Currently 11 active paid grants, fellowships and residencies taking place in Belgium, across AI, arts, film, journalism, research, tech and cross-disciplinary practice. Many are open to applicants of any nationality; check each entry for residency and citizenship requirements. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Privacy Camp holds its 14th edition on 13 October 2026 in Brussels and online, organised by European Digital Rights (EDRi) with the Research Group on Law, Science, Technology & Society (LSTS) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Privacy Salon vzw, the Institute for European Studies at Université Saint-Louis Bruxelles, and the Racism and Technology Center. THEME: 'The Origins of Future Technologies: Towards communities of digital self-determination'. The call starts from the premise that digital futures do not appear from nowhere but are built through land, labour, capital, infrastructure, law, public money, political choices and social struggle, and asks where technologies come from, who gets to shape them, and what conditions make digital self-determination possible. It situates this against the EU's 2026 Tech Sovereignty Package (semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and data centres) and the wider deregulatory agenda including the Digital Omnibus, the AI Omnibus and reforms affecting data protection, privacy, labour and environmental safeguards, asking whose version of sovereignty is actually being discussed. TOPIC AREAS: (1) Material conditions in the production of technologies, covering the natural resources needed across the supply chain (critical components such as semiconductors, water for data centres) and how GDPR, ePrivacy and AI Act safeguards shape the material conditions of AI from data extraction and biometric processing through to data centres, labour and public infrastructure; labour conditions, including who mines critical materials, union-busting across the tech supply chain, and coalitions between tech workers, unions, migrant justice groups, climate movements and digital rights organisations; and capital, meaning the venture capital forces driving the current AI hype and consolidating through defence, security and militarisation. (2) Political vision in the use of technologies, covering military use and how militarisation and securitisation shape the EU deregulation debate, and the political ideologies driving technology development, including what digital self-determination means for communities facing racialised discrimination, surveillance, occupation, border violence, workplace control or environmental harm. (3) Moving technologies forward through communities, covering community innovation for digital self-determination (distributed and self-hosted data storage, AI built by and for community needs, community-led, public or cooperative digital infrastructure); law, deregulation and rights (resisting the Digital Omnibus and specifically the Data Omnibus, defending GDPR and ePrivacy safeguards, protecting access, transparency and automated decision-making rights, enforcing existing digital laws, supporting collective litigation, and challenging the framing of rights as obstacles to EU competitiveness); and building power by connecting grassroots movements across tech worker organising, labour, migrant, LGBTQIA+, climate, economic justice and landback movements. FORMATS: interactive workshops are particularly encouraged, meaning small-group work, peer exchange and collaboration across sectors, coalitions and disciplines, moving from talk to strategic action; panel discussions are also welcome, especially those centring diverse voices and grounded lived experience with room for meaningful audience engagement. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: state a clear objective for the session and what a good outcome would be; make it as interactive as possible; support a diversity of voices and multiple perspectives; average session length is 50 minutes; propose the format that actually suits the idea rather than forcing a panel into a workshop or vice versa. For workshops, make the objectives, structure and facilitation clear and have participants work together in small groups towards a specific goal; the organisers provide additional guidance, support and feedback for workshops. For panels, list a maximum of 4 speakers covering academia, civil society and decision-maker perspectives, and indicate which speakers have confirmed at least in principle. TIMELINE: proposals due via the online form by 10 August 2026 at 09:00 CEST; the Content Committee notifies applicants before 21 August 2026; confirmation to proceed required by 25 August; draft programme published 4 September; speakers and final session description confirmed by 10 September at the latest (earlier confirmation improves the odds that the EUR 400 reimbursement budget covers speaker travel and accommodation); final programme published 28 September. The 2026 Content Committee is Andreea Belu (EDRi), Gloria González Fuster (LSTS, VUB), Jill Toh (Racism and Technology Center), Sanne Stevens (Justice, Equity and Technology Project) and Alexandra Giannopoulou (DFF). Programme enquiries: andreea.belu@edri.org. Venue and reimbursement enquiries: guillermo.peris@edri.org.
Human Rights Watch is hiring an AI Strategy and Solutions Lead into its Operations Department to build the foundation for responsible AI adoption across the organisation. The role deliberately sits between strategy and execution: assessing organisational readiness, mapping partnerships and governance, and also prototyping and shipping working systems. THE WORK, in four strands. (1) STRATEGY AND READINESS: with the CIO and the Information Security and Technology (IST) leadership team, build an AI strategy covering data foundation requirements, infrastructure gaps and organisational readiness; assess current state and shape a roadmap balancing quick wins against long-term capacity; research what peer nonprofit, humanitarian and human rights organisations are doing and find collaboration openings. (2) FLAGSHIP SOLUTIONS: work with departments to find high-impact use cases, translate business needs into technical approaches, build and deploy AI/ML solutions with measurable value (time saved, efficiency, better outcomes), using the Microsoft AI ecosystem (Copilot Studio, Azure AI, Power Platform) among other tools, and oversee consultants and vendors to extend delivery capacity. (3) ADOPTION AND CAPACITY: balance onboarding staff onto AI tools against building custom solutions where they amplify the organisation's strengths; write training material pitched at different work areas and skill levels covering prompting and responsible use; support working groups and communities of practice; produce playbooks and guides for non-technical staff. (4) GOVERNANCE: partner with IST leadership on risk assessment frameworks, align solutions with security, infrastructure and architecture requirements, contribute to AI policy development and its operationalisation, set standards for evaluating proofs of concept and MVPs, and engage business units so outcomes are co-owned; all of it balanced against data quality, security and resource constraints and HRW's mission as a human rights organisation. WHO THEY WANT: a bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience in computer science, data science, information systems, mathematics, AI/ML implementation or a related technical field; a minimum of seven years' relevant experience including two to three years on AI and two to three years implementing AI/ML in production; experience contributing to technology strategy and assessing organisational readiness for new technology; strong Python and ML library/framework skills; hands-on predictive modelling, data science and statistical analysis; experience with low-code/no-code AI platforms such as Copilot Studio or Power Platform; a track record of scoping and delivering under resource constraints; a grasp of both generative AI and traditional ML; and the ability to explain technical concepts plainly to mixed audiences, engage stakeholders and lead technology adoption as an internal partner to business teams. PREFERRED: nonprofit, humanitarian or human rights experience; data privacy, security and ethical AI knowledge; familiarity with responsible AI frameworks and governance models; vendor and consultant management; and a background in politically sensitive or high-risk environments. APPLY: through the HRW job portal with a cover letter and CV, preferably as PDFs, by 30 August 2026. Only complete applications are reviewed and only shortlisted candidates are contacted; no calls or email enquiries. HRW states that it does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or criminal record.
European Lab and the Sphera Network are opening submissions for the discourse programme of the next Sphera Media Lab, the annual forum for people defending independent media in Europe. THEMES: technological independence (sovereignty, tools, mutualisation); economic independence (cooperative models); editorial independence (press freedom, resisting the far right). FORMATS SOUGHT: masterclasses, led by an expert sharing advanced knowledge, technique and hands-on insight; and keynotes, inspiring talks grounded in a specific case study. WHO CAN PROPOSE: media outlets, associations, researchers and professionals. The organisers state they pay particular attention to parity and diversity across their programmes and ask that proposals take those criteria into account. WHAT IS COVERED: selected contributors travel to Brussels with transport, accommodation and a fee covered. THE EVENT: Sphera Media Lab 2026 runs on 3 December 2026 at LaVallee in Brussels, a full day of conferences, masterclasses and workshops for independent media professionals from across Europe, alongside the premiere of a documentary on threats facing European journalists. APPLICATION: submit your masterclass or keynote proposal via the Typeform at arty-farty.typeform.com/to/xnDikGGM before 31 August 2026.
The European AI & Society Fund is launching Building Narrative Power, a EUR 2 million funding and learning programme to counter Big Tech's dominance over how AI is understood, and to help people and communities shape new ways of thinking and talking about the technology they want. The Fund's strategy is to build the power of the public interest community to shape the direction of AI in Europe; narratives are central to creating the conditions for a greater say over how AI is adopted and used. THREE THEMES where research shows the public already feels strongly: (1) DATA CENTRES: as the EU aims to triple data centre numbers in the next five to seven years, pollution, energy prices and compromised grid access have mobilised communities across the political spectrum; proposals should explore narrative questions that move communities beyond resistance towards engagement in shaping data centre expansion. (2) AI AND JOBS: 57% of the public in a recent study expressed concern about how AI will change employment, more pronounced among lower-income people, and the concern is not only displacement but the quality and nature of work, autonomy and dignity; proposals should move the debate from generalised anxiety into a mobilising issue that shapes the future of work. (3) YOUNG PEOPLE: beyond the strident social media ban debate, young people encounter AI in education, friendships and future careers, and their wider views are rarely heard; proposals should build narratives that help young people shape the technologies that will influence their lives. LEARNING PROGRAMME: grantees join a community of practice, sharing experiences across issues and places, supporting each other through delivery and reflecting on which strategies and stories have most salience, with findings feeding back to the Fund and other funders. ABOUT THE FUNDER: the European AI & Society Fund is a pooled fund with 18 funding partners that mobilises a public interest community in Europe to fight for AI that serves people, society and planet; it takes no EU, government or Big Tech money. ELIGIBILITY: this call is only open to organisations in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland; applications from the UK, the Western Balkans and other non-European countries are not accepted. Guidance for applicants and a full application-form preview are published so you can prepare a draft before submitting. HOW TO APPLY: create an account on the Fund's application platform Optimy (link in the guidance documents) and submit the first-stage application before 31 August 2026. KEY DATES: call launched 16 July 2026; information sessions 22 July, 29 July and 24 August 2026 (11:00 to 12:00 CET); first-stage deadline 31 August 2026; unsuccessful applicants notified 16 October 2026; shortlisted applicants invited to submit a detailed proposal on 19 October 2026, due 16 November 2026; funding decisions notified 14 December 2026; grants start February 2027. Questions to info@europeanaifund.org; an FAQ covering eligibility, coalitions, non-profit status and what the grant can be spent on is published at the bottom of the programme page.
DRIFT (Dance and Research In The Future Time) is a four-year Creative Europe cooperation between ten European organisations, led by Theatre de Liege and Maison de la danse. The distinguishing feature is that it funds artistic research rather than production: you are expected to arrive with questions, not a finished piece you already intend to make, and reviewers read every section of the application through that lens. STRUCTURE: each of the ten partner organisations selects one choreographer from its own country, forming a cohort of ten. Over the programme you get an Onboarding Lab, two weeks of residency with your national partner, three collaborative Online Labs, a Festival Lab in Tunis, individual artistic and curatorial mentoring, and a work-in-progress showcase at the Biennale de la danse in Lyon, all backed by a EUR 20,000 research budget that covers your fees, travel, accommodation and any collaborators. SECOND PHASE: after a further evaluation, five of the ten artists may receive co-production support and touring across the DRIFT network. That phase is separate from this application and is not guaranteed. ELIGIBILITY: professional choreographers in contemporary dance or performance, at a mid-career stage, meaning an established national practice but not yet fully established internationally. You must be based in Belgium, France, Germany (Berlin region only), Greece, Norway, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia or Portugal, and you apply through the partner organisation representing your country of residence, not centrally. Good English and availability for all programme dates are required. The country list is strict, so check it before you start. TIMELINE: applications opened 1 July 2026 and close 31 August 2026; selection through September; results 9 October 2026; programme runs November 2026 to September 2027.
The International Conference on Live Coding is dedicated to practices and research focused on technologies and philosophies that interpret the use of computer code and the public writing of algorithms as performative gestures. The 10th edition runs 9 to 13 March 2027 in Antwerp, hosted by Lambdasonic (TOPLAP Belgium) with the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp and De Singel. THEME: 'Dialogues', framing live coding as continuous improvisational exchange between coder, machine and audience, and across disciplines. Suggested topics include dialogues between live coding and acoustic musicians, dancers, theatre, classically trained musicians reading live-coded (or graphical) scores, band and jazz-combo settings, live-coder ensembles, ten-minute live-coded mini-operas, DMX lighting systems, graphics and shader live coding, robotics (pen plotters, textile-weaving robots), design-as-performance, community building, diversity/equity/inclusion, accessibility of live coding languages and interfaces, education, and algorave. The venues will facilitate collaborations with resident dancers, a jazz combo (back-line provided: drums, guitar amp, bass amp, piano), a string quartet reading scores a prima vista, visual artists, students and researchers where possible. FORMATS: short papers (2-4 pages) and long papers (5-12 pages) using the provided template; live performances (800-word abstract, max 150-word programme note, technical rider); workshops (short 2h or long 4h, max 700-word abstract, held in English or Dutch); installations (max 700-word abstract, technical questionnaire plus a measured plan or sketch, with the interactive aspect clearly defined); and satellite events. All contributors submit a max 150-word biography. Peer review is single-blind with at least two reviewers per submission. LANGUAGE: submissions must be in English, except that live performance, installation and workshop proposals may also be submitted in another language (workshops: English, Dutch or French) with a machine-translated English version, stated as such. Substantial use of generative AI in writing papers and performance abstracts must be disclosed; proofreading and translation are exempt. In-person presentation is encouraged, with remote proposals considered and sessions live-streamed where possible; the organisers ask attendees to minimise travel impact and to link up with nearby satellite events to turn a long trip into a mini-tour. The call notes attention to access needs, care responsibilities and other barriers to participation. SATELLITE EVENTS: live coding nodes, art schools and other organisations worldwide are invited to host their own events before or after ICLC 2027; submit a declaration of interest via Fourwaves before 1 February 2027 with a principal contact, city and any confirmed details, and join #iclc-satellite-events on the TOPLAP Discord. Hosts are asked to seek local funding for accommodation, travel and artist fees; the committee cannot fund or organise these but will coordinate dates and publish your event. TO APPLY: submit via Fourwaves at https://event.fourwaves.com/iclc2027/pages using the templates at https://codeberg.org/iclc/iclc-templates (read the README for full proposal instructions). Submission deadline extended to 1 September 2026; acceptance notification 1 November 2026. CALL FOR REVIEWERS: anyone active in a live-coding-related field can volunteer by emailing a short description and keywords of their expertise to iclc@lambdasonic.be, the same address for general questions.
The residencies at Q-O2 offer time and space for artistic research, reflection and creation in the field of experimental music and sound art. In 2027, Q-O2 will host 20 residencies, 10 for international artists and 10 for local artists living in Belgium, working with, on or around sound. The programme is open to artists, art workers and theorists who wish to pursue a research-oriented project; note that Q-O2 does not organise production-directed residencies and is not a rehearsal space. Duos are possible, and exceptionally small groups too. SUPPORT: a work studio and materials, a creative and communicative environment, and the possibility to present work to a public and/or propose a workshop; for international residents, accommodation in a shared apartment and a contribution to travel expenses of up to EUR 200; and a small subsistence budget reserved for artists who do not come with other funding. There is no artist fee. A final public presentation can be arranged if the artist wishes but is not expected; what Q-O2 requires are some traces of the residency in word, image and/or audio form. APPLY by 15 September 2026: email a concise project proposal of no more than one page plus a permanent link to your website or other secondary information (no temporary links) to info@q-o2.be with the subject 'Residency27 - your name'. State where you would travel from, how long you would like to stay (4 to 6 weeks), and your interest in Q-O2 as a working environment, and make sure you receive an email confirmation of receipt.
The Royal Conservatoire Antwerp (AP University of the Arts) invites applications for artistic research projects starting 20 September 2027, in three types: start projects, one-year projects, and two-year research projects. Applications are embedded in one or more of the Conservatoire's four research groups, supervised by a supervisor, and must align with the Conservatoire's mission and vision. FOCAL POINTS across disciplines: research into improvisation and intuitive creation and performance practices; new dramaturgical and scenographic approaches in cross-over projects; methodologies for interdisciplinary creation processes; sustainable relationships between artists and urban communities; the possibilities and limitations of inclusion in education and/or on stage; and well-being and resilience in music and performing arts. FUNDING (salaried research position): start projects, 20% employment for 12 months plus EUR 1,000 operating resources; one-year projects, 55% employment for 12 months plus EUR 1,000; two-year projects, 55% employment for 24 months plus EUR 2,000. PRECONDITIONS: the applicant holds a relevant master's degree and conducts research situated in or arising from their own artistic practice with the capacity for discursivity; the proposal must align with the Conservatoire's mission/vision; the applicant must be able to enter contractual employment with the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp/AP University of the Arts for the duration of the project (international applicants must hold a valid Belgian work permit); proposals may be submitted only in Dutch or English. PROCEDURE (two steps): STEP 1, submit an expression of interest by 21 September 2026, 12:00 noon (applicants informed by the week of 5 October whether they may develop a full proposal with a research group); STEP 2, submit the full project dossier by 1 December 2026, 12:00 noon. Evaluation by an independent reading committee aims to conclude in March 2027. Contact: Kevin Voets, Head of Research, kevin.voets@ap.be.
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts) invites applications for two-year artistic research projects starting 20 September 2027. Two-year research projects provide 55% employment for the research assignment over 24 months (as a contractual project staff member) plus EUR 2,000 in operating funds (EUR 1,000 per project year). Proposals are developed in collaboration with the Academy's research groups and must align with, endorse, and further develop the mission and vision of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. PRECONDITIONS: the proposal must be in line with the Academy's mission/vision; the applicant must be legally employable by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp/AP Hogeschool on a contractual basis; and, at the time of application, the applicant must hold a Master's degree in Visual Arts awarded by a Belgian higher education institution (a non-Belgian degree is possible only if validated or recognised through the NARIC procedure, with proof included or a declared willingness to undergo it). PROCEDURE (two steps): STEP 1, apply via the Expression of Interest form sent to research_royalacademyantwerp@ap.be before 3 November 2026, 12:00 noon (applicants informed no later than end November 2026 whether they may develop a full dossier); STEP 2, submit the full dossier via the two-year project application form before 1 February 2027, 12:00 noon. Evaluation by an independent reading committee aims to conclude in May 2027. Contact: research_royalacademyantwerp@ap.be.
The European Media Art Platform (EMAP/EMARE) is a network of leading European media-art organisations offering fully funded two-month production residencies for artists working with digital media, including media art, bio art and robotic art. Each residency provides a EUR 4,000 grant to the applying artist (including subsistence), a EUR 4,000 project budget, host-provided accommodation, travel covered according to EU ceilings, and access to technical facilities and media labs; a collaborating artist receives an additional EUR 2,000 (EUR 6,000 total for a duo). Residencies take place at one of 15 host institutions across Austria, France, Slovakia, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, Germany and Poland. ELIGIBILITY: applicants must be EU residents or taxpayers in an EU member state, or residents/taxpayers of one of the eligible non-EU countries (Netherlands-based artists qualify). Undergraduate and Master's students are not eligible; PhD candidates and emerging artists of any age and academic background may apply. IMPORTANT: applicants must apply as a duo or collective, or propose a collaborative project, rather than as a purely solo applicant. The 2027 open call runs from 3 September 2026 to 6 November 2026 at 14:00 CET. Apply online at call.emare.eu. No application fee.
Pink Screens, Brussels' queer film festival run by Genres d'a cote, accepts international films completed 2024 or later that were not previously submitted. Submissions are free via the festival's own form on pinkscreens.org (the FilmFreeway route may charge). No exact deadline is published, but the call is in its late phase, so submit soon.