S+T+ARTS Residency Programme for Artists

This time, the programme specifically focuses on the environmental challenges of ports, port cities, coastal areas, and waterways.

Through nine-month residencies, STARTS4waterII will enhance collaborative artistic research, creation, and innovation in different port cities and their related ecosystems and industries across eight countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Ireland, Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia.

About Residencies Programme

• STARTS4waterII will support selected artists through a programme that includes a 9-month residency starting in September 2024 and multiple exhibitions and events during the residency period and thereafter until November 2025.
• The duration of each residency is 9 months (9-month residency + 2-month outreach).

What do they offer?

• Up to EUR 40,000 budget for artists residencies to cover the artist fee, the organisation and participation at artistic exhibitions/events and other relevant costs to ensure the successful implementation of the project (including but not limited to artwork/prototype production); The budget is fixed at EUR 40.000, no matter if the application is for a single artist, or an artist-collective.
• Access to the resources/facilities provided by the residency host institution;
• Assistance from the Local Expert Group (LEG);
• Access to the Europe-wide S+T+ARTS network; Participation at the STARTS4waterII community events (online and on-site);
• Potential participation in exhibitions showcasing the outcomes of the residencies at Ars Electronica Festival in September 2025, Love Tomorrow Conference, the UN Ocean Conference and/or other festivals and venues upon selection; and visibility through high impact communication activities to promote the artistic output and its innovation spillovers.
• Each residency will be facilitated by:
  • An innovation catalyst: serving as an intermediary between the artists and all the parties of the residency (host institutions and local experts). They will follow the artists throughout the whole implementation of the residencies;
  • A residency host institution: providing guidance, advice (on concepts, technology / scientific and other aspects relevant to the residency), logistic support and access to premises and equipment; and support artists in searching and showcasing residencies results in events/ fairs/ exhibitions.
  • A Local Expert Group: providing relevant expert know-how to the artists and anchoring them firmly within the relevant regional contexts as well as national and global sustainability frameworks.

Expected Outputs

• Producing a tangible, presentable and art-driven output addressing a local challenge, in the form of an artwork or a functional or speculative artistic prototype;
• Providing (at the beginning of the residency) a descriptive abstract of the art-driven innovation output and a development plan describing the objectives, actions, timetable and setup necessary for implementing it;
• Participating and organising online or on-site local/ national events, workshops, and seminars to (i) share experience in participating in STARTS4waterII residency programme; (ii) ensure the promotion of residency results.
• Participating in at least 3 online or on-site local/national events, as well as in international events (these events will be discussed, agreed and co-organised with the residency partners);
• Actively engaging in the dissemination and communication efforts of the residency, sharing posts on social media, producing articles to be shared on websites (such as starts.eu), participating in written/audio/video interviews; and
• Contributing to the impact assessment analysis undertaken by STARTS4waterII.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be an eligible applicant, proposals must be presented by an individual artist or a collective of artists that meets the following rules:
• Have a fiscal identification number (VAT or similar);
  • Not be affiliated with any of the S+T+ARTS4WATERII consortium partners their affiliated entities, employees and permanent collaborators. Former residents from host institutions are eligible to apply.
  • Not being granted by S+T+ARTS for a residency in 2024 and 2025
  • Have produced enough documented work to allow the assessment of their artistic experience. They must have had a practice for, at a minimum, the previous 5 years. They should be the primary creators of new work or a new project. They should be able to demonstrate a track record of publications, public performances and exhibitions, credits, awards, and/or grants.
  • Not be under liquidation or be an enterprise under difficulty according to the Commission Regulation No 651/2014, art. 2.182, or be one that is excluded from the possibility of obtaining EU funding under the provisions of both national and EU law, or by a decision of either national or EU authority.
• Note that applicants from any nationality are eligible, at the condition that they can travel (with a valid visa where applicable) to the country of the residency, as specified in the open call.

For more information, visit STARTS.