Together with the other fellows selected each year from all over the world, the Neustart fellowship recipient will begin a six-month residency at the Künstlerhaus in Bad Ems on May 1, 2026, and will receive €1,400 per month during the stay.

The application deadline for the Neustart grant at Artist Residency Schloss Balmoral is January 25, 2026.

Graduates who have completed or will complete their studies at the Mainz Academy of Fine Arts during the 2025 summer semester and the 2025/26 winter semester with a diploma, Master of Education, or master student degree are eligible to apply. (Students whose final exams take place after the application deadline may receive provisional acceptance, subject to passing their final exams.)

→ Application deadline: January 25, 2026

To apply for the scholarship, the following documents must be submitted to both the Artist Residency Schloss Balmoral and the Mainz Academy of Fine Arts. Please send your application in the form of an email with the subject line BEWERBUNG NEUSTART 2026 (APPLICATION NEW START 2026) addressed to both institutions (cc).
Please send your application as a PDF to:
ausstellungen@kunsthochschule-mainz.de and info@balmoral.de in cc.
We look forward to receiving your applications!

The application should include:
1. Application form
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Degree certificate
4. Explanations of artistic work and goals during the scholarship stay (max. 300 words in total)
5. Max. 10 photos or other visual material of artistic works or groups of works from the last two years. Each work must be accompanied by details: title, year of creation, dimensions, materials.