UNESCO World Heritage Residence Scholarship 2024 (Award of 50,000 SKR)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It has 194 member states and 12 associate members, as well as partners in the non-governmental, intergovernmental and private sector. Headquartered in Paris, France, UNESCO has 53 regional field offices and 199 national commissions.

In 2018, the region of Gävleborg, Sweden, created the international World Heritage Residence Scholarship at the World Heritage site ‘Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland’. The 6th call for applications is now open until February 15, 2024 .

One aim of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention is to create links between people and promote international cooperation with peace as a central concept. The World Heritage Residence Scholarship supports these important ideas and aims at generating interest and understanding for humankind’s common memory through World Heritage sites. Gävleborg therefore regularly searches for new ideas to establish artistic and creative contacts between the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland with other World Heritage sites around the world combined with culture, music, art and much more.

The World Heritage Residence Scholarship consists of two parts: a one-month residence at one of Hälsinglands seven World Heritage farms, and a sum of approximately 4,500 Euros (50,000 SKR) to cover living and work expenses for the suggested project. It is important to illustrate the idea behind the project clearly and to describe well how it connects World Heritage sites. Meanwhile, the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland should be a source of inspiration.

The scholarship is international and can be applied for by people from all over the world. Only last year, more than 350 researchers, artists and other cultural actors applied from 60 different countries and submitted applications showcasing projects in all different shapes, including research, virtual reality, conservation, film, audio, dance, photo, storytelling, communication, sculpture , teaching, and handicraft.