NARVA ART RESIDENCY'S OPEN CALL FOR 2025

Narva Art Residency (NART) is announcing its next open call for residencies in 2025. This time NART offers about a dozen residencies that take place at the European-Russian border city of Narva. The deadline is on 27 November. Narva Art Residency is a unique cultural space that operates thanks to a collaboration between the Estonian Academy of Arts, Narva Gate, and the Estonian Ministry of Culture. NART initiates and facilitates residencies, art exhibitions, public events of many kinds, and hosts educational activities. It is a vibrant centre which welcomes a multitude of visitors and guests and has become close with the Narva community. There is a short video about NART Kreenholm garden and the Narva Venice Embassy experiment. The residency is located on the Estonian-Russian border city of Narva which gives it a specific and special geopolitical situation. NART is in the historic Kreenholm area which came about when a textile manufacturing company was founded in the mid-19th century. It was once the largest of its kind in Europe and Russia. Now it stands vacant but has become a source of inspiration for artists and a space allowing experiments. NART is housed in a historic villa, which was once home to the director of the factory. The international artist-in-residence program is open for artists and creatives operating across all arts – visual arts, music, performance, architecture, design, film, literature, and curatorial practices etc. The program aims to generate creative exchange between practitioners as well as strengthen ties with the local context. Artists are invited to make interactive, socially engaged, and/or community-based work that is relevant also to the locals of Narva. It is best if the engagement is already intertwined into the process of artmaking itself. The planned practice should be outlined in the application. For example, in 2024, Ukrainian artist Masha Pryven did a series of workshops for local youth on the topic of passports and identities, several artists created public space installations or held public performances. An artistic duo of Joel Freeman and Kristiin Hanimägi invited visitors to experience experimental camera obscuras from the inside. NART aspires to be an open institution in various ways and also opens up the residents’ work. Some residents are invited to give a lecture and a seminar for students of the Estonian Academy of Arts. We encourage the residents to leave a version of their work at the Narva Art Residency building or surroundings. This will help future residents and guests to learn about the work of previous artists. The building is an open space and a vibrant community where one can pop into exhibitions guests, groups that come for house tours, seminars that use the halls, art academy students who come for workshops, participants of our public events etc. NART has several collaborations and projects that are planned for 2025 such as the residencies funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and residencies connected to the Narva Venice and Kreenholm garden. For those, artists are selected through separate calls. This open call is for finding artists for the main programme which includes about dozen spots. The residency offers free private accommodation, common working spaces, a shared kitchen and shared washing facilities, and access to the Kreenholm factory. Residents get help to reach out to communities for creating meaningful connections. In warmer months, it is possible to use the residency’s bicycles. Residents have the possibility to propose exhibitions or events for NART gallery spaces. The expectation is that the artist works with enthusiasm on their project during the majority of their residency. We hope that this supportive environment will foster creativity, experimentation and the development of ideas. NART main programme residencies last between 1.5 to 2 months. Both single artists and artistic duos are welcome. Applicants can be from any country around the world, including Estonia. Artists are selected by an invited jury. NART will contact successful applicants and the final residency dates are agreed upon with them. NB! NART building will have several renovation works planned for 2025. The exact times are not yet known but it is likely that the residency activities will be affected. We ask our applicants to be aware that there might be changes in the schedule and/or some artists will need to change facilities during their residency if it overlaps with the renovation works. The selected artists are asked to sign a contract and pay the advance payment of 300€ to secure the place. The payment will be returned to them within 30 days after the residency, or in case the residency is cancelled earlier than 3 months before the starting date. The prepayment is not returned only in the case of late cancellation or if the equipment or facilities have been damaged during the residency. The residencies do not involve financial obligations or support. Production and other expenses need to be provided by the artists. NART gives a letter of confirmation for artists who apply for outsourced funds. This residency is for – artists from all fields and all parts of the world – single artists or artistic duos – artists who make interactive, socially engaged, and/or community-based work The residency offers – accommodation and working facilities for free – residencies that are 1.5 – 2 months long – support for reaching out to communities, organizing events – access to the vacant Kreenholm manufactory – a vibrant centre with many activities – possibility to propose an exhibition for the gallery after the residency