Focus International – Ukraine
Deadlines for applications: 30 March 2025
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FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Ukraine: Traineeship Program – Tyrol/Austria 2025
FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Ukraine is a program of the Austrian Cultural Ministry, organized and hosted by Office Ukraine/Künstler*innenhaus Büchsenhausen, which provides Ukrainian artists and cultural workers based in Austria with the opportunity to gain professional work experience at various art initiatives in Tyrol. With this program, the Cultural Ministry promotes international artistic and cultural exchange – in both directions: It supports Austrian artists and art projects in the cooperation country, but is also committed to Austria’s internationality when it comes to bringing artists and cultural workers to Austria within the framework of the program.
The program offers an opportunity for artists and cultural workers from Ukraine living in Austria to collect personal work experience in a cultural institution.
The FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Ukraine Traineeship Program consists of three two-month long internships hosted by three different cultural institutions in the greater Innsbruck area:
- Literaturhaus am Inn (literature);
- Galerie St. Barbara / musik+ (music);
- Taxispalais – Kunsthalle Tirol (visual arts).
We offer
- 2 months internship in a cultural institution in the greater Innsbruck area;
- studio flat at Künstler*innenhaus Büchsenhausen or GRUNDin Rietz;
- monthly scholarship of EUR 1.300,- (for two months a total of EUR 2.600,-);
- reimbursement for up to EUR 600,– per month to cover the costs for accommodation.
Requirements
- completed university degree or certified qualification in the required cultural field;
- high level of proficiency in English or German in order to enable participants to engage in a creative dialogue in an international context.
Your Tasks
- active participation in the 2 months internship at one of the participating cultural institutions in Innsbruck (for details see the individual offer of each residency).
Application documents
- Completed digital application form (PDF, 238 KB) (make sure to download, fill in and send back as a PDF);
- CV;
- Letter of intent.
Applications are accepted in English language only.
How to Submit
Online applications only may be submitted to office.innsbruck@artistshelp-ukraine.at. Each application should not exceed 10 MB! Larger applications will not be considered.
Deadline for applications
Sunday 30 March 2025, 23.59 CET
Institutions
You can apply for one of the following options:
- Literaturhaus am Inn / August – September 2025;
- Galerie St. Barbara / musik+ / May – June 2025;
- Taxispalais – Kunsthalle Tirol / June – July 2025.
Applicants are obliged to hand in a written report after completion of the residency to the following E-mail address: office.innsbruck@artistshelp-ukraine.at
Institutions
TAXISPALAIS Kunsthalle Tirol is a non-profit art center focusing on contemporary art. Temporary exhibitions of international art explore timely questions and stimulate discourse. Alongside the shows, the TAXISPALAIS hosts artist talks, lectures, performances, and panel discussions. Located in one of Innsbruck’s earliest baroque palaces, the Kunsthalle was rebuilt and expanded in 1999, offering an 800-square-meter exhibition space. The gallery also features a public library with around 7,500 publications on contemporary art, culture, and theory, as well as major international art journals.
Dates: 1 June – 31 July
Your tasks
- Assisting in the research for exhibitions;
- Proofreading of texts/ publications;
- Assisting in organizing of events;
- Restructuring the library in close collaboration with the director and the team;
- Giving tours through the current exhibition in Ukrainian.
Requirements
- You are studying, or already hold, an academic degree in cultural studies, art history, or another field in the humanities, or have equivalent practical experience;
- You possess knowledge of current discourses in contemporary art and familiarity with the international arts scene;
- You demonstrate a strong sense of reliability;
- You are able to think and work in a team in English. German language skills are a plus, but not necessary;
- You are proficient in the use of MS Office.
Galerie St. Barbara is one of the largest and oldest Austrian cultural associations (since 1968). Its main projects are the Osterfestival Tirol and musik+. The focus is on culture in its entirety: from early and contemporary music to dance, performance, film and talks. musik+ is a series of events for young and old that combines different eras and art forms. The Osterfestival Tirol is the only contemporary multi-genre festival in western Austria. The focus is on the examination of socially relevant topics that change every year.
Dates : 1 May – 30 June
Your tasks
- Support in the organization and implementation of individual events;
- Artist and rehearsal support;
- Assistance to the evening director and evening services;
- Post-processing of events;
- Proofreading of printed materials;
- Assistance in the area of press relations and preparation of the press review;
- Support with ongoing activities and marketing;
- General office work (including ticket sales, dispatch of printed materials).
Requirements
- Interest in art and culture;
- Quick comprehension;
- Organizational skills;
- Reliability;
- Ability to work under pressure and willingness to work weekends and evenings;
- Confident and polite demeanor;
- Class B driver’s license with driving experience;
- Advanced Office skills, basic knowledge of image processing an advantage;
- Interest in online marketing (social media).
The Literaturhaus am Inn hosts live events regarding contemporary literature, ranging from book presentations to open talks. Our focus encompasses Austrian literature as well as works from other countries, fostering dialogue across diverse cultures, languages, and historical periods. Through author talks and interdisciplinary cultural events, performances, lectures, writing workshops, reading circles and exhibitions we want to present literature as a medium of conversation and knowledge transfer. In doing so, it is essential for us to create a space for personal encounters and free exchange. We want to show the special potential of literature, qualities in terms of creative drive and the joy of experimentation, but also in terms of the social and political significance of literature. The Literaturhaus am Inn is part of the Brenner Archive of Innsbruck University, facilitating collaborations with the university. We also engage in regular partnerships with cultural institutions throughout Tyrol and Austria. Our events are open to the public and are free of charge.
Dates: 1 August – 30 September
Your tasks
- Help to organize and prepare our events (which are not taking place during the summer months but are about to restart by the end of September);
- Advertise events in print and on social media;
- Set up exhibitions;
- Discuss new event formats with us and help design the new programme.
Requirements
- Passion about literature and cultural mediation;
- Willingness to undertake a diverse range of activities within the cultural sector;
- Proficiency in social media management and computer skills, particularly in graphic and design areas, would be beneficial;
- Fluency in German is advantageous.
FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Ukraine – (Re)Creation Residency – Tyrol/Austria 2025
FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Ukraine is a program of the Austrian Cultural Ministry, organized and hosted by Office Ukraine Innsbruck / Künstler*innenhaus Büchsenhausen. The aim is to provide a two-month break from the ongoing war and to offer the invited artists the possibility to pursue their artistic work in a peaceful and safe environment. The residencies are aimed primarily towards visual artists.
Organised by Office Ukraine/Künstler*innenhaus Büchsenhausen, FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Ukraine (Re)Creation Residency enables three visual artists based in Ukraine to participate in a residency for two months each in the alpine-urban setting of the City of Innsbruck and its greater area. The participants will be hosted by two cultural institutions with expertise in the field of Residency Programs: Künstler*innenhaus Büchsenhausen in Innsbruck and GRUNDin’ Residency in Rietz.
Künstler*innenhaus Büchsenhausen is a post-graduate center for production, research, mediation in the fields of visual arts and art theory. Within the framework of the fellowship program, the Künstler*innenhaus offers a platform that facilitates the development and production of artistic and art-theoretical projects in a critical context. At the same time, Büchsenhausen creates a forum for direct exchange between professionals – artists, theoreticians, critics, and curators – from the region and abroad as well as a point of interaction with local publics of interest. Künstler*innenhaus Büchsenhausen is affiliated with the Künstler*innen Vereinigung Tirol, the major association of visual artists from the region.
GRUNDin’ Residency based in Rietz/Tyrol is a non-profit cultural program that aims to promote, research and communicate art, culture and philosophy. It is located in a historical farmer’s building, in the center of a countryside-village not far from Innsbruck, surrounded by a garden, forests and the alps.
We offer
- studio for working and living;
- monthly stipend of EUR 1.300,- (for two months a total of EUR 2.600,-);
- reimbursement of up to EUR 500,- for covering the travel costs;
- reimbursement for up to EUR 600,– per month to cover the costs for accomodation.
Requirements
Completed university degree or certified qualification in the required cultural field.
Insurance
It is up to the invited artist to acquire an international health insurance.
Deadline for application
Sunday 30 March 2025, 23.59 CET
Dates
You can apply for one of the following options (mention which in your E-mail):
- 1 June – 30 July 2025;
- 1 August – 30 September 2025;
- 11 August – 3 October 2025.
Application documents
- Completed digital application form (PDF, 237 KB) (make sure to download, fill in and send back as a PDF);
- CV;
- visual portfolio/documentation of recent work. The portfolio can be submitted as PDF or via a permanent link (no time-limited download links like WeTransfer!);
- the working proposal (max 1,000 words).
Applications are accepted in English language only.
How to Submit
Online applications only may be submitted to office.innsbruck@artistshelp-ukraine.at
Each application should not exceed 10 MB! Larger applications will not be considered.
Applicants are obliged to hand in a written report after completion of the residency to the following E-mail address: office.innsbruck@artistshelp-ukraine.at