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LWL Cultural Fellowship X Theater im Pumpenhaus

For individual artists and groups working in the independent performing arts

November 2026 to February 2027

In 2025, the LWL awarded five LWL cultural grants for the first time. The programme is now being continued – in this round with one grant and in collaboration with the Theater im Pumpenhaus in Münster.

This year’s call for proposals focuses on process-oriented, open-ended ideas and concepts from the field of the independent performing arts. Funding will be awarded to projects that require space to explore: for research, initial approaches, experiments and further development. The aim is to support artistic conceptual work and to foster cross-regional networking within the independent arts scene in Westphalia-Lippe.

Call for applications

Target audience

The LWL Cultural Fellowship 2026/27 is aimed at professional individual artists or groups of up to three people working in the independent performing arts who live and work in Westfalen-Lippe and have up to seven years’ professional experience (following graduation, where applicable). This programme promotes cross-regional networking in Westfalen-Lippe and is therefore explicitly aimed at artists from across the entire region – deliberately including those outside Münster.

Components of the fellowship

The four-month programme runs from November 2026 to February 2027 and includes:

a monthly grant of 1,500 euros per month (for individual artists) or 2,000 euros (for groups of up to three people)
a production budget of up to 2,000 euros
travel expenses of up to 500 euros
Pumpenhaus pass(es), i.e. free admission to all events, for the duration of the grant
monthly exchanges and artistic consultation with Till Wyler von Ballmoos and Randi Günnemann at the Theater im Pumpenhaus in Münster
a one-week (for groups) or two-week (for individual artists) residency in Münster, including accommodation and a rehearsal space
a public workshop discussion or showing at the end of the fellowship at the Theater im Pumpenhaus in Münster

Application

Applications may be submitted in German and English by email to simone.schiffer@lwl.org. The following documents must be submitted:

the completed application form (to follow shortly)
a maximum of three samples of your work

The deadline for applications is 26 July 2026, 23:59.

Consultancy

Anyone interested has the opportunity to take part in two online information sessions:

Wednesday, 8 July, 11.00 am to 12.30 pm
Monday, 20 July, 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm

You can register by emailing simone.schiffer@lwl.org. The link to the event will be sent with your confirmation.

Selection

The LWL Cultural Fellowship is awarded by a panel of experts. The panel consists of five members, including one representative each from the LWL Culture Department and the Theater im Pumpenhaus, as well as three representatives from the independent performing arts sector.

All applicants are expected to receive a response in early September.