Open Call: Gender-Based Creative Grants for WOW Pakistan
Deadline to Apply: June 15, 2025
Grant Amounts: One project at PKR 3,550,000 and 4 at PKR 1,755,000 each, for a total of 5 projects
Project Duration: July 2025 – January 2026
Location: Pakistan
As we prepare to celebrate 10 years of the WOW Festival in Pakistan, the WOW Curators in collaboration with British Council in Pakistan invite artists, storytellers, and other cultural practitioners to apply for our Gender-Based Creative Grants. These grants aim to spark feminist storytelling, amplify marginalized voices, and reimagine gender justice through art in all its forms.
Select grantees may also have the opportunity to create, showcase, and amplify original artistic and feminist work at WOW Pakistan 2026 in Karachi - marking a powerful return of the festival to the city where it all began and building excitement around its legacy.
We encourage applicants to explore collaborations, audiences, or themes that may engage with the UK. Projects that demonstrate a meaningful UK connection, such as partnerships with UK-based artists or institutions, are also encouraged
Who Can Apply?
We welcome:
- Emerging and established creatives
- Artists from underrepresented genders and/or communities
- Collaboratives or collectives working on feminist theme
- Projects based anywhere in Pakistan
Grant Categories
Applicants may submit proposals in one of the following categories:
1. Performing Arts
Theater, dance, spoken word, music, or performance that addresses themes of gender, power, and resistance.
2. Contemporary and Indigenous Visual Arts
Includes painting, film, photography, sculpture, textile, installation, or digital visual forms exploring feminist narratives.
3. Multimedia and Interdisciplinary Work
Hybrid, experimental or collaborative work spanning digital media, performance, sound, or tech.
4. Written Word and Activism
Poetry, feminist journalism, storytelling, zines, or activist creative publications centering on gender justice.
Terms of Reference
Objectives
- To support and amplify gender-focused, intersectional creative work in Pakistan.
- To diversify the cultural landscape with new, bold feminist narratives.
- To generate engagement and anticipation for the WOW Festival through high-impact, artistic storytelling.
Grant Scope
Each selected project will receive funding support to:
· Develop and produce original work aligned with feminist themes
- Engage communities through performance, exhibition, or digital presence
- Select projects will be showcased at WOW Festival Pakistan 2026 in Karachi and/or its digital platforms
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be 18 years or older
- Be based in Pakistan
- Can be an individual, collective or organisation
- Propose an original work aligned with the grant categories
- Be available to implement the project between July 2025 and November 2025, with potential to showcase at WOW Pakistan in January 2026
Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed on:
- Relevance to Feminist Themes: Depth of gender analysis and intersectionality
- Artistic Merit: Innovation, originality, and aesthetic quality
- Impact and Engagement: Ability to spark public dialogue or reach new audiences
- Feasibility: Realistic execution and communications plans, coherent monitoring and evaluation and impact stories
- Representation: Special consideration for marginalized voices, disabled, and community-rooted creatives
Deliverables
Each grantee will be required to:
- Submit finalized work by November 2025
- If selected, present the work at the WOW Festival in January 2026
- Document the creative process (behind-the-scenes, interviews, or reflections) and submit a cohesive report
Timeline
· Open Call Launch: 26 May 2025
- Webinar: End May 2025
- Deadline to Apply: June 15, 2025
- Review and Selection: Mid July 2025
- Grant Period: July 2025 – November 2025, with potential showcase at WOW Pakistan in January 2026
How to Apply
Applicants will be required to submit:
- Detailed Project Proposal with rationale for the project
- Portfolio or samples of previous work
- A comprehensive Comms plan along with how you plan to measure, monitor and evaluate the impact of your work
- Detailed Budget and Timeline
- Short bio/CV of lead applicant(s)
Apply at: info@ecdipakistan.org by 11:59 pm on June 15, 2025
Questions?
Contact us at: info@ecdipakistan.org
Follow us on IG @wow.pakistan for updates.
Webinar:
We’re hosting an online information session on Thursday, 5th June at 11:00 AM (PKT) to answer any questions you may have about the grant, eligibility, application process, or project ideas.
If you would like to join the webinar, please email us at info@ecdipakistan.org to request a link.
We encourage all interested applicants to attend!
Download Application Template |
Download Budget Template |