Cultural Residencies

The U.S. Mission to the UAE announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a cultural residency program that will: (1) strengthen the foundational social and human ties between the people of the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); (2) deepen U.S.-UAE partnerships with established and high-profile UAE cultural institutions and festivals; and, (3) support capacity building for the creative industry in the UAE. This program will consist of at least six in-person residencies for American artists and performers (individuals or groups) lasting from up to three weeks each and organized around one of six major UAE cultural festivals such as: Abu Dhabi Art Festival, Ras Al Khaimah Arts Festival, Sharjah Heritage Days, and Culture Summit Abu Dhabi. Each residency will consist of at least one festival performance, workshops for Emirati youth and emerging artists, and roundtable discussions with local UAE cultural institutions. American artists and performers will be confirmed based on the local partners’ priority genres or areas of interest, festival dates, prior experience with cultural residencies or similar programs, and artist capacity to conduct educational outreach activities. Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to U.S. not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) subject to section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. tax code, including public and private educational institutions and public international organizations and governmental institutions. Applicants are also encouraged to seek partnerships with organizations that demonstrate complementary value to accomplish the wide range of proposed projects. The initial period of performance will be for one year. Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt. The source of funding is FY2024 Public Diplomacy Funding.. All applicants should be familiar with OMB Circular 2 CFR Part 200. Please read the entire NOFO package before submitting an application and follow the steps in order to submit before the deadline. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria and do not contain all the required information will not be considered.