Currently 5 active design grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in Asia. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Touch Some Grass is an open-call poster exhibition responding to the growing presence of AI-generated imagery and its impact on creative labour, authorship and visual culture. At a time when images can be produced instantly and consumed just as quickly, the exhibition reclaims the poster as a space for ideas, intention and public conversation, inviting artists to make work that questions, challenges or reflects on this changing landscape. As the organisers put it, the question is no longer whether machines can make images, they can; the question is what kind of world we build when speed matters more than thought. NOTE: this call offers exhibition and visibility only, with no artist fee or stipend. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: artwork size A3 (297 x 420 mm), portrait orientation, 300 DPI, CMYK recommended, print-quality PDF preferred, maximum file size 1 GB, one submission per artist. CAP: participation is limited to 60 artists and the submission form closes automatically once all slots are filled, so the effective deadline may fall well before 31 August 2026 (10 of 60 slots were taken at the time of listing). Inato Gallery is an artist-run space in Iligan City, Philippines, which began as a solo street exhibition by KaraTula and now runs concept-driven solo and group shows, open mics, talks and workshops built on openness, participation and the belief that art should exist where people already are.
A research fellowship from Impart, an online platform building accessible resources on South Asia's art histories, in collaboration with Nalli Silks, a heritage textile brand established in 1928. The programme has supported two research projects a year since 2024-25; for the 2027-28 cycle two fellowships are awarded, each carrying a grant of up to INR 5.5 lakhs for one year of independent research and project development. AREAS OF FOCUS: underexplored textile-related histories, practices and traditions across South Asia. Any textile-centric subject may be proposed; the call particularly encourages textiles in religious, literary, liturgical and mythological contexts; the environmental impact of textile production and consumption; endangered or disappearing textile traditions; critical perspectives on textile revivalism, digitisation, archives and material afterlives; labour in textile production with attention to caste, class and gender; relationships between textiles and other cultural forms including storytelling, poetry, music, architecture and material culture; techniques, technologies and tools tied to specific traditions; South Asian textiles within the contemporary global design economy; intellectual property, ownership and cultural rights; and socio-cultural perspectives on the relationship between handmade and industrial textiles. ELIGIBILITY: open to anyone aged 18 or over residing anywhere in the world, provided the project engages with textile practices in the wider South Asia region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet). Early- and mid-career researchers, designers, archivists, journalists, writers, educators, practitioners, collectives and small organisations are all welcome, and collaborative projects are permitted provided co-creators are credited and listed in the application. Both new and ongoing projects are eligible, but applicants must specify which part of the project the grant will develop and disclose any current or previous funding from other organisations. SUPPORTED FORMATS: journalistic inquiry, documentary film, archive activation, practice-based research, archive generation, digitisation and documentation initiatives, and exhibition or book projects. DELIVERABLES: a comprehensive project report at the end of the grant period; a research dossier developed from that report in collaboration with Impart, presenting key questions and findings and hosted on Impart's website for public benefit; and a set of final project outputs, which may be audio-visual (interviews, short films), visual essays (photographic or process-based documentation), written pieces (essays, features, interviews) or curatorial work (exhibition or digital curation). Fellows also take part in periodic check-ins and submit progress reports. Copyright is settled case by case, but all final outputs must be made openly and freely accessible to the public. APPLICATION: a Google Form structured as a full project proposal, plus a project budget (percentage-based allocation is acceptable, but be as specific as possible), a project timeline for the one-year period with key phases, activities and milestones, and a single supporting PDF containing an up-to-date CV, selected work samples, and up to two letters of support or recommendation. The form is in English; applicants who would prefer another language are invited to write to Impart to arrange an alternative. NOTE: the fellowship has a strict no-tolerance policy on the use of AI or LLMs in the application form or any submitted materials, and any violation results in rejection. KEY DATES: applications close 31 August 2026; awardees notified December 2026; fellowships run January to December 2027. No individual feedback is given on unsuccessful applications.
Design Trust offers grants to individual designers, curators, collectives, and non-profit organisations for projects and activities relevant to various design disciplines, supporting work relevant to the context and content of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao and the nine Guangdong municipalities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing). It supports innovative, thought-provoking investigations across design disciplines from graphics, media, and wearables to architecture and the built environment, including exhibitions, research projects, and creative installations that advocate the positive role of design in the region. THREE GRANTS: (1) SEED GRANT (HKD 50,000) fosters experimentation, testing, and sharing, awarded to individuals kick-starting a meaningful project with social, educational, economical, or environmental impact; supports emerging designers, young scholars, and projects in the pipeline needing additional resources, including research and prototypes focused on Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area issues to be showcased at international venues, symposia, or biennales. (2) FEATURE GRANT (capped at HKD 300,000, awarded annually upon special consideration) fosters cross-disciplinary projects on the Greater Bay Area with wide-reaching audiences, often sited at an exhibition or biennale of international standing, supporting exchange between a Hong Kong/China-based collective and an internationally renowned cultural institution. (3) IMPACT GRANT supports public-facing, community-based projects led by former Design Trust grant recipients, fellows, and mentees with a proven track record; considered case-by-case (contact grantapplication@designtrust.hk). ELIGIBILITY: individuals, collectives, and certified non-profit organisations either based in the Greater Bay Area or seeking support for design projects related to the region. Individuals or collectives who have completed two Feature Grants or three Seed Grants should apply for the Impact Grant instead. APPLICATION: two cycles annually, deadlines 20 April and 20 October (late submissions roll to the next cycle); apply at least 3 to 6 months before the project's commencement. Design Trust may provide full or partial funding on a case-by-case basis.
Multidisciplinary international residency at the A4 Residency Art Center in Chengdu, China, a global exchange platform integrating creation, networking and resources, dedicated to fostering cross-cultural creative collisions and innovation through residency programmes while promoting deep integration of creative culture with commerce and communities. Residents initiate one to two participatory local activities to facilitate communication with the city and community; A4 also organises group activities, intimate sharing and exhibition opportunities to foster understanding among creators and connect them with local resources. AVAILABLE DATES: Spring 2028 (April - June) or Autumn 2028 (July - October). ELIGIBILITY: international applicants from any field; A4 welcomes applications from multidisciplinary artists (visual, performing, music, film, sound, architecture), curators, designers (product, fashion, spatial, interactive), and interdisciplinary creatives. PROGRAMME SUPPORT: studio and accommodation; round-trip economy airfare or 2nd-class train within a set budget; RMB 10,000 production grant per person/team (excluding living expenses). DEADLINE: 31 December 2026 (2028 cycles). APPLY via the A4 Residency Art Center latest-recruitment page.
A science communication and information-design role at SAFL, South Asia's first research and capacity-building lab for navigating powerful AI, whose foundational work is supported by Schmidt Sciences and the Future of Life Institute among others. THE ROLE: turn the lab's research into clear writing and visuals for funders, partners, policymakers and the public. You read technical and policy work on AI and explain it in plain language without losing the substance. NOTE THAT A LARGE PART OF THIS ROLE IS VISUAL: building slide decks and visual maps that show what the lab works on and how the parts fit together, used for fundraising and partner updates. You work closely with the research and leadership team. WHAT THEY WANT: ideally 2 to 5 years of relevant experience, though the posting says a strong body of work can stand in for years. You do not need to be a known voice in the field; you do need to write clearly, learn their research quickly and care about getting it right. WHAT YOU WOULD BE EXPLAINING: technical AI governance and policy (evaluation standards, incident reporting, logging and provenance, attribution, liability), AI security and alignment research including the security of India's digital public infrastructure, and the societal and economic impacts of AI on labour, growth and public finances in India and other developing economies. HONEST WARNING FROM THE POSTING: 'The work is demanding, and we mean that plainly.' You will often be the first person to put new research into words a non-expert can follow, priorities shift as the field shifts, and the work goes straight to funders, government partners and the public. Not a role with fixed scope or settled routine. DEADLINE: none published; rolling.