Culture Helps Solidarity Project Grant Program (Ukraine)

Deadline: 06-Oct-26

The Culture Helps Solidarity Project Grant Program supports small-scale cultural and community initiatives that explore memory, commemoration, and the lived experiences of people affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. The programme supports artistic, educational, research-based, and participatory projects that promote remembrance, dialogue, solidarity, recovery, and responsible public engagement with wartime experiences.

About the Culture Helps Solidarity Project Grant Program

The Culture Helps Solidarity Project Grant Program supports cultural and community-based initiatives that help individuals and communities process experiences of war, displacement, trauma, and loss. The programme uses cultural and artistic practices to strengthen social connections and create safe opportunities for remembrance, reflection, and dialogue. The current call focuses specifically on memory and commemoration, encouraging projects that document and represent lived experiences while protecting the dignity, safety, and agency of the people involved. What Does the Program Support? The programme supports projects that create meaningful ways to remember and reflect on the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The programme particularly values projects that provide space for people to share experiences and participate actively in shaping how those experiences are remembered. Why Does Memory and Commemoration Matter? War can disrupt communities, relationships, cultural practices, and people’s sense of belonging. Memory and commemoration projects can provide structured spaces where communities document experiences, preserve stories, and reflect on changes caused by conflict. The programme is intended for people and initiatives working in the cultural, creative, community, and civil society sectors.

Potential applicants include:

Artists. Cultural workers. Researchers. Community organisers. Memory practitioners. Civil society initiatives. Cultural and community-based organisations. Applicants may be based in Ukraine or other European countries, subject to the programme’s specific eligibility requirements. Who Should the Projects Engage? Projects can work with communities and individuals directly affected by the war, including: Veterans. Families of fallen people. Displaced communities. Local residents. Witnesses and survivors of wartime experiences. Other communities affected by displacement, loss, or disruption. Projects should avoid treating affected individuals simply as sources of stories. Instead, participants should have meaningful agency over how their experiences are represented. What Makes a Strong Project? A strong proposal should demonstrate a clear connection between the proposed cultural activity and the programme’s objectives. Submit the required project information and supporting materials according to the programme’s application requirements. Tips for Applicants

Applicants should:

Keep the project focused and achievable. Clearly explain the community need. Avoid sensationalising wartime experiences. Include affected communities in decision-making. Explain how participants will benefit. Use trauma-informed approaches. Protect sensitive personal information. Demonstrate realistic project outcomes. Show how the project can contribute to longer-term memory and community resilience. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Treating participants only as subjects of documentation. Using traumatic experiences without adequate consent. Failing to explain participant safety measures. Proposing activities with no clear connection to memory or commemoration. Making the project primarily commercial. Using overly broad objectives that cannot be achieved through a small-scale project. Failing to demonstrate meaningful community participation. Frequently Asked Questions What is the Culture Helps Solidarity Project Grant Program? It is a cultural funding programme supporting small-scale initiatives focused on memory, commemoration, solidarity, and the lived experiences of people affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. What types of projects can receive support? Projects may use artistic, educational, research-based, or participatory approaches to explore memory, remembrance, documentation, community recovery, and public reflection. Who can apply? Potential applicants include cultural workers, artists, researchers, community organisers, memory practitioners, civil society initiatives, and other eligible cultural or community actors based in Ukraine and Europe. Can projects work with veterans and displaced communities? Yes. The programme encourages projects that responsibly engage with veterans, families of fallen people, displaced communities, local residents, and others directly affected by the war. Why is trauma-informed practice important? Memory projects may involve sensitive experiences of violence, displacement, loss, and trauma. Trauma-informed approaches help ensure that participants are treated with dignity and that their safety, privacy, consent, and agency are respected. Can a project be research-based? Yes. Research-based projects can be eligible when they meaningfully engage with memory, commemoration, lived experiences, and the programme’s broader objectives. What should applicants prioritise when developing a proposal? Applicants should prioritise community participation, responsible storytelling, participant safety, clear cultural value, meaningful outcomes, and respectful approaches to memory and commemoration. Conclusion The Culture Helps Solidarity Project Grant Program provides an opportunity for cultural and community practitioners to develop responsible initiatives addressing memory, commemoration, and the human impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine. By combining artistic, educational, research, and participatory approaches with trauma-informed practice, supported projects can help preserve collective memory, strengthen solidarity, and create meaningful spaces