The Bertha
Artivism Awards

Artivism can be described as the dynamic practice of creating “Art that is grounded in the act of ‘doing’ and addresses political or social issues”¹. It combines the creative power of the arts to move us emotionally, alter our perception and stimulate feelings with the strategic planning of activism to challenge and change power relations in order to bring about social change. At Bertha we believe artivism should be rooted in communities, organizations and movements.

To explore current and past Bertha Artivists' projects - view here.

Artivism Award recipients will receive:

Grant Funding of up to USD 20,000 per project, including up to USD 1,000 to support the documentation and reflection process. Bertha will use the material gathered to develop a short video capturing the process and impact of each Artivism project.

Peer and mentor support in the form of virtual check-ins with Bertha staff and a cohort of Bertha Artivists.

Eligibility criteria

Bertha endeavors to select an inclusive and representative cohort of Bertha Artivists that celebrates diversity. Applicants may come from and work in any country, but to ensure that each cohort of Bertha Artivists is able to be fully participatory, we require all applicants to be proficient in spoken and written English and able to deliver their reporting and evaluation in English or with English translation. 

Bertha Artivists will be selected on individual merit but also on their connection to the issues and the communities they seek to empower. Bertha Artivists can be individual artists, arts collectives or arts organizations. We welcome applications from breakout, mid-career and experienced artists. 

Successful applicants will ideally have:

• A body of work or portfolio showcasing their work.
• A history of social impact work.
• Strong personal connections to the community and issues being engaged with.
• Experience working in collaborative networks with local artists, collectives and stakeholders in the community.
• Affiliation to appropriate partners or organizations to amplify work produced during the project.

Project requirements
The Bertha Artivism Awards support artistic activism projects of any artistic medium. 

Projects must:

• Have a clear audience in mind (i.e. a community it is located within, the community it aims to empower and other communities that may be affected.)
• Have a plan with clear deliverables and timeline, and must be completed within one year.
• Incorporate an assessment of the risks/potential unintended consequences of participation to targeted communities in their design.
• Be accessible to the public without charge. This does not preclude accepting donations for the work produced.
• Not involve political lobbying activities.
• Use non-violent strategies.

Participation requirements
The Bertha Artivism Awards are not intended to be a full-time commitment; projects should be localized, focused on a specific audience community and not monopolize all of your time. Bertha Artivists will, however, be required to attend occasional online convenings (a maximum of three during the year) with their cohort and one-to-one check-ins with Bertha staff. 

A key component of the Bertha Artivism Awards is documenting the process and impact of the project on the community for reflection, evaluation and learning. Bertha will engage a filmmaker to work with each Bertha Artivist to produce a 3 - 4 minute video documenting their project, which will serve as the Artivists’ final report.

Bertha Artivists will be required to gather multimedia material throughout the year for use in their video, documenting project development, project events, testimony and insights from the project team and partners and audience and community feedback. Bertha Artivists will also be requested to self-record an interview for use in the film.

Artivists may apply for up to USD 1,000 to cover costs associated with documentation, this should be included in your overall budget of up to USD 20,000.

Please complete the online application form by 23:59 (BST) on 20 September 2024. Applicants will be required to submit:

• Link(s) to portfolio/examples of their work.
• A CV or biography summarizing their work to date.
• A 2 - 3 minute video about themselves and why they are applying.
• A budget for their proposed project, including any documentation costs (max. USD 1,000)

Please note that should you use any generative AI tools in your application you need to cite this. 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in a short interview with Bertha staff between 11 - 22 November 2024.

For any enquiries related to the 2025 Bertha Artivism Awards, email artivismawards@berthafoundation.org