As summer is just around the corner and everything flourishes, perhaps it is time for you to blossom into an upcoming artist, too! We’ve prepared an outline of 6 free art residencies all over the globe which shall not only deepen your knowledge and creative skills, but bring adventure and new connections into your life. Whether you are in the flower of youth or a late bloomer – it doesn’t matter, as long as you have the willingness to give art a try. So, will you?
RUPERT’S RESIDENCY PROGRAMME OPEN CALL 2024 (LITHUANIA)
Rupert is inviting applications for residencies, calling local and international cultural practitioners and thinkers willing to live and work in Vilnius from 1 to 3 months in 2024 (January–December) and develop individual or collaborative projects, reflections and research while immersing themselves in the region’s contemporary art field.
Located in the picturesque area of Valakampiai in Vilnius and only a short distance from the lively city centre, Rupert sits by one of river Neris’ small beaches, surrounded by peaceful fields and a forest. Three residency studios are located in the ‘Tech Arts’ building designed by award-winning Lithuanian architect Audrius Ambrasas.
Who can apply:
- Artists, writers, curators, researchers, managers, and academics from all around the globe.
Application deadline: 15 June 2023
Support:
- All the residencies are free this application round thanks to support from the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the studios provided by the creative industries hub Tech Arts.
- Applicants are responsible for covering personal (daily and travel) expenses. Rupert’s team will issue acceptance letters for successful residents and support their applications for external grants to cover travel, food, production and other costs.
More information: https://rupert.lt/residencies/open-call-residency-programme/
OTHER EDGES OF THE WORLD – OPEN CALLS FOR RESIDENCIES (SPAIN)
Other Edges of the World deals with the decolonization of power structures behind the centre/periphery dichotomy. We propose to take a closer look at terms such as “local” and “central” and find out their meaning in the post-pandemic European conditions. Enhancing a network of independent organisations operating in the field of contemporary art, the project attempts to provide a platform for in-depth artistic research.
The concept of centre-periphery is often used to describe power dynamics between different regions or populations. In a decolonial perspective, this means recognizing the ways in which Western powers have historically exerted control over other regions and cultures, particularly in the Global South and the Orient. This perspective invites us to recognize the interconnections between different forms of oppression and work towards more just and equitable relationships between different regions, populations, and genders.
Who can apply:
- Open to artists, curators, critics, mediators, educators, researchers, etc., based in the Czech Republic or Slovakia.
- Professionals with a sustained practice in the field of contemporary visual arts or related areas.
- Cultural workers with an interest in the ideas behind the project ‘Other Edges of the World’.
- There is no age limit.
Application deadline: 23 June 2023
Support:
- Accommodation in a shared apartment
- A fee of 1000 euros (taxes included) per month
- A production budget of 500 euros
- Travel costs
- Curatorial support
- Connection with the local cultural scene
- Production and PR support for one public event
More information: https://www.hablarenarte.com/convocatorias/convocatoria/other-edges-of-the-world/
PAiR RESIDENCY AUTUMN OPEN CALL (LATVIA)
A point of intersection between humans and nature, the local and the global, cutting-edge practices and age-old traditions, PAiR is a place where new meanings emerge via creative experiments and interdisciplinary knowledge-sharing.
PAiR is also a cultural destination that provides locals and travellers alike with meaningful artistic content in an unconventional setting. By hosting a rich programme of events and workshops, PAiR seeks to help contemporary art find its way into the hearts of as many people as possible.
PAiR was founded and is managed by the VV Foundation, with the aim of stimulating creative interactions and promoting the transfer of knowledge in contemporary art.
Who can apply:
- Artists, curators, researchers, writers and other professionals in the arts, humanities and sciences are invited to apply for a residency at PAiR.
Application deadline: 25 June 2023
Support:
- Along with accommodation, PAiR covers travel costs to and from Pāvilosta and provides practical support at every step of your stay. The provision of specific working materials can be arranged.
- All the residencies are free, applicants are responsible for covering personal (daily and travel) expenses.
- PAiR will issue acceptance letters for successful applicants and support their applications for external grants to cover any costs.
More information: https://pair.lv/residency/
TOKAS INTERNATIONAL CREATOR RESIDENCY PROGRAMME 2024 (JAPAN)
Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS), operated by a division of The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, offers artist-in-residence programmes for international creators working in various creative fields to stay, engage in creation and conduct research activities.
The open-call program “International Creator Residency Program (Theme Projects)” for the period from May to July 2024, invites two international creators who would engage in creative activities based on the theme “Beyond Divisions.” Together with two creators of “Local Creator Residency Program,” the 4 creators who work on the theme will seek to actively exchange ideas on the cultural differences in thoughts, recognitions, actions and languages, while working independently on their own projects. The result of their residency will be presented at the Open Studio and Result Exhibition.
Who can apply:
- Highly motivated international creators in the field of visual art, film, design, architecture.
Application deadline: 26 June 2023
Support:
- Living space (single room), airfare, living expenses (per diem), and fee for creative work/project are provided.
More information: https://www.tokyoartsandspace.jp/en/archive/application/2023/20230511-254.html
MASAHA RESIDENCY CYCLE 6 (SAUDI ARABIA)
Misk Art Residencies aims to support artistic development and practice by promoting the possibilities of meaningful exchange between the local community and the global cultural landscape. The Masaha Residency is designed to cultivate the art sector by facilitating discourse, research, and experimentation around themes that concern the local community.
This cycle of Masaha Residency invites artists to interpret the future of tradition through visual art, conceptualising imagined futures of the Kingdom, the region, and the world.
Who can apply:
- The Masaha Residency is open to ten full-time emerging Saudi and international visual artists who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- 3+ years of fine arts experience
- 3+ years of exhibiting history
- actively practising and engaging in the arts
- In addition, two full-time Saudi Arabic art writers, preferably with professional writing experience—not creative writers.
Application deadline: 30 June 2023
Support:
- Roundtrip flight to Riyadh
- Visas to Saudi Arabia
- Accommodation at a 4-star hotel in Riyadh
- Breakfast and Dinner at accommodation site
- Daily transportation
- Private studio space
- Generous research and production budget
More information: https://miskartinstitute.org/Residencies/Details?q=aWQ9MTcw
ODD ONE OUT 2024 (FINLAND)
The ODD ONE OUT Art Residency, organised by Platform, has been crafted to bring this long-awaited dream project to life. It is an invitation to break free from convention and embrace the unconventional, allowing your artistic vision to flourish and transcend previously uncharted territories.
Platform is an art organisation based in Vasa, a relatively peripheral Finnish town. It runs an art space and a residency to offer live experiences of different perspectives in a location where this would otherwise be limited.
Through the implementation of the ODD ONE OUT residency, the organisation wants to provide artists with the opportunity to explore and discover the aspects that hold relevance to their individual artistry, thereby fostering a sense of relevance within the surrounding environment. By participating in the residency, Platform offers dedicated time for artists to realise their visionary projects, which hold relevance either to their personal artistic journey or to the progression of their artistic pursuits.
Who can apply:
- Artists in any field who are able to communicate in English, Swedish or Finnish.
Application deadline: 30 June 2023
Support:
- Accommodation, travel expenses (one return trip, cheapest possible) and a working grant (based on per diem, approx. 300 € per week).
- A small production budget of 1000 €, which the artist may reimburse by presenting original receipts of purchases, specifically connected to the project produced during the residency.
More information: http://www.platform.fi/
