CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

ESR OPEN CALL 2026 IS CLOSED

Thank you to everyone who applied.

Fully Funded Residency for early-career curators and CPs, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds.

Art radionica Lazareti, Croatia, Lidice Art Collection – Lidice Memorial, Czechia, and Pro Progressione, Hungary, welcome applications from early-career curators and cultural professionals—especially those from underprivileged backgrounds—residing in the Creative Europe countries to participate in the "European Solidarity Residency" in the partner locations.

This 30-day fully funded residency will take place in three locations – Budapest, Dubrovnik & Lidice – from Monday, 14 September to Tuesday, 13 October 2026.

ESR aims to employ solidarity in art for societal transformation and to promote diversity, the green agenda, equality and inclusivity. ESR first establishes a knowledge-exchange process between partners, then a fully funded residency program for CPs at each institution, and finally disseminates outcomes. It acknowledges the cultural and linguistic diversity between partners, their unique approaches to the innovation objective, and their specific strategies for addressing the priority of social inclusion.

Participants in the residency will benefit from regular workshops and talks with local artists and professionals, fostering collaboration and engagement with the local community. They will also participate in mentoring sessions with experienced curators, one-on-one and peer discussions to support professional development, and special one-on-one online mentoring sessions with experts from partner locations.

ESR is open to 20 residents selected in two periods. The first took place in 2025, and the second is taking place in 2026. 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 the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

For more information about the open Call and residency, read the Residency Terms and Conditions and the ESR Open Call Digital Document in Croatian, Czech, English, Hungarian and Ukrainian.

To access the easy read summary, click here.

Eligibility

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and especially encourage applicants from underprivileged backgrounds. This includes disabled people, people who are unemployed or on a low income, and migrants. We also encourage applicants with children and people affected by war, including applicants from Ukraine. If you need adjustments to apply or to take part in the residency, please tell us at hello@solidarityresidency.eu, and we will work with you to provide them.

To apply, you shall:

  • Become an ESR Commons Member (Free) here

  • Complete the application form there

  • Submit CV/resume highlighting your experience and a personal statement (max. 500 words) outlining your interest in the residency and how it will benefit your professional practice.

  • NB: You can send us an equivalent of the application form and the CV/resume in audio and video form.

Optionally, you may provide us with:

  • Portfolio of past (curatorial) projects

Application Timeline

  • Open Call Opens: Wednesday 15 April 2026

  • Open Call Closes: Wednesday, 13 May 2026 at 1 pm CEST.

  • Second Round Selection Announcement: by Wednesday, 3 June 2026 (Selected participants for the 2nd round interviews will be notified via email)

  • Second Round Interviews: Mon 15 – Fri 19 June 2026

  • Final Decision: Tuesday 30 June 2026 (All participants will be notified via email with the outcome and short feedback)

  • Applicants with disabilities may request an extended deadline by writing to hello@solidarityresidency.eu.

Selection Criteria

A selection panel of curators and cultural professionals from diverse backgrounds, including external panellists, assesses every application against three weighted criteria:

  • Alignment with ESR's themes and values (40%). How closely your practice or proposed project relates to solidarity in art, inclusion and sustainability, and how clearly you understand what ESR sets out to do.

  • Potential for professional growth (40%). How the residency will benefit your professional development.

  • Contribution to the diversity of the cohort (20%). How your participation adds to the cultural, geographic and linguistic diversity of the group.

Support

Selected participants will receive a fully funded Residency for 30 days:

  • Coworking space/office facilities (with dedicated desks with access to internet & printer)

  • Free Accommodation for the duration of the Residency

  • Covered travel costs from within Creative Europe participating countries

  • A fee of 1,500.00 EUR (paid in instalments during the residency period)

  • Full research access to partner organisations and their mentors

  • Regular meetings to check on progress and provide feedback

  • Opportunity to fully develop ideas in unique environments

  • Online mentoring with ESR partners' mentors

  • Wheelchair-accessible spaces, assistive technology, trained staff and personal assistants, whenever needed

Equal opportunities

ESR is committed to equal opportunities for all applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, nationality, social background, or any other personal characteristic. We assess every application on merit, relevance to the residency's themes, and potential for professional growth.

NB: All applicants, whether selected or not, will automatically have exclusive access to all residency online materials, including online ESR Mentors' Talks, via a free ESR Commons Membership.

 FAQs

  • Creating an account keeps everything in one place—your application, status updates, deadlines, and messages. It also lets you securely upload files, provide required consents, and receive the right information at the right stage. If you’re selected, your access simply upgrades to Resident materials without starting over.

  • Yes, your membership will ensure that you have access to Zoom links, recordings, and documents in a secure space. It helps us manage capacity, moderate Q&As, and share resources responsibly (including materials we can't publish openly). You get a cleaner experience—no scattered links, no guesswork—just everything relevant to your application journey and later to the residency materials.

    Keeping them in the member area lets us offer high-quality content for free while protecting speakers, participants, and materials. Members get priority access to live Zoom sessions, on-demand replays, downloads, and timely reminders—all organised, version-correct, and ad-free. It also helps keep everything running smoothly for you.

  • Because if we only used email, we couldn’t give you the full member benefits—like a single login to live sessions, replays, and a growing resource library. ESR is one of the first residencies to offer ongoing access to these materials even after the application/residency cycle, and that requires a secure, consistent free member area rather than scattered inbox threads. You also get version-correct forms, timely updates, and fair access to limited-capacity events. And importantly, your information and access links are handled in a protected environment, in line with GDPR and our Privacy Policy.