The public organization "Cultural Platform of Transcarpathia" with the support of UNESCO announces the start of a grant program competition to support cultural initiatives.
The UNESCO Art-Lab program has been promoting the strengthening of the potential of artists and cultural actors since 2018, viewing art as an effective tool for public dialogue on human rights, social justice, and community cohesion.
In June 2025, the second phase of the program's implementation in Ukraine began, and an open competition was announced for registered public and charitable organizations that implement cultural and artistic initiatives at the local level. Priority is given to initiatives aimed at the following target groups: women and girls, youth (15-24 years), internally displaced persons, rural communities, war veterans and their families, and homeless individuals.
Cultural practices are an important factor in enhancing community resilience and resilience during armed aggression: they create a space of safety and trust, help communities rethink their identity, integrate vulnerable groups into social and cultural life, and strengthen social ties.
Official information about the deadlines and procedures for the competition is attached.
Competition Conditions
Cohort "Culture and Human Rights" — Strengthening cultural rights and social transformations in Ukraine
Phase II UNESCO Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue
Application deadline: July 20, 2025
Project duration: August – October 2025
Contact email: [email protected]
1. Background
The war in Ukraine has significantly disrupted cultural heritage and cultural life, leaving communities vulnerable and deprived of adequate support. Cultural rights, including access to and participation in cultural life, as emphasized in the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, are vital for strengthening resilience and inclusion, especially in times of crisis.
Phase I of the UNESCO Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue program, implemented from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the third quarter of 2024, provided training and financial support for 22 artists, enabling them to use a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) to address human rights issues through intercultural dialogue, relying on their artistic and cultural means of expression.
Despite the significant results demonstrated in Phase I of the project, opportunities for systematic scaling proved challenging. The Lanka.pro report, prepared with the support of UNESCO, revealed critical gaps in the capacity of cultural operators to achieve the stated goals: many cultural actors lacked systematic training in HRBA, which limited their ability to counter inequality and protect cultural rights. Moreover, marginalized groups, including LGBTQI+ individuals, residents of rural areas, and homeless people, remained underrepresented in cultural initiatives.
These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted investments to strengthen the capacity of the cultural sector to promote cultural rights and social transformations on a large scale in conflict conditions.
2. Goal and Justification
The overall goal of this initiative is to enhance the role of art and culture in promoting human rights and social inclusion through dialogue in Ukraine. By strengthening the capacity of the cultural sector to integrate Human Rights Based Approaches (HRBA), the project aims to create long-term systemic changes in how art, culture, and human rights interact. This phase of the Art-Lab program is implemented with the support of the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Response Fund and aims to address gaps in knowledge, institutional capacity, and partnership networks, ensuring active contributions of cultural initiatives to the protection and promotion of human rights through dialogue.
The initiative is based on two interrelated components: the "Culture and Human Rights" Cohort and the Human Rights and Social Inclusion through Arts and Humanities Handbook. Together, these components aim to implement HRBA principles in cultural practice and to formulate knowledge and policy recommendations that can contribute to broader changes.
A total of five (5) public and charitable organizations will be selected to participate in the "Culture and Human Rights" Cohort — a collective initiative developed within the framework of UNESCO Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue and coordinated locally by the NGO "Cultural Platform of Transcarpathia" (Cultural Platform). Each selected organization will receive a grant of $10,000 to implement a small or medium cultural or artistic project within a maximum of three (3) months, with all activities to be completed by the end of October 2025.
Eligible project types include, but are not limited to: artistic workshops in communities, interventions at specific locations, participatory exhibitions, intergenerational festivals, oral history or storytelling projects, artistic actions in public spaces, digital products, or practical seminars and knowledge exchange sessions on cultural rights with a focus on symbolic restoration, resilience, and inclusive participation. Projects will be jointly monitored by the UNESCO Art-Lab team and the Cultural Platform, and they must be developed in accordance with the core values of the program, including the promotion of cultural rights, youth engagement, gender equality, and a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA).
As members of the "Culture and Human Rights" Cohort, selected organizations will participate in a series of structured activities that will directly contribute to the creation of the future Human Rights and Social Inclusion Handbook through Arts and Humanities. These activities include: mentoring support for project implementation from the Cultural Platform; two rounds of in-depth interviews to gather qualitative insights from the perspective of each organization; two hybrid cohort meetings in Ukraine focused on experience sharing, monitoring, and reflection; a separate short training on cultural rights and HRBA, including the integration of elements of living heritage into cultural practice, gender equality, and youth engagement.
Additionally, organizations will participate in two consultations with stakeholders and an open consultation involving artists, cultural operators, and civil society representatives, who will collectively shape the structure and content of the Handbook. The final stage will involve the Cohort's participation in a public final event, where key findings of the Handbook and results of the implemented projects will be presented. Participation in these activities is mandatory to ensure a collaborative, inclusive, and evidence-based knowledge production process within the Cohort.
All materials and outputs generated during the process will be used to develop the final version of the Human Rights and Social Interaction Handbook through Arts and Humanities. The publication will be available as an open-access resource on UNESCO platforms and disseminated through relevant cultural and human rights networks worldwide. Participation in interviews, meetings, and consultations requires informed consent. Before any data collection, each organization will be asked to confirm a consent form that specifies how their contributions to the Handbook or related materials may be used, quoted, or anonymized. UNESCO will ensure transparency and respect for confidentiality and intellectual contributions throughout the process.
3. Strategic Recommendations for Inclusive and Human Rights-Based Project Design
Proposals should be based on a clearly defined intersectional approach that considers multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that hinder equal access to cultural life. Special attention should be paid to engaging groups that are systematically underrepresented in cultural initiatives, including women and girls, youth aged 15-24, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), war veterans and their families, residents of rural communities, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Each application should involve the active engagement of at least three (3) of the specified groups. Preference will be given to projects that consider intersectional vulnerability — especially among less prioritized communities, such as homeless individuals or rural and displaced groups. Such an intersectional approach should promote inclusive, human rights-based, and transformative cultural activities in accordance with the principles of the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA).
Program participants are encouraged to integrate the following cross-cutting aspects into the design, implementation, and monitoring processes of their cultural or artistic initiatives. These recommendations reflect international standards in the field of cultural rights, youth engagement, gender equality, and HRBA, and aim to support the development of inclusive, transformative, and sustainable initiatives.
- Rights holders and community leadership. Organizations should clearly identify the main rights holders involved (e.g., women and girls, youth aged 15-24, persons with disabilities, IDPs, war veterans and their families, residents of rural communities, LGBTQI+ individuals) and ensure their active participation at all stages of the project. Communities should be recognized not as passive beneficiaries but as co-creators and leaders of cultural and artistic activities. As stated in the Fribourg declaration on cultural rights, the right to participate in cultural life includes the opportunity for all individuals and communities to access cultural heritage, freely express their identity, and maintain cultural practices without discrimination.
- Engagement and empowerment of youth. Projects should ensure meaningful engagement of youth, integrating their voices into planning, management, and implementation. Initiatives should consider the intersectional identities of youth (e.g., LGBTQI+ youth from rural areas) and promote their right to access, create, and transmit cultural forms of expression, in accordance with the UNESCO Toolkit for Youth Policy and Programming.
- Gender integration and equality. Gender equality should be integrated at all stages of project implementation. This includes ensuring equal representation and leadership of all gender identities, including non-binary individuals; participation in gender training and the use of inclusive language; prioritizing cultural content that counters gender exclusion, especially in times of war or post-crisis contexts.
- Meaningful participation and accessibility. Projects should employ inclusive and participatory methodologies that ensure accessibility of processes and outcomes for diverse communities. This involves using local languages, adapting materials, planning activities according to community needs, and ensuring participation of persons with disabilities, migrants, rural youth, and other underserved groups.
- Capacity building and empowerment. Projects are encouraged to include training or mentoring sessions aimed at enhancing the capacity of rights holders and local stakeholders. This includes creating opportunities for youth, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals to assert their agency in shaping cultural and social narratives. Activities should promote visibility, participation in decision-making, and leadership in cultural production and public discourse to ensure the long-term realization and sustainability of cultural rights.
4. Transparency, monitoring, protection, and application requirements.
To ensure integrity, protection, and effective coordination, all selected organizations must adhere to principles of transparency, accountability, participatory monitoring, and risk sensitivity throughout the project implementation period. This includes establishing clear feedback mechanisms (e.g., public consultation tools or anonymous surveys), as well as participatory evaluation methods that consider youth, gender, and cultural impact.
Given the sensitive context in which many organizations operate — particularly with IDPs, LGBTQI+ individuals, survivors of violence, or youth in vulnerable conditions — all applications must include basic safety measures for risk assessment, obtaining informed consent, and protecting personal and cultural data. Ethical protocols must be context-sensitive and designed to prevent re-traumatization or harm in accordance with the UN principle of "Do No Harm" and the PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse).
Each organization may submit only one project proposal along with two attachments: Attachment 1 — an application form that includes a project description, justification of the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA), implementation schedule, and organization information; Attachment 2 — budget and administrative table — an Excel document detailing the distribution of the $10,000 grant across major expense categories (e.g., personnel, services, travel, materials), indicating co-funding (if applicable), and providing basic administrative information (project contact person and bank details). These documents will form the basis for the evaluation and selection process of participants in the "Culture and Human Rights" Cohort.
5. Application submission process and timeline
During the selection period, on July 10, 2025, at 1:00 PM Kyiv time, a "Questions and Answers" (Q&A) session will be held with the UNESCO Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue team and the public organization "Cultural Platform of Transcarpathia." This session will provide applicant organizations with the opportunity to clarify any questions regarding the program's goals, methodology, and application process. All interested applicants are strongly encouraged to participate.
All application materials must be submitted in English no later than July 20, 2025 (by 11:59 PM Kyiv time). Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.
The first meeting for the implementation of the "Culture and Human Rights" Cohort program will take place on August 1, 2025, marking the official launch of the program and the beginning of the engagement process for the five (5) selected organizations.
Applicants may send questions regarding this open competition to the email address [email protected] until July 11, 2025 (by 11:59 PM Kyiv time). Please note that questions received after this date will not be considered.