AGE & ELIGIBILITY

What are the minimum requirements for participation?
Applicants for the TED & POSCA Global Artist Residency must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application. Applications from individuals located in countries subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions are ineligible. TED reserves the right to decline to enter into an agreement with any applicant where doing so would violate applicable law.

Artists may not be a current official, employee, or agent of any government, government-owned entity, or political party, and shall confirm that receipt of the artist fee will not violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1 et seq.) or any equivalent anti-bribery law in your jurisdiction.


DATA & PRIVACY

Who processes my personal information?
Your application information is processed by Fine Acts (as lead organizer of the application process) and TED Conferences, LLC. POSCA / uni Brands Corporation may receive general, non-personal program information but does not independently process your application data. Each organization handles your data in accordance with their own privacy policy (TED’s privacy policy & Fine Acts’ data protection policy) linked in the application form.

Why might my data be transferred outside my country?
Because this is a global program organized by partners based in different countries, your application data may be stored and processed in the United States and other countries. These countries may have different data protection rules from your own. Where required by law — for example, if you're applying from the EU or UK — your data is transferred subject to appropriate legal safeguards.

How long do you keep my application data?
If your application is unsuccessful, your data is retained for 12 months after the close of the application cycle, then deleted — unless you opted in to be considered for future years, in which case it may be kept for up to four years (through the 2029 program cycle). Selected artists' data is retained for the duration of the residency and for a reasonable period afterward. You can request deletion at any time by contacting Fine Acts at hello@fineacts.co or TED at privacy@ted.com.

Can I ask for my data to be deleted?
Yes. Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data, or to withdraw your consent to processing. To make a request, contact Fine Acts at hello@fineacts.co or TED at privacy@ted.com. If you are in the EU or UK, you also have the right to raise a concern with your local data protection authority.


ARTIST SELECTION

How are artists selected?
Artists from around the world are welcome to apply regardless of whether they have previously collaborated with TED, POSCA, Fine Acts, or affiliated partners. All applications will be reviewed through the same curatorial selection process.

The USD $15,000 per artist honorarium is merit-based, not a contest, lottery, sweepstakes, or promotion. Selection is made by a curatorial panel based solely on artistic merit, proposal quality, and programmatic fit. No purchase is required. No element of chance is involved in the selection process

How are payments handled?
Payments will be made by international wire transfer or other TED-approved method in two equal payments, in the beginning and towards the end, unless otherwise agreed. Selected U.S.-based artists will be required to complete IRS Form W-9 prior to receiving payment. International artists are responsible for complying with any applicable tax obligations in their country of residence. Additional payment or identity verification information may be requested if required to process payment.

The residency does not create an employment, agency, or ongoing service relationship between TED, POSCA, Fine Acts, and participating artists.

What support do selected artists receive beyond the honorarium?
Selected artists will participate in a shared international cohort facilitated by TED, POSCA and Fine Acts. Artists will also receive non-financial program support, including periodic curatorial check-ins, feedback sessions on project development, and collaboration on documentation/storytelling materials related to the residency.

Documentation is a central component of the residency, and selected artists will collaborate with the curatorial team to contribute to shared documentary and storytelling outputs across the cohort, to be amplified globally through TED, POSCA, and Fine Acts platforms and channels.


INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Do I keep the rights to my work?
Yes. You retain ownership of your artwork. TED, POSCA, and Fine Acts receive a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use documentation of the work — photographs, video, written materials — for purposes connected to the residency program, always with artist credit. The full IP terms will be set out in the residency agreement.

What about third-party content in my project?
You are responsible for ensuring that your proposal, final work, and any documentation submitted do not infringe the rights of others — including rights in music, images, or the likenesses of community members who participate in your project. If your project involves third-party content or identifiable individuals, you should make sure you have the appropriate permissions before submission and before the project is documented.


EMPLOYMENT & TAX

Does participating make me an employee of TED or POSCA?
No. The residency does not create an employment, agency, or ongoing service relationship with TED, POSCA, or Fine Acts. You participate as an independent artist. You are responsible for your own tax obligations, insurance, and legal compliance in your country.


PROGRAM CHANGES & CANCELLATION

Can the program be changed or cancelled?
TED and POSCA, reserve the right to modify or cancel the program — including timelines, the number of artists selected, or the honorarium amount — if circumstances require it. This is rare, but we want to be transparent about it. If you have already been selected and signed a residency agreement, the terms of that agreement will govern what happens. If no agreement has been signed, no compensation would be owed for the application itself.

What if I become ineligible after applying?
Eligibility must be maintained through the selection process. If a selected artist is found to have provided inaccurate information, becomes subject to sanctions, joins a government entity, or engages in conduct inconsistent with TED's values after applying, they may be disqualified. Where a residency agreement has already been signed, its terms will apply.