CLOSED Open Call: Artist-In-Residence

A new residency programme to develop artistic perspectives on bicycle cultures and communities in five European cities is being launched! The programme will provide opportunities for artists to create interventions that inspire local decision makers and invite communities to imagine bike-friendly, inclusive spaces in our cities between May and September 2024.

We believe that artists should play a role in envisioning future(s) to tackle sustainable urban mobility challenges. The residency programme will provide opportunities and networks for artists, communities and decision makers from different backgrounds and perspectives to come together to re-think, imagine and collaborate. 

The programme will be based on the key artistic values of the project - sustainability, learning and sharing, inclusion, connection, impact and change - which are described more in the CYCLE UP! artistic vision. Sustainability is also at the heart of this residency, in terms of production, exhibition, mobility, project management and the networks we will create.

• There will be one residency taking place in each respective country (Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia). 
• Each residency is for a one month stay for one person (except in the case of Berlin which is for two months stay for one person). 
• The artist-in-residence programme is intended as space for the creative process, and for the realisation of an artistic project. 

CYCLE UP! project and the residency programme are jointly organised by the Goethe-Institut (Germany), Czech Centres (Czechia), BoMiasto (Poland), PUNKT (Slovakia) and Tartu 2024 with the City of Tartu (Estonia). Read more on our partners on the about page. 

WHAT IS INCLUDED

• Accommodation
• Travel costs (up to given limit; one round trip)
• Financial contribution - including living costs and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) 
• Studio space
• Materials (up to given limit)
• Opportunities to participate and contribute to community engagement efforts of CYCLE UP! This is a chance to reach an audience outside of the art scene, to try and affect real change in the urban mobility sector, with our support. 
• The CYCLE UP! team will also provide the support in terms of logistics and research on green travel and acquisition of sustainable materials and artistic production.

EXPECTED ARTISTIC OUTCOMES

• There is no limit on the artistic medium or delivery methods that can be chosen to use, but it must be related to bicycle culture and promoting sustainable local communities. 
• We are looking for projects in public space, either in a tangible form - installations, murals, photography, exhibitions etc. - or in an intangible form - performance, community building, happening. The outcome should, however, be available for use for years to come, either to the local community or in other communities to support the development of cycling.
• The creative process and outcomes should also reflect the values mentioned in the CYCLE UP! artistic vision.
• The artist's initial ideas for the project/artwork will be further developed after initial discussions with project partners and with the local communities from the respective countries.
• The design and delivery of artistic outcomes, interventions, programmes or events will be guided by local contexts (politics, history, environmental, economic and artistic), which will be discussed with artists in advance by on-the-ground project partners, local community partners and local decision makers.
• The final artwork will be presented to the local public in two stages – first as a work-in-progress during the stay, and then in its final form at the end of the residency, where the artists will explain the principles and contribution to the community.

SUSTAINABILITY

The programme is planned with the minimisation of environmental impacts of accommodation, food, travel, artistic production and exhibition, event and project management at the fore. 

Sustainable travel: The CYCLE UP! project encourages applicants to choose sustainable ways of travelling and will support in the logistical planning to achieve this: For journeys below 600 km (calculated one way), using any other transport mode other than by plane is required, except in exceptional circumstances such as: 

• The artist has a disability that affects the ability to travel differently. 
• The artist's place of residence/place of destination is on an island which is only accessible via aeroplane. 
• The artist is facing a situation of force majeure and serious personal circumstances. 




Sustainability of materials: We favour artists who plan to reuse, share or rent equipment for artistic production. Artists will be supported with knowledge and connection to networks who can advise on sustainable artistic practice related to their artistic medium.

Sustainability of networks: Artists will be connected with communities and decision makers prior to the start of the residency, and we envision facilitating relationships that last beyond the initial residency.

Find out more in CYCLE UP!’s Sustainability Framework.

ACCESSIBILITY

The CYCLE UP! project may cover additional financial support for artists whose disabilities affect their ability to carry out a residency programme. Applicants are invited to indicate such disabilities and special needs in the application form. The CYCLE UP! team will contact the applicants individually to understand the support required, based on personal need. Supporting documents will be requested at the application or reporting stage. 

APPLICANT'S PROFILE

• Independent, open-minded, collaborative, good communicator and innovative in outlook.
• Open to participate with the local community to discuss the needs of bike-culture, mobility or infrastructure, and to reflect these challenges in the original artistic outcome.
• Ready to work in an open studio setting where the public can interact with artists.
• Committed to furthering the values of the CYCLE UP! Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Framework.




Required

• Previous artistic experience.
• Fluency in English.
• Applicants must be a legal resident in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries.
• Applicants cannot apply for a residency in the country they are currently or permanently based.
• Applicants may only apply for one CYCLE UP! artist-in-residence programme.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.




HOW TO APPLY

Fill in the application form in English (see the link in specification of each residency) and upload the following on the form: 


1. CV
2. Portfolio 




The deadline for applying is the 31^st of January 2024.

If you experience any accessibility challenges with this document or the application process, please contact the team at: cycleup@czechcentres.cz. 




SCHEDULE 2023/2024

1. 4^th December 2023Application open date
   
2. 31^st January 2024Application deadline
   
3. February 2024Evaluation
   
4. March 2024 Results Announced
   
5. May to September 2024Residencies take place

EVALUATION PROCESS & CONTRACTING

• Applications sent after the deadline or incomplete will not be considered.
• Applications will be evaluated by a jury composed of the representatives of CYCLE UP! project partners and residential partners from the respective countries, curatorial board members and local cycling-coordinators or decision-makers in an advisory role (without a right to vote).
• A contract will be concluded with each artist chosen for the respective residency. The contract will detail the schedule, outcome, framework for financial support and organisational aspects (financial contribution, travel costs, accommodation, studio etc).

RESIDENCIES

GERMANY - BERLIN

• Organiser: Czech Centre Berlin
  
• Residency partner: ZK/U Berlin
  
• Duration of residency: August to September 2024 (2 months)
  
• Financial contribution: 3.000 EUR (fixed; this includes living costs for 2 months and IPRs) 
  
• Travel costs: 400 EUR (up to given limit - based on real costs; one round trip)
  
• Accommodation, studio & facilities for creative work: provided by residency partner.
  
• Residency partner statement: The artist is invited to explore the urban structures and culture of cycling in Berlin. This has a long tradition in the city, even if politics still struggles to accept and promote it as the most sustainable mode of transport. We will provide the artist with insights into the future of mobility, politics of craftsmanship, and critical repair. We can also provide recycled bicycle material, if required.
  
• Outcome focus: intervention in public space, installation, video-performance, conceptual photography.

Application form HERE

SLOVAKIA - BRATISLAVA

• Organisers: Czech Centre Bratislava and PUNKT
• Residency partner: Nová Cvernovka
• Duration of residency: August to September 2024 (1 month)
• Financial contribution: 1.500 EUR (fixed; this includes living costs for 1 month and IPRs)
• Travel costs: 400 EUR (up to given limit - based on real costs; one round trip)
• Accommodation, studio & facilities for creative work: provided by residency partner.
• Residency partner statement: This artistic residency is a unique chance to work with an extensive neighbourhood network and participate with an established community festival, Dobrý trh (The Good Market). The festival is a catalysing force behind a new sustainable urban plan for the neighbourhood public space. During this residency, we are looking for an artist who will be able to tap into the local community, co-create and re-imagine what mobility can be for this neighbourhood and its visitors.
• Outcome focus: installation, intervention in public space.

Application form HERE

POLAND - KATOWICE

• Organiser: BoMiasto
• Residency partner: Katowice Miasto Ogrodów – Instytucja Kultury im. Krystyny Bochenek
• Duration of residency: July to August 2024 (1 month)
• Financial contribution: 1.500 EUR (fixed; this includes living costs for 1 month and IPRs) 
• Travel costs: 400 EUR (up to given limit - based on real costs; one round trip)
• Accommodation, studio & facilities for creative work: provided by residency partner.
• Residency partner statement: Katowice is a mining and industrial city that is currently in the process of an energy transition. Silesian culture and folklore form the identity of the city, which remembers its past and is increasingly modern and eco-friendly. This can inspire artists - combining Katowice's industrial history with current cultural and ecological development.
• Outcome focus: Open to all types of art; the partner is experienced in musical events, but also in exhibitions and multimedia.

Application form HERE

CZECHIA - PRAGUE

• Organiser: Czech Centres 
• Residency partner: MeetFactory
• Duration of residency: mid of August to mid of September 2024 (1 month)
• Financial contribution: 1.500 EUR (fixed; this includes living costs for 1 month and IPRs)
• Travel costs: 400 EUR (up to given limit - based on real costs; one round trip)
• Accommodation: provided by organiser
• Studio & facilities for creative work: provided by residency partner.
• Residency partner statement: As the capital city of Czechia, Prague remains one of the most developed when it comes to public transport. However, bikes remain underused in the city. We welcome a project that would attempt to change the way everyday citizens perceive cycling as a means of daily transport. 
• Outcome focus: An investigation regarding the role of cycling in everyday communications in the city of Prague. We are looking for artists who operate in the arena of visual arts, performance, studio practice, post-artistic practice and participatory art. Why is cycling not the preferred transport for commuting in Prague? What are the stereotypes linked to biking and cyclists? Why is the number of people cycling daily small in comparison with other European cities?

Application form HERE

ESTONIA - TARTU

• Organiser: Tartu 2024
• Residency partner: TYPA - centre for letterpress, printmaking, bookbinding and paper art 
• Duration of residency:  8^th of July to 4^th of August (1 month)
• Financial contribution: 1.500 EUR (fixed; this includes living costs for 1 month and IPRs) 
• Travel costs: 400 EUR (up to given limit - based on real costs; one round trip)
• Accommodation, studio & facilities for creative work: provided by residency partner
• Residency partner statement: Tartu, the oldest town in the Baltics, is known for its groundbreaking University, strong-rooted cultural traditions, and use of smart city solutions. The concept of Tartu 2024 is Arts of Survival, and its addressing burning topics like the effect of human activity on the climate crisis, social inequality, mental health problems, or the sustainability of small towns and rural areas. The outcome of the residency programme should be sustainably produced and well connected with the creative concept of the Arts of Survival and the theme of bicycle culture and sustainable transport.
• Outcome Focus: exhibition, intervention in public space, workshops.

Application form HERE

Contact

Nikola Sedláčková / Czech Centres

cycleup@czechcentres.cz