2024 RESIDENCIES: Call for Applications

FOR APPLICANTS FROM SWITZERLAND

Artists and arts professionals from Switzerland can apply for residencies in the Arab region countries. Pro Helvetia Cairo has existing partner networks that can host visiting artists and arts professionals from Switzerland in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, and is developing networks in Algeria, Palestine, the Gulf, and other countries in the Arab region.  

Applicants from Switzerland may apply for residencies in two different regions covered by Pro Helvetia. Two separate, complete applications must be submitted. A maximum of one application per person could be approved within the framework of one call for applications.  

FOR APPLICANTS FROM THE ARAB REGION COUNTRIES 

Artists and arts professionals from the Arab region countries can apply for residencies in Switzerland. A maximum of one application per person could be submitted. 

In Switzerland

Basel

Atelier Mondial  |  (Visual Arts) 

Founded in 1986, Atelier Mondial (previously the International Studio and Exchange Program of the Basel Region) supports interdisciplinary regional and international artist residencies and exchange through an adjudicated grant programme and in parallel with an international network of partners. The residency house aims to promote intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue, and is located at Freilager-Platz 10 in Dreispitzareal, across the street from the Academy of Art and Design Basel and above the House of Electronic Arts.

Kaserne  | (Theater, Dance, Performance, Music)

Kaserne Basel is the largest centre in north-west Switzerland for the free contemporary theatre, dance and performance scene, and for innovative popular music that combines artistic avant-garde with modern pop cultures. Kaserne Basel is a reliable partner of the local, national and international theatre and dance scene and organises various festivals in the performing arts. As a co-producer, it supports the continual development of independent theatre and dance companies, promotes young talent and produces exceptional formats within urban spaces.

Musikerwohnhaus Lyseloth  |  (Music)

Four apartments offer visiting musicians and creative artists space for an effective working sojourn at the Musikerwohnhaus Basel. The guest apartments were designed with the special needs of musicians in mind and are intended for work and practice. In addition, two larger rehearsal rooms are available upon request. The infrastructure of the building was designed with the artist in mind, with a centrally located courtyard canteen, a recording studio and three rehearsal spaces available upon request.

Bern

Residency.ch  |  Bern
(Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Performance)

Since 2012, the association Resiency.ch has offered an international residency programme for visual artists at PROGR art centre in Bern. Visiting artists are accommodated on the top floor of the house with access to studio space and amenities. Guest artists are selected by the cooperation partners in consultation with the executive board of the association.

Geneva

Embassy of Foreign Artists  |  (Visual Arts) 

A residency programme founded and administered by the Laps Association in collaboration with the Office cantonal de la culture et du sport. The spaces accommodate the various stages of the creative process, from the first thoughts and tentative steps and to its presentation in a completed form. The EoFA also organises meetings between local artists and residents at events revolving around different artistic practices.

L’ Abri    |   (Dance, Performance) 

Nestled between the cathedral and the old cellars of the Priory prison, L’Abri occupies a disused air-raid shelter. Around ten artists join the space annually and for that 12 month period redefine the strategy for the space. Year after year, L’Abri undergoes a metamorphosis in contact with the new sensibilities that inhabit it.  Alongside the associated artist programme, L’Abri partners with organisations, networks and institutions around the world to facilitate residency exchanges. The space also supports emerging artists from all walks of life in their projects by providing rehearsal spaces, a recording studio, by organizing meetings with professionals from different fields, by setting up exchanges with structures and artists both regional and international.

Théâtre Grütli  | (Theatre, Performance)

The Grütli Theatre is a theatre and performing arts centre that produces and shows. Artists have access to rehearsal spaces as well as production support. A weekly ‘open office’ provides artists the opportunity to share an “office” with other professionals to discuss practices, issues and difficulties in the artistic field.

Utopiana |  (Visual Arts)

Utopiana was founded in 2001 in Geneva by Anna Barseghian and Stefan Kristensen. It occupies a house provided by the City of Geneva and focuses on hosting residencies, events and workshops of a transdisciplinary nature. Visiting artists are hosted throughout the year.

Luzerne

Woerdz  |  (Spoken word / Literature) 

The woerdz international spoken word festival is a biannual meeting of the most famous figures in the spoken word scene and, thanks to work orders, workshops, premieres of new stage programs and offers in networking and communication, provides an impetus for the further development of this art form. woerdz offers a stylistic variety within the spoken word on several stages with regional, national and international artists with content ranging from popular formats such as poetry slams as well as experiments with new formats.

Sierre

Villa Ruffieux  | (Visual Arts, Music, Literature)

The Villa Ruffieux is a residence for interdisciplinary artists located at the heart of the Alps in the town of Sierre (Valais, Switzerland). Constructed in 1902, Villa Ruffieux is part of the Château Mercier estate and became an artist residence in 2011. Each year, around 10 artists stay at the villa for around 1 to 3 months at a time. The residency is open to all professional artists working in the field of visual arts, music, literature and theatre as well as researchers and scientists. Project proposals from visiting artists should engage in some way with the villa and context of the region.

Solothurn

Solothurner Literaturtage  |  (Literature) 

The Solothurn Literature Days, founded in 1978, is an annual forum for current literary work in Switzerland. In addition to readings, there are discussions, translation workshops, performances and exhibitions. New literary works are intended to create contacts between writers from all four language regions as well as invited international writers as well as the public, media and publishers. Dealing with foreign literature has been an integral part of the Solothurn Literature Days since the beginning. Renowned past international guests included J.M. Coetzee, Günter Grass, Imre Kertész, Herta Müller, Claude Simon and Wole Soyinka.

Vevey 

La Becque  |  (Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Performance)

Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, La Becque artist residency hosts visiting artists from all backgrounds and disciplines in exceptional lakeside facilities suited for both research and production projects. A communal workshop, library and event/conference space are also available. La Becque dedicates particular attention to projects exploring the ever more intertwined notions of nature, the environment, and technology. La Becque offers several annual residency programmes in partnership with institutions and organisations.

Winterthur 

Villa Sträuli  | (Photography, Visual Arts)

Kulturhaus Villa Sträuli is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting national and international contemporary artists from all disciplines. The organisation promotes the creation, presentation and dissemination of contemporary art through an interdisciplinary, international residency programme and a year-round public centre for cultural events and exchange. The international Artists in Residence programme is conceived to support and enhance professional growth of artists from around the world, regardless of age and origin. The AiR focuses on providing project assistance, supporting network, and facilitating visibility and collaboration. The programme is intended to support all artistic disciplines and does not set any media restrictions.

Zurich

Gleis 70  |  (Design, Visual Arts)

Since 2014, the Gleis 70 artist cooperative has offered a live-in-studio for visiting artists to pursue independent projects with the possibility of networking within and outside the house. Gleis 70 is located in Zurich with approximately 130 studios spread over 6 floors. It offers its members affordable studio space and the diverse mix of tenants work across creative and artistic disciplines.

Rote Fabrik  | (Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Performance) 

Since 2008, the IG Rote Fabrik has hosted foreign artists working in the fields of visual arts, dance, theatre, music and film for studio residencies. Each year, three artists are selected from the Pro Helvetia liaison office network and one artist is selected by Rote Fabrik directly. With its unique lakeside location in Zurich, the Rote Fabrik is an expansive centre for cross-disciplinary artistic production and presentation.

Schule für Kunst & Design  |  (Design, Visual Arts)

The F+F School was founded in Zurich in 1971 and has since played a pioneering role in Swiss art education. The school experimented early on with performance, video and the new media and became increasingly well-established as a professional educational venue for art and design.

Schweizer Textilfachschule  |  (Design)

The STF Schweizerische Textilfachschule has been the competence center in the textile, fashion and lifestyle industry in Switzerland since 1881. The school stands for sustainable educational competence covering the entire life cycle of textile, fashion and lifestyle products and offers numerous training and further education, from basic education to master’s degree

In the Arab Region

EGYPT

Bayt Yakan  | Cairo

Bayt Yakan is a 17 / 19th century building located in al-Darb al-Ahmar district in the heart of Historic Cairo. It entails and exhibits historic elements that interprets the historic of Cairo during that span of time. It is situated in Suq al-Silah St, just 5 minutes’ walk from midan al-Qalaa’ and al-Rifa’ mosque, and 10 minutes from al-Azhar Park. Saved from demolition, it was restored and rehabilitated to accommodate several activities, residencies, lecture halls for community engagement and academic programs, a library and a gallery where exhibitions of various nature are held.  

B’sarya for Arts  |  Alexandria

B’sarya is an independent art space located in the heart of downtown Alexandria, Egypt. It is dedicated to the development of the contemporary art scene in the disciplines of music and photography, through the organization of artistic residencies and photography exhibitions, as well as the release of music productions.

Megawra-BEC | Cairo

Megawra-BEC is a platform for debate and action in the built environment with a focus on theory, praxis, art and linking cultural heritage to sustainability and social responsibility. A partnership between Egyptian NGO, the Built Environment Collective and its professional arm, Megawra, it runs a program of cultural events in addition to Athar Lina Initiative in al-Khalifa.

Jordan

Jordan National Gallery for Fine Arts | Amman 

The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts is the region’s leading art museum with its unique Permanent Collection that comprises over 3000 works including drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, video art, installations, graphic art, and photography, by artists from the Islamic and Developing Worlds, mainly from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Australia. 

Studio 8 | Amman

Since 2014, Studio 8 has collaborated with more than 450 people of 38 nationalities in creating 10 original dance productions, giving more than 40 performances, and organizing more than 120 classes and workshops.

Studio 8 has also made more than 100 dance videos, co-created artist residencies, exhibitions, dance discussions, community art walks and a street art fair.

LEBANON

Hammana Artist House  |  Hammana

Located in the beautiful village of Hammana, 1200m above sea level and 45 minutes away from Beirut, Hammana Artist House is a multidisciplinary art residency space with a focus on performing arts. Founded in 2016 by D. Robert Eid in partnership with Collectif Kahraba, Hammana Artist House is above all a space for artistic development, a space to create and connect. HAH is open to local and international artists to deepen their artistic research, meet diverse audiences, develop their networks, and reinforce their social engagement. Comprising spaces for rehearsals, artist hosting, a scenography workshop, and an open-air theatre, HAH proposes a year-round artistic programme under the artistic direction of Collectif Kahraba.

SHAMS Association  | Beirut

Founded in 1999, Shams Association is a cultural association for artistic activities in Lebanon created to support young talents in theatre, dance, music, multimedia and audio-visual arts and has a special branch for children’s theatre, which operates in collaboration with local partners. In addition to this, Shams Association runs the cultural centre Dawar El Shams “The Sunflower” for productions of young theatre-makers offering modern technical resources and a place for exchanges, debates, encounters and documentation.

Zico House  |  Beirut

Zico House – the home of the finest artists from all places in the globe. The house features talented performers and artists who excel in their craft both in Lebanon and abroad. Zico stands for the home of the most zealous, ingenious, creative, and outstanding artists. They give the public an opportunity to see these individuals and groups who are oozing with talents and skills which is the main reason why they excel in their respective fields in the music and the arts.

Zico House is more than just a theatre where people can watch their favourite artists. It is a house that promotes culture, and spreads awareness about other cultures and celebrates diversity, individuality, and inclusivity.

MOROCCO

LE CUBE   |  Rabat

The Cube – independent art room is an exhibition, residence and research space focused on contemporary artistic practices. Its approach revolves around projects raising contextualized social, cultural, and political questions, and encourages proposals that question History and narratives. In this dynamic, Le Cube designs and develops a vast program of exhibitions that link artistic issues to other dimensions of research, in order to conduct a constantly evolving reflection on our environment. A place of analysis and experimentation, Le Cube defends an approach where the reflections and points of view of artists and audiences are expressed.

Tabadoul  |  Tangier

Tabadoul is a multipurpose space that promotes contemporary arts and cultural exchange between Morocco, Europe and beyond. It is a stage, a platform, a place of expression that engages debate and confrontation of ideas, at the intersection of artistic languages ​​and various knowledge practices. With a program resolutely turned towards contemporary creation, Tabadoul aims to be a structure serving the arts.

Tabadoul is thus defined as an endless space made available for conferences, readings, debates, thematic evenings, concerts, wanderings, performances, balls, projections, tastings, exhibitions, shows and other unusual events. In collaboration with the guest artists, Tabadoul organises various educational and training workshops for audiences of all ages: circus arts, plastic arts, music, cinema, singing, theatre, recycling crafts and even art of life workshops.

Think Tanger | Tangier

Think Tanger is a cultural platform dedicated to the exploration of urban challenges arising in the city of Tangier. It serves as a platform to concretely address and highlight social and spatial impacts of urban matters, through projects operating at the crossroads of visual arts, design, participatory research and urban practices.

TUNISIA

32Bis | Tunis 

The 32bis is a hybrid and alternative place for research, creation, exhibition and knowledge sharing. 2 buildings, 4 levels, 4,000 m²: the 32bis is located within the walls of the former Philips headquarters, built in 1953 in the heart of Tunis. 

Elbirou Art Gallery | Sousse 

Inaugurated in December 2015, Elbirou Art Gallery is an independent cultural platform for international exchanges and support for young emerging artists. The work in favor of contemporary art of the master of the place is inseparable from his love for photography which spontaneously led him to divert an old family wool warehouse dating from the 1960s into a very recent art gallery benefiting from a strategic location in the heart of the city of Sousse. Elbirou is a platform intended to host artistic manifestations of all forms as well as various cultural events: exhibitions, installations, meetings (talks, presentation of works, concerts, performances, etc.). 

Dar Eyquem  | Hammamet

A cultural institution dedicated to the collaboration between foreign and Tunisian artists and to strengthen the capacities of artists and art technicians.

Kamel Lazaar Foundation  |  Tunis

Since its founding in 2005, the Kamel Lazaar Foundation for Art and Culture has launched several actions and projects whose local and regional effects highlight the vitality and diversity of the cultural scene in the MENA region. The Foundation supports research, publication, and exhibition initiatives, and regularly organizes debates, symposiums, and seminars. It supports the production and accompaniment of artists through residencies and artists’ workshops, and develops partnerships and exchanges with international cultural actors, in order to promote Tunisia as a hub for contemporary art.

L’Art Rue | Tunis

L’Art Rue is a shared and transversal space, in the heart of the city of Tunis but intimately linked to what’s around, where artists from here and there meet and connect with citizens, activists and experts of the city and the Tunis life. With the hope of creating, poeticizing and transforming a territory collectively, with the urgency of making city and society together, L’Art Rue puts openness, proximity and the legacy of creation at the centre of its effort to reach out to and include diverse stakeholders, united by a free imagination of a common future.