APWLD Uprising / Art Rising Feminist Artivism Fellowship 2026: Fully Funded $3,000 Opportunity for Feminist Artists in Asia and the Pacific
The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) has officially opened applications for the 2026 Uprising / Art Rising: Feminist Artivism Fellowship, a unique regional opportunity designed for artists committed to feminist movements, social justice, and transformative storytelling through art.
This groundbreaking fellowship invites artists from across Asia and the Pacific to collaborate with feminist activists, grassroots organisations, and regional movements to create powerful artistic works that amplify women’s lived realities and challenge structural inequalities.
Selected fellows will receive a stipend of USD 3,000, mentorship, political grounding, regional exposure, and the opportunity to showcase their creative work in Bangkok, Thailand as part of the Uprising / Art Rising: A Feminist Art Space.
The fellowship is ideal for artists working in visual arts, theatre, film, digital media, interdisciplinary arts, and other creative formats who are passionate about feminist advocacy, climate justice, labour rights, economic justice, food sovereignty, migration, and peace-building.
About APWLD
The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development is one of the leading feminist networks in Asia and the Pacific.
APWLD is a regional feminist, membership-driven organisation with more than 313 members from 31 countries and territories across Asia and the Pacific region.
The organisation is committed to:
- Advancing women’s human rights
- Building feminist movements
- Promoting Development Justice
- Challenging structural inequalities
- Supporting grassroots activism
- Strengthening feminist solidarity across borders
Through research, advocacy, movement-building, and creative engagement, APWLD works to address systemic issues affecting women and marginalised communities.
About the Uprising / Art Rising Fellowship
The Uprising / Art Rising: Feminist Artivism Fellowship was developed as an expansion of APWLD’s successful collaboration with artists and activists during the 2025 multidisciplinary exhibition titled “On Debt Row: A Multidisciplinary Art Exhibition on Debt and Its Impact on Lives in the Global South.”
That exhibition, held in Sevilla, Spain, explored how debt and economic inequality affect women’s lives and communities across the Global South.
Building on this success, APWLD is now launching a broader regional fellowship program that combines:
- Art activism
- Feminist movement-building
- Political education
- Grassroots collaboration
- Public engagement
- Creative advocacy
The fellowship aims to support artists in co-creating meaningful art that reflects women’s voices, struggles, resistance, and lived experiences.
Fellowship Benefits
Selected fellows will gain access to extensive support and opportunities throughout the fellowship period.
Financial Support
Each selected fellow or team will receive:
- USD 3,000 stipend for project production and related expenses
The funding will support creative work based on proposals co-developed and approved with APWLD.
Additional Fellowship Benefits
Participants will also receive:
- Political grounding and feminist analysis training
- Mentorship from APWLD programmes and partners
- Access to grassroots feminist organisations
- Regional networking opportunities
- Participation in feminist advocacy spaces
- Opportunities to attend APWLD activities and events
- Regional and international exposure for their work
- Exhibition opportunities in Bangkok, Thailand
- Promotion of their work through APWLD’s media and advocacy platforms
Fellowship Duration
The fellowship will run from:
June 2026 to November 2026
Throughout this period, fellows will actively collaborate with APWLD and feminist movements across the region.
Themes and Focus Areas
APWLD is seeking artistic projects that creatively interpret pressing feminist and social justice issues.
Applicants may focus on one or more of the following themes:
1. Feminist Economic Justice
Artists may explore:
- Public and private debt
- Austerity measures
- Privatisation of public services
- Women’s livelihoods
- Resistance to illegitimate debt
2. Climate Justice
Possible focus areas include:
- Feminist climate leadership
- Grassroots environmental movements
- Energy transitions
- Environmental defence
- Extractivist economies
- Corporate resistance to climate action
3. Peace and Justice
Artists may address:
- Militarism
- Surveillance
- Occupation
- Repression of women human rights defenders
- Threats to feminist movements
4. Food Sovereignty
Potential topics include:
- Agroecology
- Indigenous food systems
- Land rights
- Community food autonomy
- Resistance against industrial agriculture
- Corporate capture of food systems
5. Feminist Trade Justice
Applicants may creatively explore:
- Trade systems
- Corporate power
- Women’s labour
- Economic inequality
- Human rights and trade intersections
6. Labour and Migration
Projects may focus on:
- Women migrant workers
- Labour exploitation
- Migration systems
- Workers’ rights
- Gendered labour experiences
Who Can Apply?
The fellowship is open to artists from Asia and the Pacific region working in:
- Visual arts
- Theatre
- Film and video
- Digital arts
- Interdisciplinary arts
- Feminist creative activism
Both individual and team applications are accepted.
However, teams will still receive the same total stipend amount of USD 3,000.
What Fellows Will Do
Selected fellows will undertake a wide range of creative and collaborative activities during the fellowship.
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Creating at least one major creative work or artwork
- Participating in virtual orientation and political grounding sessions
- Collaborating with APWLD programmes and grassroots partners
- Attending relevant APWLD events and advocacy spaces
- Travelling to Bangkok, Thailand in October 2026
- Participating in the Uprising / Art Rising: A Feminist Art Space
- Submitting a documentation and financial report
- Producing social media content including:
- Photos
- Creative process updates
- One-minute video reels
- Participating in a final reflection meeting in November 2026
What is the Uprising / Art Rising: A Feminist Art Space?
One of the most exciting aspects of the fellowship is participation in the Uprising / Art Rising: A Feminist Art Space in Bangkok.
This physical gathering serves as:
- A collaborative feminist art space
- A site for experimentation and healing
- A platform for feminist storytelling
- A regional exhibition venue
- A community-building initiative
The event showcases artistic works that amplify women’s voices and strengthen feminist struggles across Asia and the Pacific.
Mentorship and Political Education
A defining feature of this fellowship is its emphasis on political grounding and feminist analysis.
Fellows will receive training and engagement opportunities around:
- Patriarchy
- Globalisation
- Fundamentalisms
- Militarism
- Feminist Development Justice
- Feminist movement-building
- Structural inequalities
Each fellow will also be paired with APWLD programmes and partners relevant to their chosen theme.
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be evaluated based on:
1. Artistic Background
Applicants must demonstrate experience in:
- Feminist art
- Social justice storytelling
- Human rights advocacy
- Grassroots movement engagement
2. Quality of Proposed Project
Selection will consider:
- Creativity
- Feasibility
- Relevance to feminist themes
- Advocacy potential
- Community impact
3. Commitment to Feminist Movements
Applicants should demonstrate alignment with feminist movement-building and social justice principles.
4. Language Skills
Applicants must be:
- Proficient in English
- Able to communicate in at least one Asia-Pacific regional language
5. Travel Capacity
Applicants must be able to travel internationally if required.
Required Application Documents
Interested applicants must submit:
- Completed application form
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Project pitch/proposal
- Budget plan
- Sample work/portfolio
Why This Fellowship Matters
The APWLD Feminist Artivism Fellowship is more than a funding opportunity.
It is a transformative platform that combines:
- Feminist politics
- Creative resistance
- Movement-building
- Regional solidarity
- Public advocacy
- Artistic freedom
The fellowship empowers artists to challenge oppressive systems, amplify marginalised voices, and contribute meaningfully to feminist struggles across Asia and the Pacific.
For artists committed to social justice and creative activism, this fellowship offers a rare opportunity to merge art, advocacy, and regional collaboration in a deeply impactful way.
Eligible Applicants
This opportunity is suitable for:
- Feminist artists
- Visual artists
- Theatre practitioners
- Filmmakers
- Video artists
- Digital artists
- Interdisciplinary artists
- Art activists
- Human rights creatives
- Grassroots cultural workers
Qualifications Required
Applicants should:
- Have experience in creative arts practice
- Demonstrate commitment to feminist movement-building
- Have experience working on women’s rights or development issues
- Be proficient in English
- Speak at least one Asia-Pacific regional language
- Be able to travel internationally if required
Application Deadline
28 May 2026
How To Apply
Click here for more and to apply
Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early to avoid missing the deadline.
For more global fellowship opportunities Click here
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