Scholarship Program
“Transform yourself to transform the world.”
― Grace Lee Boggs
Embodying Community / Somatosocial Movements
Wyvern Art Fund Scholarship Program
April – July 2026
As much of the climate collapsing world continues its descent down a fascist trajectory, many people are starting to consider what is truly meaningful and important in the face of these existential crises. However, many times, well intended efforts towards reform or revolutionary change fall back into modeling the same oppressive tendencies that those efforts claim to be against. For example, there may be assumptions about the one ‘right’ way to do, or not do, things regardless of the context or circumstances. With such an abundance of art collectives active in Berlin, when conflict occurs it can be easier to move on than to fix the issues that arise. Often, we lack perspective, but other times, we lack implementable structures and practices that would aid us to have nurturing community experiences. This situation is made even more difficult by the capitalistic co-optation of “self-care” and “community” as marketing strategies and the cultural capital gained from publicly diagnosing problems without focusing on real world actions. While many collectives focus most of their energy navigating group structures and social dynamics, rarely is time spent focused on how to have a sustainable and generative balance between individual needs and those of the collective; much less, how those needs mirror and reflect each other.
What do we mean when we talk about community care? What can the role of self-reflection play in collective practices? How do we align the somatic, historical and social body with a multitude of bodies to create space for new ways of being? What do we need to learn about ourselves and each other? What ways of doing do we need to practice to alter power relations and allow difficulties to be seen and addressed? How can we listen with all senses of the body and mind to be more attuned to the broader natural world and all that it has to teach us? What can we learn from the rhizomatic structures of mycelium and the fractal patterns of ferns and cauliflower about how the small (individual) is reflected in the whole (community)? What can we learn from sharing meals, experiences and practices? Where do community practices, knowledges, histories and technologies overlap? How can we build more authentic relationships?
This call invites eight Berlin-based artists and thinkers to come together over a four-month collective research and knowledge sharing program aimed at attempting to answer these questions. Formally convening two-days a week over three weeks each month, the program will culminate in a public presentation during the third week in July. During this time we will get to know each other, form interest groups and develop research and production goals. While some parts of the program will be structured to help facilitate these processes, much of the program will be co-determined with the participants as a group and active engagement in these processes is required. Additionally, participants will be encouraged to engage in optional activities such as open co-working days and site visits. Artists and thinkers with interdisciplinary backgrounds, community-oriented hearts and strategic minds are welcome to apply.
PROGRAM DATES
Participants are expected to commit to attending program meetings and participate in a public launch event in July. The specific meeting dates include April 7-8, April 14-15, April 21-22, May 5-6, May 12-13, May 19-20, June 2-3, June 9-10, June 16-17, June 30 – July 1, July 7-8, July 14-15 and July 28-29. A public program (to be determined) will take place sometime during the dates of July 22-25.
SCHOLARSHIP
Each program participant will receive a €2000 monthly scholarship (April-July) and a €500 production budget.
ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION: January 5 at 19h
If you would like to learn more about our program, please join us for an online information session to be held January 5 at 19h.
Online Info Session Registration
APPLICATIONS: DUE January 15 at midnight
Please note that this application is only available for people who are officially registered in Berlin, Germany (Anmeldung). Please see the application for further information.
FAQs
The program is an in-person program. You are required to attend meetings in person, therefore we are sharing the detailed meeting schedule including the specific meeting days and expected participation in the open call. We have arranged to have two months (February and March) between the announcement of participants and the start of the program to give future participants time to make adjustments to their schedules if needed. However, we know that emergencies happen. If you need to miss a meeting, let one of the facilitators know in advance, as soon as possible.
The meetings take place in a community space in Berlin. The exact location will be announced at a later date.
The program is oriented towards knowledge and practice sharing between artists and thinkers already engaged in community-related work. We hope to make creative space by understanding each others’ practices and noticing the possibilities for cross-pollination that emerge. Production will be based on these emerging collaborations of real experience and local knowledge and needs.
You are free to do any other work during the program if it does not interfere with the meeting and coworking days and the expected participation in the launch week.
Meeting days are whole day in-person meetings, and we understand that it is a lot of group time. The meeting days are planned to be separated into four one-hour meetings blocks with two half an hour breaks and a one hour lunch break in between. There will be a chance to discuss accessibility needs during the start of the program with the group. If you have specific questions, please get in contact.
The application is only open for individuals. If you are group, you are welcome to submit applications separately.
English is preferred. However, if you have specific documents prepared in German you are welcome to submit that as well.
The working program language is English. However, fluency is not required. Most of our facilitators and past participants speak English as a second language. Proficiency is not the point as long as you are willing to work towards communicating. Please feel free to apply if you have a command of English, even if you are less confident to use it. We wish to hear many different voices.
2026 Scholarship Program Application
Please note that this form does not save your entries. Therefore, it is recommended to draft your answers on a separate document and copy them to this form.
CONTACT
Telegram: https://t.me/+uPC1fGWlWcEyMDY6
Email: info@wyv.art