Since 1 March 2024, international calls for projects for the 3rd edition of the Habib Sharifi Scholarship have been launched.
The Habib Sharifi Scholarship, under the auspices of the Gondishapour association, has been working since 2022 to support artists facing the ordeal of exile and uprooting. The awarded artists, noted for the excellence of their artistic productions, are accompanied and supported by the Scholarship, which provides them with the material and financial means for creation. The Iranian poet Habib Sharifi, who gave his name to the Scholarship, experienced uprooting firsthand following the 1979 revolution: "Culture is that resistance which remains when everything has been torn from us." It is in these acts of resistance, taking the form of poetry, a recital, or a documentary, that humanity must come together whenever the threatening clouds of uncertainty, suffering, and dispossession accumulate above them.
Launched as part of the third edition of the Habib Sharifi Gondishapour Scholarship, this call for projects is addressed to artists, regardless of nationality, who have been forcibly displaced from their country of origin and are now residing in Europe.
Continuing from previous editions, selected laureates will be invited to develop a poetic or musical work inspired by Habib Sharifi's poem "The Dawn of Hope," which is the guiding thread of the 3rd edition of the Scholarship.
Selection Criteria
This call for projects is addressed to forcibly exiled artists, without distinction of nationality (in possession of documents allowing free movement within the European Union), residing in the European Union for less than ten years.
Only complete applications will be considered (see terms below), and they will be evaluated based on the quality of the application and the proposed work. The candidate's background and financial means will also be considered, as well as their level of motivation. The level of autonomy of the artists in their capacity for interpretation and organization will also be taken into account.
2024 Residency Process
Due to the organization of the Olympic Games in Paris this year, there will be no onsite residency exceptionally. Instead, we propose a creation program that we call a "virtual residency" through a series of devices and programming.
The announcement of the laureates of the third edition of the Habib Sharifi Scholarship will take place around June 10, 2024. The 3rd edition will begin with an integration/masterclass day on July 9, 2024, in Paris. We will invite external speakers, experts in their discipline (including jury members), to help the laureates refine their project and get acquainted. We will also invite laureates from past editions to share their experience.
At the end of this week, the laureates will begin their creative work, which must be completed by September 10, 2024, at the latest, in view of a first presentation (virtual or in-person, depending on circumstances) planned for September 11, 2024, in front of the artistic committee of the scholarship.
Subsequently, the laureates must proceed to the definitive submission of their finalized project by November 30, 2024, at the latest, which is the final submission date.
The Scholarship program will be punctuated by the annual promotion concert, which will take place in Paris at La Gaîté Lyrique on Saturday, March 22, 2025, a day of renewal in Persian tradition and the anniversary of Habib Sharifi's death, during which the laureates will perform their works.
Throughout the year, a series of concerts and events in Paris and potentially in the regions may also be offered to the laureates as part of the Gondishapour events.
Scholars will receive an allowance of €2,000 gross. Reasonable transportation costs (within Europe) will also be covered for travel directly related to the program.
The winner of the Special Habib Sharifi-National Society of Fine Arts Prize will be awarded a scholarship of a lump sum of €3,000 for the creation of a work, which will then become the property of the National Society of Fine Arts, known as SNBA, for its heritage collections. The selected artist's production will be graciously exhibited as part of the 2024 Fine Arts Salon. This commission thus stands out as a unique opportunity for the laureate for visibility and promotion of their work.
Summary of Required Availability Dates
Application deadline: May 26, 2024 (23:59)
June 10, 2024: announcement of laureates
July 8, 2024 (date to be confirmed) in Paris: masterclass presentation of the Scholarship
November 30, 2024: final submission date
March 21-23, 2025 in Paris: preparation and participation in the annual promotion concert
Application Procedures
Candidates must submit their application before Friday, May 26, 2024, at 11:59 PM (CET). Late submissions will automatically be disqualified. To apply, candidates must fully complete the application form.
In French: https://forms.gle/fREwvZvCpD74fwyC8
In English: https://forms.gle/EdySRvdnNMVssEYi7
The applications will be reviewed by a jury composed of individuals representing the various artistic disciplines that may be called upon (musical, poetic, artistic, etc.), whose names are presented on the website.