DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program
| Formation | 1963 |
|---|---|
| Legal status | residential artists’ program |
| Headquarters | Berlin |
|
Region served
|
Berlin |
|
Leadership
|
Katharina Narbutovic |
| Website | http://www.berliner-kuenstlerprogramm.de/en/index_en.php |
The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program (German: Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD) is a residential program for artists of all countries and ages run by the German Academic Exchange Service (German: ‘Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst', DAAD) in Berlin. Originally initiated by the Ford Foundation in 1963, the program has been run by the DAAD – with the assistance of the German Federal Foreign Office and the Senate of Berlin – since 1965. The program annually invites around 20 artists working within visual arts, literature, music and film to spend a year (in the case of film, six months) living and working in Berlin. It is aimed at artists who have already demonstrated considerable talent, but are yet to become fully established. It is one of the foremost artistic programs in Europe, and has hosted artists, filmmakers and writers such as Steve McQueen, Susan Sontag, John Cage, Margaret Atwood, Asghar Farhadi, Damien Hirst, Nan Goldin, Shahzia Sikander, Chirikure Chirikure and AA Bronson. Katharina Narbutovič is currently head of the program.
In 1963, a year and a half after the construction of the Berlin Wall, the Ford Foundation created a three-year program aimed at expanding and strengthening the cultural and educational resources of West Berlin. The Foundation made an initial donation of three million US dollars and placed James B. Conant, former president of Harvard University and former United States Ambassador to Germany, in charge. 300,000 and 350,000 dollars respectively were allocated to the creation of two new courses at the Free University of Berlin – one in American Studies, and another in Comparative Music Studies. 590,000 dollars were used to make it possible for ‘artists, writers, academics, scientists and composers’ to spend ‘an extended period of time living and working in Berlin.’ In 1965 the DAAD took over the running of the program, and renamed it the Artists-in-Berlin Program. It now gained additional support from the German Federal Foreign Office and the Senate of Berlin. Hansgerd Schulte, president of the DAAD from 1972 to 1987, called it ‘the jewel in the crown’ – a unique entity amongst the many programs run by the DAAD. In 2013, the program is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary. This will be marked by a two-day celebration hosted at the Berlin Academy of Art, featuring performances from Antjie Krog, Sjòn, Jennifer Walshe and Phil Collins, among others. A 50th anniversary countdown blog has also been created, featuring contributions from various guests about their time in Berlin.
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