ASEF: #MobilityFirst 2020

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) promotes #MobilityFirst, a cultural mobility initiative for artists and cultural professionals.

Applications are welcome from individual artists/cultural professionals who are:

• nationals/citizens of any Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) partner country (ASEM comprises 53 Partners: 30 European and 21 Asian countries, the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat)
• working in any artistic genre (such as visual arts, performing arts, film, heritage etc.)
• at least 18 years old at the time of travel
• seeking support for travel within the ASEM region
• seeking travel support to participate in any of the 6 types of eligible activities (Workshops or trainings; Conferences or forums; Festivals, biennales, or international exhibitions; Artists’ or writers’ residencies; Partner meetings to set up or maintain an existing partnership; Practice-led research) 
• not recipients of the #MobilityFirst grant in 2019

The mobility of the applicant should deliver on one or more of the following focus areas, regardless of the type/format of activity you intend to participate in. The following focus areas will be prioritised for the #MobilityFirst open call:

• Skills transfer / knowledge exchange;
• Innovation in arts and culture;
• Local cultural development;
• Art and society.

#MobilityFirst support is given depending on how well the application has managed to:

• Convey specific and well thought out purpose of journey and their mobility objectives
• Closely fulfil one or more of #MobilityFirst focus areas.

The #MobilityFirst grant is intended for covering international travel and visa costs only.

Accommodation and any other costs (such as per diem, registration fees etc.) are excluded from the grant amount.

The grant amount provided by ASEF can vary according to each application, based on the mobility route and destination country which you are intending to visit.

All travel should take place between 20 January to 30 November 2020.

Applications will be received and accepted by ASEF on a rolling basis, which means that applications will be evaluated as they are received. Applicants have the autonomy to decide when they want to apply, as long as they are confident that they have sufficient time to purchase their flight tickets and for their visa application process.

The #MobilityFirst Selection Committee assess applications based on:

• Quality and content of the applicant’s purpose of journey and mobility objectives;
• Relevance of the proposed activity to one or more of #MobilityFirst’s focus areas of skills transfer/knowledge exchange, innovation in arts and culture, local cultural development and art and society.