Confidential emergency aid for artists facing verifiable threats
Stand for Art, operated by Culture Resource / Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy, provides temporary support to individual artists and cultural workers originating from Arab countries, including Morocco, whose physical safety, freedom of expression or ability to live and work safely is under threat. Applications are accepted all year long. This is not a general art-production grant, a business emergency loan or a programme to rescue organisations from financial closure.What types of situations qualify?
The programme prioritises cases of kidnapping, detention, imprisonment, threats of physical harm, violence, abuse and prosecution arising from artistic work or from an unsafe environment in the applicant's home or current country. Threats must be real and verifiable, whether the individual lives in the Arab region or its diaspora. Ordinary journalism does not qualify, unless the applicant demonstrably works in arts and cultural journalism.
Financial and non-financial forms of protection
Support may cover housing and basic living expenses for up to six months, international or domestic transportation, flights and visas, legal advice and representation, physical and psychological healthcare, or other immediate safeguarding costs. It may also involve referrals to temporary safe residencies, artist-protection organisations or legal and human-rights specialists, including recommendation letters. There is no published standard grant amount: assistance is assessed case by case against the severity of risk, practical living costs and available funding. Applications and decisions are confidential.
Who is eligible?
The applicant must be an individual artist or cultural practitioner originating from an Arab country, regardless of current citizenship or residence, and must show a tangible threat. The programme does not provide organisational survival grants, even where an arts organisation is facing economic or political pressure. Family circumstances and dependants can influence the assessment of an individual's living-support needs.
Secure application requirements
Apply in Arabic, except where the encrypted form specifies English. Prepare a passport, identity card or other identification document, short biography or full CV, up to three artistic works or links, two recommendation letters from people or organisations who are aware of the risk and can be contacted, and a host invitation if available. Applicants must explain the situation and needed support clearly, with reasonable supporting evidence. The secure form cannot save unfinished submissions, so prepare carefully before beginning.
Security and privacy
Do not post the person's threats, private identity documents or contact information publicly as part of an application. Use the encrypted application link published by Culture Resource. Staff may consult trusted referees to verify the risk while maintaining confidentiality. The programme cannot secure a foreign visa, although it can provide an institutional support letter when appropriate.
Applications are open throughout the year, with no fixed deadline.
[Encrypted official application form](https://form.jotform.com/221873815392058) · [Official programme guidelines](https://mawred.org/stand-for-art/?lang=en) · Inquiries: artist@mawred.org · [More cultural opportunities](https://culturama.ma/opportunites).
*Image: institutional Culture Resource identity; the organisation manages Stand for Art.*