival Guide for Emerging Audiovisual Media Artists

Therefore:

16

Empower yourself,unite and fight for change!

European Media Art Platform
he European Media Art Platform (EMAP),
initiated by werkleitz and co- funded by
Creative Europe since 2018, is a consortiumof leading European media art organisations
specialised in Digital and Media Art, Bio Art
and Robotic Art.
emare.eu
info@emare.eu

Contact:
Werkleitz Center for Media Art
Peter Zorn
Schleifweg 6D-06114 Halle (Saale) Germany+49 (0)345 682460
pz@werkleitz.deAll images: Robertas Narkus —Prospect Revenge (2018, Videostills)