CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

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 17 November to Tuesday 16 December 2025.

ESR aims to employ solidarity in art for societal transformation and to promote diversity, the green agenda, equality and inclusivity. ESR first retains a knowledge exchange process between partners, then a fully funded residency program for CPs at each institution and finally, dissemination of outcomes. It acknowledges the cultural and linguistic variety between partners, their unique approach to the innovation objective, and their particular strategy in 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 enhance professional development, and special one-on-one online mentoring sessions with experts from the partners in other locations.

ESR is open to 20 residents selected in two periods. The first one will take place in 2025 and the second one 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 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, please read the Residency Terms and Conditions.

To apply, you shall:

  • Become an ESR Commons Member (Free) – see link below

  • 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: Thursday, 14 August 2025

  • Open Call Closes: Friday, 12 September 2025 at 1 pm CEST.

  • Second Round Selection Announcement: Thursday, 18 September 2025 (Selected participants for the 2nd round interviews will be notified via email) 

  • Second Round Interviews: Mon 22 – Wed 25 September 2025

  • Final Decision: Friday, 27 September 2025 (Selected ESR participants will be notified via email)   

Support

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

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

  • Accommodation for the duration of the Residency

  • 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 anyone involved in ESR

NB: All applicants, regardless of whether they are selected or not, will automatically have exclusive access to all residency online materials, including online ESR Mentor's Talks via free ESR Commons Membership-

Join ESR Commons Access (Free) to submit your application and get everything you need to prepare: live online sessions (Zoom lectures and talks), Q&As, and a growing library of materials—all in one place. It’s free of charge, and you can unsubscribe from emails anytime.

A group of four people, including an elderly woman, a young woman, a young man, and another woman, all wearing sunglasses, are closely examining a wall with an access panel in an indoor setting. The elderly woman is opening or inspecting the panel.
ESR Commons Access
Free

ESR Commons Access (Free) gives applicants a single login to apply to the European Solidarity Residency and unlock all residency online content—live talks, Q&As, and resource downloads.


✓ Apply with ease: start, save, and submit
✓ Live online events & On-demand recordings
✓ Resource library, Reminders & updates

 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.