Residency Call for Proposals

About the Open Call

Through the Residency Call, TIDAL ArtS will award four Residencies in Portugal, Italy, Finland, and Hungary that come with financial grants of 50,000 Euro each. These Residencies are open to artists, collectives, and creatives who can inspire and engage people in the Mission through their unique artistic creations and community engagement activities. These artworks will connect communities to their local waters, celebrate that connection, reflect the Mission’s themes, and highlight the four key ocean and water basins that serve as regional hubs for inspiration and action. Each Residency offers a unique experience for the chosen artist as they are located next to bodies of water with immense beauty and diverse environmental challenges. The artists will be provided with access to a network of cultural and scientific organisations and with ample opportunities to connect to the local context. Additionally, the Interspecies Assemblies and Co-creation Workshops will provide artists with knowledge of the location and body of water. The length of time spent on site will depend on the needs of both the artist and their project; however, artists should expect to spend at least six full weeks at the Residency site over the course of the year. Each Residency should result in a co-developed publicly displayed artistic expression in the Residency location. The artist’s innovative and creative methods should be driven by citizen engagement, scientific knowledge, and inspired by the surrounding environment to create art that unlocks and strengthens the public’s connection with their aquatic environments.

What is Offered

Each Residency includes a financial grant of 50,000 Euro. Artists will receive access to a network of cultural and scientific organisations and opportunities to connect to the local context. Interspecies Assemblies and Co-creation Workshops will provide artists with knowledge of the location and body of water. Six weeks of accommodation at the Residency location will be covered by TIDAL ArtS.

Requirements

Applicants can be individual artists, collectives (up to 5 people), and creatives of all types. A portfolio of work demonstrating practice and experience (5+ years) relevant to TIDAL ArtS themes of aquatic ecosystems, aquatic science, and citizen/community engagement through creative means is required. Applicants must have the legal right to reside and work in the Residency location, implement the project on-site spending at least six weeks, be able to communicate in English (application must be in English), and communicate in the local language or have a plan to engage local communities in their language. Applicants must not have had a Residency at the specific hosting organisation before, nor have been granted funds from TIDAL ArtS or its sister project PartArt4OW.

How to Apply

To apply: 1. Read the Residency Call for Proposals PDF in its entirety. 2. Review all sections of the website, especially Guidelines documents, FAQs, and Resources. Choose your Residency site. 3. Prepare your portfolio and 1-page concept (meet requirements on page 24 of the PDF). 4. On the website, select Apply Now. 5. Answer all questions, upload required documents, and select submit. 6. Check email for application receipt. 7. Expect to hear from TIDAL ArtS in the following months. The application process involves two stages: Stage 1 for all eligible applicants (Oct 15 - Nov 15, 2025) requires a draft concept (max 1 page) and an artistic portfolio (max 4 pages, 5 MB). Stage 2 (Jan 9 - Feb 8, 2026) is open to invited applicants only, requiring a detailed project proposal, two letters of recommendation, and interviews with shortlisted candidates.