ARts on the Edge Spaces (ARES) artist in residence – open call for 6 artists for residencies in Bucharest (Romania), Helsinki (Finland) and Ria Formosa (Portugal)

DEADLINE: 5 March 2026, 10:00AM EET (GMT +2)
JURY MEETING: 16 March 2026

RESIDENCY PERIODS AND LOCATIONS

• 5 June – 3 July 2026: Bucharest (1-2 weeks) and the Danube Delta region (2-3 weeks), WASP Bucharest (Romania)
• 28 September – 21 November 2026: Suomenlinna Island (8 weeks), HIAP Helsinki (Finland)
• 1 October – 30 November 2026: Ria Formosa (2 or 3 weeks), SCIAENA Faro (Portugal)

ABOUT THIS CALL

WASP (Romania), SCIAENA (Portugal), and HIAP (Finland) invite artists to apply for a new international programme bringing together artists, researchers, community organisers and cultural organisations working in and with Europe’s so-called ‘edges’. 

This call supports artistic mobility – artists are invited to travel for one of the above artistic research and creation residencies in 2026. The artists must be able to participate in the full length of the residency.27.

ABOUT ARTS ON THE EDGE SPACES (ARES)

ARES will unfold across places that are often seen as peripheral – geographically, politically or culturally – and investigates these positions as sites of knowledge, resilience and imagination. Through residencies, shared research and collective moments of exchange, the programme will support ways of working that are slow, attentive, mobile and rooted in specific contexts. 

Together, we want to look at how ecological, social and political global challenges are lived locally. And how communities respond and adapt in the realities of their ‘edge-existence’.

This open call is for artists who are engaged with questions of climate, justice and society. And who are invested in working across disciplines and places. Selected artists will take part in a residency at one of three locations and the resulting works will be included in a touring exhibition and public programme which will take place across the partner locations between Spring and Autumn 2027. 

The call is open to individual artists who are residing in one of the project’s partner regions (see full criteria below). 

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

WASP Working Art Space and Production is a cultural organisation which develops strategic national and international partnerships to support the production and promotion of contemporary visual and performing arts, organises and hosts residencies, workshops, debates, productions and presentations. Established in 2012, WASP has developed its activity as a community center for arts and culture in Bucharest, activating the important role of dialogue and inclusion, education and audience development. Since 2017, WASP has developed cross-disciplinary international projects, between art, architecture and ecology, including multidisciplinary creations and itinerary exhibitions in Europe.  

Sciaena is a Portuguese environmental NGO founded in 2006 that works at the intersection of creative expression, community involvement, and marine science. It runs from local projects with fishing villages and schools to national and international advocacy addressing important ocean-related issues. It envisions a healthy ocean supported by an informed and empowered people.

Believing in the transformative power of the arts to translate scientific knowledge into shared cultural experiences, Sciaena uses artistic expression as a bridge between research, emotion and public action. 

In 2014, it created Mar Motto, an annual ocean-focused arts festival that brings together contemporary art, debates, music, performances and workshops in a temporary exhibition space. Expanding this dialogue between science, culture and environmental awareness, Sciaena also launched Scianema in 2016, an annual environmental film festival showcasing documentaries that explore the fragile relationship between humanity and the marine environment.

HIAP Helsinki International Artist Programme has delivered residencies for international artists in Helsinki since 1998. We work across two locations in Helsinki – Cable Factory, a multi-arts centre on Helsinki mainland, and Suomenlinna, a UNESCO world heritage site island located approximately 15 minutes by boat from Helsinki’s Kauppatori. Annually, we welcome up to 75 artists to undertake residencies in Helsinki. HIAP also programmes Gallery Augusta, located on Suomenlinna, which is a platform for international and Finland based artists. Projects include Ukraine Solidarity Residency Programme, Learning Materials and multiple international exchanges. 

RESIDENCY CONDITIONS

• Travel to and from the artist’s home – we encourage slow travel (see here). 
• Accommodation
• Working grant of €1.500 per month.
• Material budget of €2.000. 

For the exhibition, the partners will manage a budget of up to €1.000 to cover costs including exhibition supervision, exhibition build and technical support. A separate budget for delivering workshops, talks and other events of up to €500 will be available for the artist during the exhibition. 

Please note this represents the total budget available. For collectives, pairs and groups there are no additional working grants / fees and the above must be split between the group as a whole. 

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY CONTEXTS

WASP

For the residency in Romania, WASP serves as the primary host, connecting the urban pulse of Bucharest’s Dâmbovița River with the wild, cultural landscapes of the Danube Delta. Under the umbrella of the ARES project, the residencies facilitate a deep dialogue between contemporary art and ecological resilience. 

In Bucharest, WASP collaborates with Bucharest National Park Association to explore the “Văcărești Delta”, a unique urban wetland. The partnership with the Ivan Patzaichin Museum – Community Innovation Center, gives access to a cultural space in the heart of the Danube Delta, in the village of Mila 23. Together with the Institute for Eco-Museological Research “Gavrilă Simion” in Tulcea, the partners create a framework for documenting the heritage of the Lower Danube, encouraging the exchange with the culture and traditions of the local Lipovan, while highlighting the fragile biodiversity of the Danube Delta.

This collaborative framework reinterprets water as a “blue-green artery” for social and climate justice, uniting researchers, environmental experts, and local communities.

In each location, Mila 23, Tulcea and Bucharest, the partners will provide work spaces matching the available infrastructure with the artists’ needs. Accommodation during the residency will be provided in the proximity of the work spaces.

SCIAENA

Sciaena invites artists to channel their creativity as a way to reflect on, breathe with and protect the sea—and, by extension, humanity itself. The artistic residencies will take place in the Ria Formosa, a protected Natural Park and extensive coastal wetland in the eastern Algarve (Portugal), stretching across the municipalities of Loulé, Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António, from Ancão Beach to Manta Rota Beach.

This unique ecosystem is formed by a dynamic mosaic of tidal channels, barrier islands (such as Faro, Culatra, Armona and Tavira), salt marshes, salinas and sandy beaches, and plays a vital role in biodiversity conservation, migratory bird routes and traditional livelihoods such as shellfishing and salt production. Recognised as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal, Ria Formosa offers a living landscape where nature, culture and science coexist—through boat routes, walking trails, birdwatching and local gastronomy—making it a powerful setting for artistic research and creation.

For the residencies, Sciaena does not have a permanent accommodation or studio facility. Instead, the organisation will identify, secure and provide suitable accommodation in close dialogue with the selected artists. The location of the accommodation will be defined according to the artists’ preferences and working needs, and must be situated within the Ria Formosa area or in strategically located sites that allow easy and sustainable access to key project locations. This approach ensures appropriate conditions for research, creation and meaningful engagement with the local context.

Artistic residencies, which promote significant interactions between artists, marine scientists, and sea-dependent people, are at the center of the project. The project promotes new artistic narratives that explore and rethink the relationship between people and the ocean through co-creation processes and public performances.

HIAP

Located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Suomenlinna is a 15 minute ferry ride from Helsinki city centre. 

The artists will be provided with a Residency Apartment and separate shared working space in HIAP’s workshop. The Residency Apartment (~30 sqm) is furnished living spaces with kitchenette, desk space and bathroom, accommodating up to 2 adults. 

The Workspace will be shared between the 2 selected artists, and located in HIAP’s main building within the workshop facilities which include wood work and carpentry. All residents have 24/7 access to HIAP community facilities on Suomenlinna such as the Community Room, Project Space, Equipment Room, and Wood Workshop. Some equipment (e.g., projectors, sound systems) is available to borrow.

Residents can choose to take part in activities organised by HIAP during their residency period. These include weekly coffees in HIAP’s Community Room with fellow residents, trips and visits to openings and events in Helsinki, and an Open Studios with opportunity to share works in progress – one of our most popular events that takes place towards the end of the residency period. 

More information about HIAP’s residencies can be found here. Accessibility information for the residency site is available here. 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Beyond the creation of physical art, these residencies cultivate community-driven processes. They support the sharing of knowledge, the building of lasting relationships, and a redefinition of art’s role in territories where social and ecological fragility overlap.

Artists will be required to undertake community engagement during their residency. It is important to be clear in your application on what previous experience you have with community and / or socially engaged work, and any additional support you may need to fulfill this part of the residency brief. It is also important to be specific about how this community work may manifest, for example through workshops, talks and other events. 

WASP

The residencies aim to build bridges that amplify the voices of local communities in the Danube Delta and highlight the complexity of fluvial ecosystems.

For the residency in Romania, WASP will collaborate with its partner Mila 23, a secluded fishing village in the heart of the Danube Delta, accessible only by water. Its community is a vibrant ethnic mosaic, predominantly composed of Lipovans who settled there in the 19th century to escape religious persecution. This heritage is reflected in the village’s iconic architecture: whitewashed houses adorned with “siniliu” (ultramarine) blue trim and traditional reed roofs.

Life here is deeply intertwined with the river’s rhythm. Historically, the residents were renowned as some of the Delta’s most skilled fishermen, navigating the labyrinthine canals in traditional wooden “lotca” boats. This aquatic lifestyle famously produced over 20 Olympic champions, including the legendary Ivan Patzaichin. Today, the community balances its ancestral traditions with sustainable tourism, offering authentic hospitality and fish-based gastronomy. Despite modern shifts, they remain guardians of a fragile “edge-existence,” preserving a culture rooted in ecological interdependence, manual rowing, and deep spiritual resilience.

SCIAENA

The communities from the Ria Formosa Natural Park, especially on the barrier islands (such as Faro, Culatra, Armona and Tavira), are communities whose daily lives and identities are shaped by the sea. Fishing, shellfish harvesting, aquaculture and salt production are not only economic activities, but living traditions that sustain social cohesion and a deep sense of place. Ilha da Culatra, home to several hundred residents, stands as a powerful example of this close relationship between people and Ria Formosa.

These communities are increasingly affected by climate change, particularly through coastal flooding and erosion that threaten homes, infrastructure and long-term livelihoods. As environmental pressures grow, residents face complex challenges related to land use, relocation and conservation, alongside cumulative impacts such as pollution, overexploitation, mass tourism and increasing boat traffic.

Within this fragile and dynamic ecosystem, community resilience depends on the ability to adapt—collectively and creatively—while safeguarding both cultural heritage and ecological integrity.

HIAP

HIAP is located on the UNESCO World Heritage Site island of Suomenlinna, which is home to 800 permanent residents, 400 workers, an open prison, active military base and visited by over 1,000,000 tourists annually. It has a diverse and important history in the context of Finland and the broader Nordic Baltic region’s past. You can find out more about Suomenlinna’s history here. 

We are particularly hoping to hear from artists who are excited to engage with those living and working on the island, as well as the Suomenlinna Governing Body’s ‘Sustainable Tourism Strategy’. We are open to the ways in which this engagement could take place. However, our ambition is to actively contribute to the conditions in which people live, work and visit the island – the ARES project and residency is an important project for how we actively facilitate that. 

ACCESSIBILITY

If you would like any further information about accessibility, or would like to discuss your access requirements in advance of making an application, please contact office@hiap.fi. A separate access budget is not available for the project. 

Within the form there is a dedicated section where you can include information about your access requirements. You can also choose to upload an Access Rider separately. This will not be included in the jury process and will be treated with strict confidence. You do not have to declare your access requirements in advance of making the application and there will be further opportunity to share this following selection.

Unfortunately information about this Open Call is not currently available in other formats such as large print, International Sign Language or audio formats. We hope this will change in the future. If this is a barrier for you, please contact us on office@hiap.fi and we will do our best to support you. 

INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

The project partners are committed to fostering safe and inclusive working environments. This includes ensuring all partners, artists and participants abide by and adopt HIAP’s Safer Spaces Policy and Code of Conduct. 

People from the global majority*, who are LGBTQIA+, disabled** and/or from working class or low socioeconomic backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.

*Global majority is a collective term for people of Indigenous, African, Asian or Latin American descent. 

**This includes but is not limited to those who define as disabled people, as people with long term health conditions, as deaf, Deaf, neurodivergent or in relation to their health-related access requirements. 

WHO CAN APPLY

Location

This call supports artistic mobility within the ARES partner network. 

To be eligible, you must:

• Currently live in one of the ARES partner territories (see below), and
• Apply for a residency in a different partner territory (you cannot apply to a residency host in the same territory where you live)

We invite artists currently residing in any of the following partner network territories*:

• WASP: Romania and Moldova,
• SCIAENA: Portugal and Spain,
• HIAP: Nordic and Arctic Creative Europe countries, specifically: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Greenland. 

You must apply to a residency outside of the territory you currently reside in.

Example: If you are based in Portugal or Spain, you may apply for a residency with:

• WASP, or
• HIAP

And cannot apply for a residency with SCIAENA, because Portugal is part of the SCIAENA partner territory. 

*Artists currently living in Ukraine or who are displaced and now reside within one of the three territories above are eligible to apply. 

Practice

Contemporary visual arts practitioners from all disciplines, at any stage of your career are welcome to apply.
We particularly encourage applications from those who can demonstrate a long term commitment to the ARES themes within your practice beyond the scope of this residency programme. 

Sustainability

Artists with demonstrable commitment to developing more sustainable practices in their work will be prioritised. This includes those who can articulate what measures they take within their work towards sustainable production. 

We understand that slow travel is not a viable option for everyone, and can present access and inclusion barriers. We encourage artists to undertake slow travel to and from their residency destinations, when possible.

Commitment

Those applying must be able to commit to the full residency programme in terms of length and location. 

Selected residents will also be engaged in the subsequent touring exhibition in 2027. The exact nature and details of this exhibition engagement will be determined at the end of the residency period, once proposals for presentation are established and agreed. 

SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCESS

Selections will be made by a jury consisting of representatives of the partner organisations. The jury will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:

• Motivation: does the applicant make a strong argument as to why they want to undertake the residency?
  
• Relevance: would the residency have a potentially meaningful impact on the local art scene?
  
• Topicality: does the focus of the proposal resonate well with the themes of ARES?
  
• Diversity: does the applicant consider diversity within their practice and / or how would they contribute to the diversity of the residency programme in terms of practice and lived experience?

• Feasibility: does the work plan result in the production of an artwork which can be part of a touring exhibition in 2027?

Quality of applications will be assessed across multiple areas including relevancy, originality and distinctiveness, rigour, presentation, vision and impactfulness. 

The final selection will be made based on the highest scoring applicants against the above criteria, and balance across the ARES programme. 

Due to the volume of applications, individual feedback cannot be provided. However we will endeavour to summarise the key jury discussion points and share with all who applied. 

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted in English language via the online application form. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Required materials:

• Brief outline of your professional background and biography (up to 250 words)
  
• Motivation statement including how your work responds to the ARES themes and why you would wish to undertake a residency in your chosen location (up to 500 words)
  
• Work Plan including your approach to engaging with communities in your chosen location (up to 250 words)
  
• Portfolio / examples of previous work (max. 10 images or 3 video/audio files) provided as an external link (no upload optional available). Please ensure your portfolio has the correct access permissions and does not exceed 25MB. 

Application deadline: 5.03.2026, TIME 10:00AM EET (GMT +2)

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.ropean Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.