Call for Proposals 2026 Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant Program India, The Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant is an annual funding opportunity for artist-educators in India who are developing and running art education projects with school-aged children between 5 and 18 years. Projects may be conducted either inside or outside the formal classroom setting. The grant particularly encourages projects that connect art education with local knowledge, lived environments, community experiences, and the everyday worlds of children.
The grant was established by the Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation, with support from the Welham Old Boys’ Society, in 2024 and is named in honour of Leela Mukherjee, a pioneering modernist sculptor and educator who spent more than two decades teaching at Welham Boys’ School in Dehradun. Her approach to education emphasized learning through observation, experimentation with different artistic materials, and encouraging children to understand and interpret the world around them through art.
For the 2026 edition, the grant provides ₹1 lakh for a project lasting up to 12 months, with three grants available. The proposal can be for an ongoing or upcoming project located anywhere in India. Applicants are expected to explain the student group they intend to work with, their reason for choosing that group, how their artistic practice connects with their educational practice, the innovative artistic methods they plan to explore, expected outcomes, a tentative budget, and a project timeline.
The opportunity is particularly suited to practitioners who see art-making and education as interconnected practices, rather than simply teaching art as a conventional classroom subject. The Foundation defines an artist-educator as someone who is creatively and critically engaged with art, ideas, and cultural knowledge while also being committed to learning, teaching, and pedagogy.
For the 2026 call, applicants must be Indian citizens and residents, aged 18 or above, and must develop and run the project themselves while engaging directly with students throughout the project. Collectives can also apply if every member meets the eligibility requirements. Projects developed with schools or institutions should include confirmation of the institution’s approval. The Foundation’s grants are focused on visual arts, including lens-based practices.
Note: The 2026 call originally had an August 30 deadline, but the Foundation’s current announcement states that the deadline was extended to September 5, 2026.
Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the full details and submit their applications before the specified deadline to seize this grant opportunity.
Last Date of Submission: 5th September 2026
Call for Proposals 2026 Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant Program India
Grant Amount and Duration
The Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant provides ₹1 lakh to each selected artist-educator for a project lasting up to 12 months. A total of three grants will be awarded.
Call for Proposals 2026 Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant Program India
About the Grant
The grant honours Leela Mukherjee, a pioneering woman sculptor of modern India and a dedicated art educator. After studying at Santiniketan and training in woodcarving in Nepal, Mukherjee moved to Dehradun in 1954, where she taught at Welham Boys’ School for more than two decades. Alongside her artistic practice, she introduced generations of students to different artistic mediums and encouraged them to create by observing and engaging with the world around them.
Her approach reflected a broader belief that art education can encourage creativity, sensitivity, self-expression, personal growth, and responsible citizenship. She also believed that an effective art teacher should first be a practising creative artist.
Call for Proposals 2026 Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant Program India
Who Is an Artist-Educator?
An artist-educator is someone who is actively engaged with art, ideas, and cultural knowledge while also incorporating teaching, learning, and pedagogy into their practice. The grant is intended for practitioners whose artistic practice informs their educational work and whose educational experiences, in turn, influence their art practice.
Proposal Guidelines
Applicants can propose an ongoing or upcoming project anywhere in India. The proposal should clearly describe the student group involved, including its size and nature, such as students from a particular school, class, local community, or club, and explain why the applicant wishes to work with that group.
The proposal should also explain the purpose of the project and the connection between the applicant’s artistic and educational practices. Applicants should outline the innovative strategies, artistic approaches, and methods they intend to explore, along with the expected outcomes after 12 months.
A tentative budget showing how the ₹1 lakh grant will be used and a brief project timeline should also be included.
Eligibility and Conditions
Applicants must be Indian citizens and residents aged 18 or above. They must develop and run the project themselves and engage directly with students throughout all stages of the project.
Projects undertaken in partnership with a school or institution must include confirmation that the institution has approved participation in the project. Collectives can also apply, provided every member meets the stated eligibility requirements.
The grant is specifically focused on visual arts and is available only to practitioners whose artistic practice falls within the visual arts field.
Why This Grant Opportunity Matters
The Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant is important because it supports practitioners who bring together artistic practice and education to create meaningful learning experiences for children. Rather than focusing only on conventional art instruction, the grant encourages projects that use creativity, local knowledge, lived experiences, and the surrounding environment as part of the learning process.
The ₹1 lakh grant for up to 12 months gives artist-educators the opportunity to develop and personally implement an art education project with children aged 5–18. It can help practitioners experiment with new artistic and teaching methods while creating opportunities for children to observe, explore, express themselves, and engage creatively with their communities.
The grant also carries forward Leela Mukherjee’s legacy as both an artist and educator, making it particularly valuable for practitioners who believe that artistic practice and teaching can strengthen one another.
Tips for a Strong Proposal
- Start with a clear project idea
Explain exactly what you want to do, who the children are, and what you hope they will experience or learn. - Show the connection between art and education
Don’t present the project simply as an art class. Explain how your own artistic practice influences your teaching approach and how working with students may influence your artistic thinking. - Know your student group
Clearly describe the children’s age group, number of participants, community or school background, and why this particular group is appropriate for the project. - Highlight local knowledge and lived experiences
Since the grant encourages connections with local environments and experiences, show how the children’s surroundings, communities, traditions, stories, materials, or everyday observations will become part of the creative process. - Demonstrate experimentation
Describe the artistic methods, materials, activities, and teaching strategies you want to explore. Explain what makes your approach different or innovative. - Set realistic outcomes
Clearly state what you expect to achieve during the 12-month period. Outcomes could include completed artworks, exhibitions, documentation, new learning methods, or changes in how students engage with art. - Prepare a practical budget
Explain how the ₹1 lakh will be spent. Connect every major expense to a specific project activity and make sure the proposed costs are realistic. - Create a clear timeline
Break the project into stages—for example, preparation, student engagement, experimentation, creation, documentation, and final presentation or reflection. - Show why you are the right person
Your artistic background and educational experience should support the proposal. Make it clear why your particular skills, practice, and experience are relevant to the project. - Keep the proposal focused
A strong proposal does not need to be overly complicated. A clear idea, strong connection between art and education, realistic implementation plan, and meaningful outcomes can make the application more convincing.
How to apply?
Note: For more comprehensive details click the link below
Get full access to the grant information, visit the Official Website Link
FAQs
1. How much funding does the grant provide?
The grant provides ₹1 lakh for each selected project, with funding available for a period of up to 12 months.
2. How many grants will be awarded?
A total of three grants will be awarded.
3. Who can apply for the Leela Mukherjee Artist-Educator Grant?
Applicants must be Indian citizens and residents aged 18 or above. They should be artist-educators working in the visual arts and must directly develop and run the proposed project with students.
4. Can a collective apply?
Yes. Collectives are welcome to apply, provided that every member of the collective meets all the eligibility requirements of the grant.
5. What type of projects are eligible?
The grant supports visual arts-based education projects involving school-aged children between 5 and 18 years. Projects can take place inside or outside the classroom and may be ongoing or upcoming. Proposals should demonstrate a meaningful connection between the applicant’s artistic practice and educational practice.
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