Unfortunately, the ACT OUT tour and residency funding programme for 2025 has been affected by cuts. Our funding body BMEIA – Auslandskultur has cut ACT OUT by 60% due to expected budget restrictions, making a reduction in the programme unavoidable. In order to be able to continue offering this important internationalisation and networking tool to artists from the performing arts, IG Freie Theaterarbeit is covering part of the administrative costs. However, this means that from now on, ACT OUT can only support residencies abroad. International guest performances or tours can unfortunately no longer be funded. Please contact the Austrian Cultural Forums and the BMKÖS directly. In any case, residency funding and ACT OUT online can continue to exist on a limited scale in 2025. We are of course very much in favour of ACT OUT being expanded again!
ACT OUT is an international residency funding programme for independent theatre and performance artists and groups. ACT OUT is funded by BMEIA – Auslandskultur and administrated by IG Freie Theaterarbeit.
In addition, ACT OUT online offers an online-video platform on Vimeo where artists / theatre groups can upload recordings of their stage productions. ACT OUT online serves, amongst others, as a selection catalogue for Austrian Cultural Forums who are interested in streaming Austrian stage productions. More information is available here.
ACT OUT Grants 2025
Submissions are now possible and are divided into two half-years for 2025, so there are two submission deadlines: For residencies in the first half of the year, which are planned between 1 January and 30 June, submissions are possible from now until Friday, 31 January. Residencies that have already been completed at the time of the jury’s decision can still be funded retrospectively if the decision is favourable.
Residencies taking place in the second half of 2025 – 1 July to 31 December – can submit their entries now up to and including Monday, 31 March. After all submissions have been reviewed by the jury, we will send out the acceptances or rejections no later than six weeks after the submission deadline.
Submission deadlines and application form:
1st half of 2025: For residencies from 1.01.25 to 30.06.25
Submission deadline: 31.01.2025
Jury decision: by 14.03.2025 at the latest
2nd half of 2025: For residencies from 1.07.25 to 31.12.25
Submission deadline: 31.03.2025
Jury decision: by 12.05.2025 at the latest
Download the application form:
> ACT OUT Residency – Application 2025
Amount and Subject of RESIDENCY Grants:
The maximum funding amount for international residencies of up to 5 persons is € 4,000.
Support is provided for:
- Costs for: Travel and accommodation (up to a maximum of 21 days)
- Fees for: artists
(Please note: ACT OUT can only support travelling artists who are tax residents in Austria).
Eligible to apply are:
- freelance groups based in Austria
- individual artists who are tax residents in Austria
From the genres:
- Drama theatre
- Musical theatre
- Children’s and youth theatre
- Dance and performance
- New Circus and Contemporary Circus
- Street art/performance
- Object and puppet theatre
Requirement:
- The place of residence bears 100 % of the costs for the workrooms, i.e. makes them available free of charge.
Minimum fees and rates are stipulated, which correspond to the IGFT minimum fee recommendations and are detailed in the application form.
Countries
Applications are open to all countries internationally, but priority is given to Europe.
Application
Applications must be submitted using the form and calculation template. Other required documents are a description of the residency (aim and intention; at least 1,500 characters), agreement/invitation for the residency, registration form or current extract from the register of associations (Vereinsregisterauszug).
Decision — Jury
The two-member jury decides on the grants by circular resolution within approx. two to four weeks after the end of the two submission deadlines in January and March. There is no legal entitlement to funding.
The Jury: Cornelia Böhnisch (Salzburg) and Teresa Waas (Tirol)
This streaming platform serves to provide the Austrian Cultural Forums and Embassies with a selection of streamable production recordings and to provide information about the productions in terms of content and form. The Austrian Cultural Forums and Embassies will select individual productions from this pool to stream them in the respective countries. Of course, the artists will receive fees from the respective cultural forums.
Artists are cordially invited to upload their own recordings, trailers and documentations of theatre productions from the independent scene.
Click here to go to the ACT OUT online platform.
To receive the vimeo-invitation link, please send an e-mail to actout[at]freietheater.at.
Contact:
Valentin Werner — Project Manager
actout[at]freietheater.at
Annual report (in German):
ACT OUT Jahresbericht 2022
ACT OUT Jahresbericht 2023
ACT OUT is funded by:
