Serendipity Arts, Les Rencontres d’Arles and the Institut Français India are now open to receive applications for the third edition of the Serendipity Arles Grant 2025-26, inviting project proposals from South Asia, stemming from photography, video, new media and other lens-based explorations. The initiative seeks not only to empower artists from the region, but also further a spirit of regional cooperation and representation.
Submissions are open to all lens-based South Asian practitioners from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Submissions are open to projects produced by individual artists or artist collectives. Applicants must be residents of countries mentioned in point 1, who have been practicing for 5 to 10 years. Applicants must be 30 years and above (as of announcement date).
The Serendipity Arles Grant will be awarded in two phases:
Phase 1 would select 5 shortlisted projects awarding 70,000 INR each to showcase their proposed projects as a work in progress display at the upcoming edition of Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. One winner would be selected out of the 5 projects, marking Phase 2 of the grant.
Phase 2: The winning grantee will get the opportunity to further develop their project and put up a solo presentation of their project at Les Rencontres d’Arles in July 2026.The selected winner has a total of 15,000 EUR. The grant will cover development, research, production, logistics costs for the winning project, break up details given below:
- 7,500 EUR – Project Development Grant and Artist Fee
- 7,000 EUR – Production costs to be dispersed by Rencontres d’Arles
- 500 EUR – Accommodation costs at Rencontres d’Arles 2026 to be dispersed by Arles
- The organisers also provide air tickets to Arles and back (up to 1,200 EUR) and a visa facilitation fee.
