The Artist Protection Fund (APF) is an innovative program managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE), which has been exchanging people and ideas around the world for almost a century. Founded in 2015 and supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, APF provides an opportunity to join the network of hundreds of cities in the program, giving refuge to artists persecuted in their countries. The program is being implemented around the world and is especially targeted at artists and minorities. The program has an innovative formula: the artist receiving the scholarship stays in the host institution and carries out artistic projects in cooperation with it. An important point is the artists’ cooperation with the local community and institutions. The list of host institutions includes the American Academy in Rome, Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, Harvard University, London College of Communication, The New York University – Center for Ballet&the Arts, University of Glasgow, The University of Manchester.
Villa Decius became the first place of refuge in Poland within the Artist Protection network.
Since September 2020 the “Artist Scholarship in Villa Decius” program is also open to refugee artists.
More information about the program can be found on the website:
ttps://www.iie.org/programs/artist-protection-fund