Call for applications : The Cité internationale des arts

The Institut français, with the support and delegation of the French Ministry of Culture and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, subscribers of studios at the Cité internationale des arts, allows nearly 70 artists each year to benefit from a residency in the heart of Paris.

The residency programme at the Cité internationale des arts is aimed at foreign artists, residing exclusively outside of France, who wish to undertake a research and creation project in Paris, for a period of three or six months.

Candidates must necessarily be supported by one or more cultural partners. The associated partner(s) must carry out the application process for the artist.
These partners associated with the artist may be establishments belonging to the French cultural network abroad (Instituts françaises, Cultural Services of French Embassies, Alliances françaises) and/or French or foreign cultural structures (art centres, associations, multidisciplinary laboratories, galleries, museums, contracting structures, theatres, production locations for dance and street arts, concert halls, foreign festivals, etc. In France, priority will be given to applications submitted by the Ministry of Culture.)

Disciplines

Artists may present a research project on a topic/theme of their choice, within the disciplines mentioned here after:

• Architecture/landscaping/urban planning,
• visual arts,
• street arts/circus/puppets,
• comic arts,
• cinema (fiction, animated cinema, creative documentary),
• exhibition curating/art critic,
• digital creation (digital arts, video games, VR),
• dance,
• design/graphism,
• literature (fiction, essay, children’s literature),
• crafts,
• fashion design,
• music (current, classic, contemporary and music for films and video games),
• photography,
• pluridisciplinary,
• theater.

Terms of residence

The Institut français offers individual residencies and finances the accommodation in studio-apartments, of an approximate area of 40m2, at the Cité internationale des arts, on the site of the Marais, in Paris.

The partner(s) associated with the artist, in France or abroad, must finance the artist’s travel, provide a living allowance (700€ per month, minimum) and other expenses (visa, insurance…), and carry out the process of submitting the artist’s application.

No allowance for production shall be paid by the Institut français or the Cité internationale des arts.

Durations of the stay

3 or 6 months

Eligibility criteria

The artist must: 

• Be financially supported by one or several associated partners;
• Already be active in his/her professional life;
• Be proficient in French and/or English;
• Provide proof of previous artistic work;
• Be sufficiently independent to manage his/her residency;
• Be free of any professional obligations throughout his/her residency period
• Respect a waiting period of three completed years after the residency before re-applying to the Institut français’ residency programs;

There is no age limit.

Required documents

Complete the IFProg online form using the following information: 

• Depositor: information about the associated partner(s) 
• Description of the project: artist’s information, title of the project, brief presentation of the residency project, objectives and expected results, preference on the residency period, support and financial commitment of the associated partner(s)
• Partnerships: information on possible contacts and partnerships established with French and/or foreign artists and/or professionals. 

Documents to be submitted with the application form:

• A specific project for the residency (max. 5 pages)
• A Curriculum Vitae
• An artistic file / portfolio, which may include photographs, press articles, links to sites, video or audio excerpts etc.  
• A signed statement ensuring that the works to be presented are by the artist
• Commitment letter from the associated partner(s) specifying the details of its financial support (travel expenses, living allowance, etc.) as well as an explanatory note on the reasons why it is supporting the artist’s application, indicating explicitly how it intends to promote the winner’s work during and following his/her residency. 

Selection criteria

An Advisory Committee chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Institut français, comprised of experts of the Institut français, a representative of the French Cultural Network Abroad, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, National Centre of Visual Arts and the Cité internationale des arts, shall review the applications together.

In addition to evaluating the applicant’s professional path, special attention shall be paid to the quality of the project, the need for a stay in Paris, the work protocol being envisaged, and the contacts established in France with art centres, cultural bodies, artists, curators, critics, researchers, etc. These actors shall act in an advisory, networking and assistance capacity during and following the residency.

The Committee will pay particular attention to gender parity among the successful candidates.  

The Committee reserves the right to refuse any project without having to justify its decisions. These decisions shall be irrevocable.

Calendar

• Submission of applications: Until April 15^th, 2020, included 
• Selection committee: Mid-June 2020
• Notification of results: End of June 2020
• Residencies periods: October 2020 – April 2021

Application submission

Applications submitted directly by artists will not be considered. They must be submitted by the associated partners via the IF Prog platform.

Contacts

Mathilde Lajarrige

Project Manager / Residencies department 

mathilde.lajarrige@institutfrancais.com

Call for applications open until 15/04/2020