Funding the future: ‘FoRTE’ supports young creative talent in Paris
Project: artist bursaries and professional development scheme
The Purpose
The Regional Fund for Emerging Talent (FoRTE) aims to support artists and creators as they develop their professional careers. Young creative talent is essential for the cultural and economic success of Paris and the Île-de-France region, but they often struggle. Emerging artists are often isolated, lack professional support, have insufficient income, and cannot easily access the workspace, tools and materials they need.
The Challenge
The challenge being addressed is the lack of support and opportunities for emerging artists in Paris and the Île-de-France region. These artists face isolation, financial constraints, and barriers to accessing necessary resources for their creative work.
The initiative aims to provide young artists with the most effective support possible through assistance in two important original ways: finance and professional assistance, giving them the technical advice, industry networks, and support structures they need.
The Solution
Launched in 2017, FoRTE aims to address these issues and make the region a laboratory for creativity. With an endowment of €1 million, it allows for 50 beneficiaries a year, aged between 18 to 30, to benefit from a grant of €2,500 per month for a maximum of 10 months. All of the beneficiaries must be accompanied by a cultural, educational or professional host organization. The grants are awarded based on an original artistic project, selected by a jury of experts and chaired by an elected regional official.
The Impact
The program’s overall aim is to enable young artists to produce their work with the support in place to give it the best chance of being of the highest quality. It will also help creative individuals to better understand the field in which they wish to work and to give them the professional networks and national profiles needed to develop their careers. The initiative aims to provide young artists with the most effective support possible through assistance in two important original ways: finance that enables them to devote themselves to their first major artistic work; and professional assistance, giving them the technical advice, industry networks, and support structures they need. It is envisaged that the long-term outcome will be a continuous supply of creative talent who go on to build their professional careers within the region.
Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022
Images Courtesy © City of Paris
