- The Basque Government’s Department of Culture and Language Policy is providing a direct grant of €70,000 to support the professional development of resident artists and the advancement of their creative processes.
- The BilbaoArte Grants scheme has a total budget of €160,000, intended to ensure the continuity of financial support for artists, as well as access to studios, accommodation, infrastructure and personalised professional advice.
(Bilbao, 24 November 2025) – Bilbao City Council and the Basque Government, through the Department of Culture and Language Policy, have today unveiled a new partnership agreement to strengthen the BilbaoArte Arts Production Centre, with the aim of continuing to promote the professionalisation of artists and the development of their creative processes.
The agreement provides for a direct grant of €70,000 from the Basque Government to partially fund the 2025–2026 project ‘Provision of adequate resources for artists and their artistic production processes’, an initiative with a total budget of €160,000.
A press conference was held this morning at Bilbao City Hall to present this new line of institutional support, attended by Gonzalo Olabarria, Councillor for Culture and Governance at Bilbao City Council; Ibone Bengoetxea, First Vice-President and Minister for Culture and Language Policy of the Basque Government; Javier Riaño, Director of BilbaoArte; and Gorka Martínez, Managing Director of BBK.
The event also featured two artists who have been associated with BilbaoArte for many years: Fermin Moreno, from Bilbao, and Juana García-Pozuelo. Both are currently artists-in-residence and benefit from funding under the 2025–2026 Grants Scheme. In fact, they have previously taken part in the residency programme, and works they loaned during those editions have been selected for group exhibitions organised by BilbaoArte.
STRATEGIC INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
The agreement reached aims to ensure the continuity of financial support for artists, alongside access to studios, accommodation, technical facilities and personalised professional guidance. This range of resources places BilbaoArte at the forefront of the European art scene, having established itself as a leading centre for contemporary creation over the past 27 years.
In this way, the Basque Government joins forces with Bilbao City Council and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, alongside the long-standing collaboration of BBK, which for years has consistently contributed to the promotion of the grant, residency and creative support programmes developed by the BilbaoArte Fundazioa Foundation. This institutional commitment remains a key element in fostering innovation, local talent and the sustainability of the cultural fabric of Bilbao, Bizkaia and the Basque Country.
GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES TO FOSTER TALENT
Currently, 12 artists are benefiting from the 2025–2026 Grants to carry out artistic projects in various formats: studio space at the Urazurrutia facilities; the Silver Grant, aimed at creative individuals aged 50 and over; and the EHU Grant, exclusively for students at the university’s Faculty of Fine Arts.
The grants include financial support of €14,300, accommodation in Bilbao with living expenses included: access to workshops and technical guidance from workshop masters, professional support from the BilbaoArte team, and free access to training courses organised throughout the academic year.
BILBAOARTE, A CENTRE DEDICATED TO CONTEMPORARY CREATION
The primary aim of the BilbaoArte Fundazioa Foundation is to support the artistic community in bringing their projects to fruition, by providing specialised facilities, technical resources and specific support tailored to each discipline.
The current call for applications, as in previous editions, aims to facilitate the implementation of selected projects between September 2025 and August 2026, thereby reinforcing the institutions’ commitment to promoting contemporary art and the professionalisation of the creative sector.
