Advice for career advancement

The name of this programme is
the „Mentoring Programme for Disabled Leadership”.

Mentoring means giving someone advice.
Disabled leadership are
managers who have a disability.

In this programme, experienced artists and cultural professionals give you advice.
These advisers are also called „mentors”.

The programme is for disabled artists and cultural professionals.
The participants are also called „mentees”.

The programme supports artistic and professional advancement.
Disabled people learn things like:

• How to carry out a cultural project 
  for example: creating an exhibition
• How to run a cultural institution 
  for example: a museum

People in all artistic fields can use the programme. 
For example:

• painting
• theatre
• video
   

Funding is given to disabled artists and cultural professionals.

The funding lasts 8 months.

The mentors support their mentees during this time.

That includes giving:

• regular advice
• artistic support

The mentees and mentors should
work together without barriers.

That’s why the German Federal Cultural Foundation pays
for barrier-free access.
For example: the translation into plain language.

As a mentee, you choose your mentor yourself.

The mentors sign a letter of intent.
„Letter of intent” means
giving yourself a task.

The letter of intent should say this:

• Six talks will take place. 
  There can also be 7 or 8 or more talks.
• Each talk lasts 2 hours. 

These are your benefits as a mentee:

• free advice
• continuing education in the academy programme 
  These are special events of the German Federal Cultural Foundation. 
  You will be invited to them. 
• contact with interesting artists 
  and cultural professionals
   

Disabled people can apply.
They must be professionally active in the arts or culture.
For example, in the areas of: 

• acting
• dance
• music
• painting
• media

People in professions that are related to the arts can also apply.
For example: 

• exhibition designers
• film employees

Career starters can also apply.
That means: beginners.
 

Mentees receive €500 per month. 

The funding lasts 8 months.

That’s a total of €4,000.

The German Federal Cultural Foundation pays the
costs for accessibility.

To get your money back, you need to send the invoice
to the Foundation.

The Foundation will check the invoice.

The mentors receive a one-time payment of €1,200.

Please send your application to the German Federal Cultural Foundation.
You can find the online form on our website:
https://antrag.kulturstiftung-bund.de/ (external link, opens in a new window) 

The application form is easy to fill in. If you have any questions, call us: +49 (0)345 2997 136

You will need to fill in your most important personal information.

Please answer the following questions:

• in writing by email or letter
• verbally with a sound recording or video
• in German Sign Language with a video  

1. Why are you interested in mentoring?
Length: 1 or 2 pages of text or 5 minutes of video. 

• What are your professional goals?
• What difficulties do you have at work?
• What help do you expect from your mentor?
• How will you work together?
• How do you want to use your funding?

2. What is your artistic or arts-related profession?
or: What training do you have in this field?
Length: 1 to 2 pages of text or 5 minutes of video

3. Confirmation in writing from your mentor

We also need a short CV from your mentor.
Please upload the confirmation and the short CV to the form.
Length: Up to one page of text or 2 and a half minutes of video

4. Please provide links to your videos on the Internet.
For example: to your website or YouTube.
You must enter the link in the online form.

Please send your documents in full and on time. 

There are 3 rounds for applications.

These are the application deadlines:
1. Round: 15 September 2023
2. Round: 15 May 2024
3. Round: 13 December 2024
 

A jury recommends the mentees who have the best applications.

The jury is made up of experts.

The German Federal Cultural Foundation receives the recommendations.

The Executive Board makes the decision.

The funding lasts 8 months.

If you need more time to work together,
you can apply for an extension.

Please give reasons for your request.

The German Federal Cultural Foundation will review your request.

The amount of funding will remain the same.