OPEN CALL: Multidisciplinary Residency Program

Aug 30 2019

International Residency for Artists and Cultural Professionals

The location of our residency, Montparnasse, is known as a historic hub for international artists, writers, performers, and musicians working and living alongside each other in this prominent artistic neighbourhood of the French capital. Montparnasse became famous as the heart of intellectual and artistic life in the 1920s, a safe haven for international artists during the interwar period of Ecole de Paris, referred to as Les Années Folles, or the Roaring Twenties.

​Artists came to Montparnasse from all over the world, from Europe, including Italy, Spain, Russia, Hungary and the Ukraine, from the United States, Canada and Mexico, Central and South America, and from as far away as Japan. Visual artists including Russians Marc Chagall and Marie Vassilieff, Spanish Pablo Picasso, Italian Amadeo Modigliani, Japanese Tsugouharu Foujita, Mexicans Diego Riviera and Frida Kahlo, Hungarian Brassai, Dutch Piet Mondrian, Romanian Constantin Brâncuși and Swiss Alberto Giacometti, as well as writers and literary figures including the Americans Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein were hosted by their French contemporaries such as Fernand Leger, Guillaume Apollinaire, Jean Cocteau and Henri Matisse, to name only a few.

OPEN CALL: Multidisciplinary Residency Program
Revisiting the Roaring Twenties: Art, Culture and the Ecole de Paris

The year 2020 marks the 100th Anniversary of the prolific period of intercultural artistic exchange during the 1920s. To commemorate its legacy, in January 2020 L’AiR Arts is pleased to offer a multidisciplinary residency for artists and cultural professionals dedicated to the celebration of intercultural exchange through the arts and the realization of a series of open and inclusive cultural events, including open studios, talks and showcases – each built on the generosity of the Paris based artists and cultural professionals and the curiosity and solidarity of international arts community.

Who should apply?

This residency is open to artists and cultural professionals working in all art disciplines, including but not limited to:

  • visual arts
  • music
  • dance
  • theatre
  • literature


Residency Dates

Three-week residency for artists:

  • January 10 – 31

One-week residency for cultural professionals:

  •  January 24 – 31

Program Overview and Objectives

The idea of this residency is to revisit and develop the open and creative energy of the 1920s as well as the spirit of solidarity and unity that allowed arts community to thrive in the heart of France and of Europe during this politically and socially strained war-torn period.

During the residency period, artists will exchange ideas with their fellow residents from other countries, participate in relevant professional development events and showcase their work. To encourage networking and professional development, cultural professionals from around the world are invited to join the artists, visit Paris-based arts organizations, and meet local arts professionals. In addition to professional visits and showcase events, participants will also have the chance to hear from historians and political scientists, specialized in the interwar period and current affairs, who will contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the impact of arts and culture on society.

The residency will be co-hosted together with Paris-based artists, who will serve as co-organizers and will be asked to build on this mission of unity, openness and liberty in the artistic programming of cross-cultural exchange. To borrow French scholar Michel Espagne’s concept of “cultural transfers,” artists are often “vectors” in the cross-cultural exchanges that fuel the evolution of culture, politics and society. “To become attentive to cultural changes,” Espagne writes in his recent article on the subject, “implies revising, at least virtually, the structures of collective memory … seeking imported elements, which are often marginalized.”

Identities, values and visions of the future can be shared and shaped by the arts, which is a vital platform for intercultural dialogue and debate. This program provides an opportunity to build lasting connections, share experiences, ideas, and meals, getting to know one another not only as colleagues but as people. Invited artists and cultural professionals from around the world will be asked to reflect on ways in which the inclusive aims of the residency provide a counterbalance to contemporary social and political divisions, and will be encouraged to implement related initiatives in their communities back home.

The goals of this residency is not only to highlight the important role that international artistic community have played in Paris during the 20th Century inter-war period, but also to support international dialogue towards an open and free society of today. Today’s Europe must remain open to the globalized world, including emerging countries, and artistic exchanges are an ideal platform to facilitate this urgent and complex goal.

Multidisciplinary Residency includes:

  • Accommodation in either a private or shared room (based on your preferences and availability)
  • Flexible meal plan on-site: buffet breakfast and either lunch or dinner of traditional french cuisine (with a to-go option)
  • Welcoming and closing dinner / reception at a historic restaurant or an artistic venue
  • Curated cultural program (professional visits, meetings and other facilitated group events co-hosted by Paris-based artistsand program partners)
  • Shared studio space (access to specialized production facility can be provided based on the program)
  • Meeting and showcase space (open studio, performance/stage space, sound, technical assistance)
  • Access to the Centre’s facilities including, plenty of common areas, cafe, an outdoor terrace and garden, laundry facility, meeting rooms and internet access (wifi) for personal laptops
  • Support to encourage integration and intercultural exchange
  • Exposure on L’AiR Arts website and social media
  • Paris Museum Pass
  • Paris metro tickets

Travel, art materials and stipend are not included.

Residency fees

As a not-for-profit organisation, our residency fees only aim to cover the costs, already subsidized by our individual and institutional partners. The residency fees cover all the components, from the accommodation, most meals and local transportation, to creative space and curated programming. Some financial support and scholarships are available. For more information, please see our Funding page.

Three-week residency for artists:

  • 2650 euro (based on shared accommodation between 2 – 4 participants)
  • 2950 euro (based on private accommodation)

One-week residency for cultural professionals:

  • 1200 euro (based on shared accommodation between 2 – 4 participants)
  • 1350 euro (based on private accommodation)

Application and Selection Process

Inclusivity is one of the core values and a guiding principles of our programs. This multidisciplinary residency is open to artists and cultural professionals​ from diverse cultural backgrounds, of different ages and genders, working in all art disciplines and at all stages of their professional careers. Intermediate level of English is required to be able to understand and interact with others.

​Applications are reviewed by a panel of international and Paris-based professionals. Selections are made from an open call application and panel process to nominations or by invitation.

Application deadline: September 15, 2019

If you have any questions please contact us at info@lairarts.com