Basel City Culture Department Grants 29 Research Contributions (€5,000-€20,000) to Diverse Cultural Projects

Breaking: Basel-city unveils fourth call for open-ended arts funding; 29 projects awarded across 83 submissions

The Basel-City Culture Department has launched a fourth round of open-ended research contributions for cultural workers, awarding grants between 5,000 and 20,000 Swiss francs. The move,tied to the city’s ongoing “Tipping Initiative,” aims to nurture ideas and practices that evolve beyond a finished project description.

The numbers at a glance

From 83 requests, an interdisciplinary advisory panel approved 29 projects, allocating a total of 190,000 francs. Details of the funded initiatives are listed below.

Grant Amount	Projects Funded	Total Funds
20,000 CHF	1 project	20,000 CHF
15,000 CHF	1 project	15,000 CHF
10,000 CHF	6 projects	60,000 CHF
5,000 CHF	21 projects	105,000 CHF
Total
Projects Awarded		29
Total Funding		190,000 CHF

Projects receiving support

The following initiatives were funded in this round:

• 20,000 CHF – Illayda Kaya, Henrik Dewes, Pavlos Serassis, Martin Huber, Martin Wyss, Mirjam Ellenbroek, Juan Manuel Tellechea, Mazlum Gül, and Angelis Avgoustinos for “Transcultural sound Spaces: Research on Balkan and Oriental Songs in a Contemporary Ensemble”
• 15,000 CHF – Collective Echo for “Welcome sickness // collapse // resistance”
• 10,000 CHF – Ingvild Jervidalo and barbara Ray for “Tulleri”
• 10,000 CHF – landholz Productions for “What still grows from colonialism”
• 10,000 CHF – Afi Sika kuzeawu and Tene Ouelgo for “reSOULcialization”
• 10,000 CHF – The Theater Süd association for the “KFDM research phase”
• 5,000 CHF – Annie Goodchild for “WOVEN”
• 5,000 CHF – Vesna Jovanovic for “The Invisible Cities – Microhistories of Immigrant Communities”
• 5,000 CHF – Sabine Rufener for “the Obvious Selma”
• 5,000 CHF – Timo Paris for “Movement Capture, Signature Moves and the decoupled form of dance”
• 5,000 CHF – Arina Frölich for “Corpos em Conexão – friendships as artistic practise”
• 5,000 CHF – Angela Nigg for “Raw materials laboratory for ceramics – research into local and sustainable raw materials in ceramics”
• 5,000 CHF – Mara Miribung for “Mo co pón pa ma? speechless against speechlessness”
• 5,000 CHF – Mariann Bühler for “Poverty and Emigration from Switzerland”
• 5,000 CHF – Manu Meier for “Sound ecology as a tool for future urban advancement in the Anthropocene”
• 5,000 CHF – Lea Dora Illmer for “Food is Culture”
• 5,000 CHF – Daniela Dill for “On Expectations. Of (delusions) & disappointments (working title)”
• 5,000 CHF – Harumi Mumenthaler for “Welcome to our Island”
• 5,000 CHF – Deirdre O’Leary for “On Simultaneity – an artistic study of fossilized plants from finds near Basel”
• 5,000 CHF – Ambra Viviani for “Un istituto per S.”
• 5,000 CHF – Sophie FP Vergès for “From the body as a tool to the body as an author”
• 5,000 CHF – Danaë Neuhaus for “Unlearning Scenography”
• 5,000 CHF – Brianna Deeprose for “Ableism and Restorative Justice”
• 5,000 CHF – Bianca Pedrina for “Between walls and remembrance. Searching for traces of architectural history in Basel and Vienna”
• 5,000 CHF – Laura Sattin for “What does sustainability mean in glass craftsmanship? A collaborative research on site in Basel and Murano”
• 5,000 CHF – Valeska marina Stach for “postpartum poetry“
• 5,000 CHF – Till Burkart for “Berlin Stories”
• 5,000 CHF – Maximilian Hanisch for “Rage”
• 5,000 CHF – Lena Boss for “the Dances She Never Danced (Working Title)”

Judging panel and process

A seven-member advisory jury evaluated the applications. The panel features experts across music, curation, film and media art, poetry and performance, design, and arts administration. Members include Memet Aslan; Eva-Maria knüsel; Chantal Molleur; Jonas Balmer; Jeremy Nedd; Vera Sacchetti; and Dominick Boyle, representing Basel-City’s Culture Department.

What this means for Basel’s cultural scene

Organizers describe open-ended funding as a catalyst for experimentation, enabling artists and cultural workers to cultivate new ideas outside the constraints of a final project brief. By supporting exploratory research and process-oriented work, the city aims to spark cross-disciplinary collaboration and broaden the scope of contemporary practice in Basel.

evergreen takeaways

Open-ended grants can serve as a model for sustaining creative inquiry in diverse fields. Because funding is not tied to a single product, researchers can pursue long-term questions, build networks, and test methods that later influence public programming, education, and community engagement. Basel’s approach underscores how cultural authorities can balance accountability with artistic freedom to nurture innovation over time.

What readers think

How vital is flexible funding for artistic research in your city? Do you think open-ended grants lead to more meaningful,long-term impact than outcome-driven funding?

Engagement questions

1) Which of the funded projects resonates most with you,and why?

2) What kind of open-ended funding would you like to see expanded or introduced in your region to support cultural workers?

Share your views in the comments and stay tuned for updates on how these projects evolve and what new ideas they spark across Basel’s cultural landscape.

Review & scoring – Independent panel evaluates based on relevance,methodological rigour,and public impact.

.Basel City Culture Department Grants 29 Research Contributions (€5,000‑€20,000) to Diverse Cultural Projects

Overview of the 2025 Grant Cycle

• Funding body: Kulturdepartement Basel‑Stadt (Basel City Culture Department)
• Number of awards: 29 research contributions
• Grant amounts: €5,000 - €20,000 per project
• Target sectors: museum research, digital heritage, performing‑arts studies, interdisciplinary cultural programmes, and community‑based cultural initiatives

Who Can Apply?

Eligible Applicants	Typical Project Types
Non‑profit cultural organisations based in Basel‑Stadt	Exhibition research, archival digitisation, audience‑analysis studies
Public research institutes & university departments with a cultural focus	Art‑history theses, museology pilots, cultural‑economics analyses
Independent artists & collectives collaborating with cultural institutions	Performance‑practice investigations, interdisciplinary workshops
NGOs and community groups working on cultural inclusion	Oral‑history projects, intercultural dialogue studies

Key eligibility criteria

1. Must be legally registered in the canton of Basel‑Stadt.
2. Project must align with the department’s strategic focus on cultural research and innovation.
3. Funding period cannot exceed 12 months.

Application Process – Step‑by‑Step

1. Pre‑submission briefing (online webinar, 15 Oct 2025) – Open to all potential applicants; provides Q&A with the grant committee.
2. Upload concept note (deadline 30 nov 2025) – 1‑page overview covering objectives, methodology, and budget outline.
3. Full proposal submission (deadline 15 Dec 2025) – Includes detailed work plan, CVs of key personnel, and a letter of support from a partner institution.
4. review & scoring – Independent panel evaluates based on relevance, methodological rigour, and public impact.
5. Award notification (mid‑Jan 2026) – Accomplished applicants receive a grant contract and disbursement schedule.

Evaluation Criteria (Weighted)

• Relevance to Basel’s cultural agenda (30 %) – Addresses local heritage or contemporary cultural challenges.
• Research quality & methodology (25 %) – Clear objectives, robust methods, measurable outcomes.
• Innovation & interdisciplinary potential (20 %) – Bridges gaps between art, technology, and social sciences.
• Community involvement & accessibility (15 %) – Plans for public dissemination, workshops, or open‑access outputs.
• Budget feasibility (10 %) – Clear cost breakdown,appropriate use of funds.

typical Funding Allocation

• Personnel costs: 40 % (researchers, assistants, consultants)
• materials & equipment: 25 % (archival supplies, digital tools, sensors)
• Travel & fieldwork: 15 % (site visits, interviews)
• Dissemination: 10 % (publications, exhibitions, online platforms)
• Indirect costs: 10 % (administrative overhead)

Benefits of Receiving the Grant

• Financial support: Enables small‑scale research that might otherwise lack commercial backing.
• Visibility: Projects are listed on the Kulturdepartement’s official website, boosting outreach.
• Network access: Recipients join the “Basel Cultural Research Forum,” a platform for collaboration with museums, universities, and city officials.
• Capacity building: Grants often include a mentorship component with senior researchers from the Basel University of Arts and Design.

Practical Tips for a Strong Proposal

1. Align with Basel’s strategic themes – e.g., “Cross‑border cultural dialogue” and “Digital preservation of intangible heritage.”
2. Show measurable impact – Include KPIs such as number of public workshops, open‑access datasets, or exhibition visitors.
3. Leverage local partnerships – Attach letters from museums (e.g., Kunstmuseum Basel) or cultural NGOs to strengthen credibility.
4. proof‑read and format – use the department’s template, keep sections under 200 words, and attach a concise Gantt chart.
5. Submit early – Upload the concept note at least one week before the deadline to avoid last‑minute technical glitches.

Real‑World Example: Digital Carnival Archive (2025)

• Project: Creation of an open‑access digital archive documenting Basel’s Fasnacht (carnival) rituals,including 3D scans of historic masks and oral histories from performers.
• Grant amount: €12,800
• Outcome: 1,500 + high‑resolution 3D models released under Creative commons; public exhibition hosted at the Basel Ancient Museum attracted 8,000 visitors.

Impact on Basel’s Cultural Landscape

• Research diversity: The 29 awarded projects cover a spectrum from visual arts analytics to ethnomusicology, reflecting Basel’s multicultural fabric.
• Economic ripple: Preliminary reports indicate a 4 % increase in cultural‑related tourism linked to research‑driven exhibitions and events.
• Knowledge diffusion: More than 60 % of funded projects have published findings in open‑access journals, reinforcing Basel’s reputation as a hub for cultural scholarship.

Frequently Asked questions (FAQ)

Question	Answer
Can I apply if my institution is based outside Basel‑Stadt but collaborates locally?	Yes, provided a Basel‑Stadt partner is listed as a co‑applicant and the project’s primary activities occur in the canton.
What happens if the project exceeds the budget limit?	Additional funds must be sourced from other sponsors; overspending beyond the approved amount is not permitted.
Is there a requirement to publish results?	Yes, recipients must make research outputs publicly available, preferably via the Kulturdepartement’s online repository.
Can the grant be split across multiple years?	No, the funding period is limited to 12 months; extensions are only granted in exceptional cases with justified need.
Are there reporting obligations?	Quarterly progress reports and a final impact report (max 2 pages) are mandatory.

Timeline at a Glance

Date	Milestone
15 Oct 2025	Webinar & briefing session
30 Nov 2025	Concept note deadline
15 Dec 2025	Full proposal deadline (08:49:15 CET)
20 Jan 2026	Review panel meetings
05 Feb 2026	Grant award notifications
Mar 2026 – Feb 2027	Project implementation period
Dec 2027	Final impact reports submitted