Preserving Traditional Arts (NGS + Lindblad)

Enriched private-foundation · Found: 2026-04-20 20:41

Projects supporting traditional artists, knowledge holders, and heritage practitioners to preserve cultural heritage. Deadline June 4, 2026.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/grants-and-investments/rfp-preserving-traditional-arts/

Funding Details

Funder

National Geographic Society

Funding Goal

Fund projects that preserve and transmit traditional arts and cultural heritage practices, including crafts, music, folklore, adornment, dance, and spoken arts. Project types include: documentation and inventorying of artisan practices, methodologies or designs; capacity development through structured apprenticeships, workshops, or trainings focused on local or regional stakeholders (including use of sustainable or repurposed materials); knowledge sharing through community exhibits, practitioner-archival collaborations, or other approaches safeguarding artisan traditions.

Funding Amount

Level I: up to $20,000 (earlier-career). Level II: up to $75,000 (established practitioners or prior NGS grantees). Funds usable over up to 2 years. (up to 75.000 €)

Deadline

2026-06-04 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Apply through the National Geographic Society online funding portal (funding.nationalgeographic.org). Select 'Science' as primary discipline and 'Human Histories and Cultures' as focus area. Awards announced in early December 2026. Project start timeline to be confirmed.

Target Region

Baja California, Egypt, Europe and the Mediterranean, Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, South Pacific

Contact

funding@ngs.org

Last Checked

2026-04-21 02:26

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Must be led by artisan or practitioner with deep ties to relevant local culture(s), or include such person on team
• Must be an individual applicant (not an institution)

Project Scope

• Project must primarily focus on preservation and transmission of traditional arts and related cultural practices
• Project must be located in: Baja California, Egypt, Europe and Mediterranean, Southeast Alaska/BC, or South Pacific
• Level I: up to $20,000 (earlier-career); Level II: up to $75,000 (established/prior NGS grantees)

Required Documents

• Must select 'Science' as primary discipline and 'Human Histories and Cultures' as focus area
• Application must be in English via online portal only

Constraints

• Deadline: June 4, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT

Summary

The Preserving Traditional Arts RFP is a joint initiative of National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions (LEX-NG Fund), funding projects that preserve and transmit traditional arts and cultural heritage practices worldwide. The program recognizes that traditional arts — crafts, music, folklore, adornment, dance, spoken arts — are integral to cultural vibrancy and survival. Eligible activities include: documentation and inventorying of artisan practices, methodologies or designs; capacity development through apprenticeships, workshops or trainings (including sustainable or repurposed materials); and knowledge sharing via community exhibits, practitioner-archival collaborations, or other transmission approaches. Projects must center the role and agency of local and descendant communities, and address urgent preservation or inter-generational transmission needs. Geographic eligibility is restricted to specific regions: Baja California, Egypt, Europe and the Mediterranean, Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, and the South Pacific. Projects in Europe and the Mediterranean have geographic proximity to Baltic/Nordic countries, though specific targeted areas may differ. Applicants must be individuals (not institutions), ideally artisans or practitioners with deep ties to the relevant cultural tradition, or teams that include such individuals. No minimum academic requirements, but experience is expected. Level I grants (up to $20,000) target earlier-career applicants; Level II grants (up to $75,000) target established practitioners or previous NGS grantees. Applications close June 4, 2026. This program is entirely focused on cultural heritage preservation and has no connection to environmental conservation, marine protection, plastic waste, or circular economy topics. It is not relevant to organisations working in the environmental or waste management sectors.

Historical Context

Part of the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund series. Funded in support of cultural preservation in regions visited by Lindblad Expeditions fleet voyages.

Why it was added

discovered from funder #272: National Geographic Society

Sources

• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/grants-and-investments/rfp-preserving-traditional-arts/

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