Meet the TIDAL ArtS Residency Artists
Reimagining our relationship with the marine environment
About the TIDAL ArtS Residency Programme
Through the Residency Call, TIDAL ArtS has awarded four residencies in Portugal, Italy, Finland, and Hungary, each with financial grants of €50,000. These residencies are open to artists, collectives, and creatives who can inspire and engage people in the Mission through their unique artistic creations and community engagement activities.
The selected artworks connect communities to their local waters, celebrate that connection, reflect the Mission’s themes, and highlight the four key ocean and water basins that serve as regional hubs for inspiration and action. These four hubs are known within the Mission as “Lighthouses” and include:
Atlantic-Arctic | Mediterranean | Baltic-North Sea | Danube-Black Sea
The four selected residencies
SÃO MIGUEL ISLAND, AZORES · PORTUGAL
Atlantic-Arctic Lighthouse
Maria Montero Sierra, Bint Mbareh & Sonia Levy
Hosted by Anda&Fala-vaga
VENICE LAGOON · ITALY
Performance & installation
Klara Kofen
Hosted by Ocean Space (TBA21–Academy)
What will each Residency include?
Each Residency offers a unique experience for the chosen artist as they are located next to bodies of water with immense beauty and diverse environmental challenges. The artists will be provided with access to a network of cultural and scientific organisations and with ample opportunities to connect to the local context. Additionally, the Interspecies Assemblies and Co-creation Workshops will provide artists with knowledge of the location and body of water. The length of time spent on site will depend on the needs of both the artist and their project; however, artists should expect to spend at least six full weeks at the Residency site over the course of the year. These details will be worked out between each artist and their specific Residency host once selections are finalised. Refer the Residency Call for Proposals for more specific information on each location, or select from the location buttons below.
Programmebackground (historical reference)
What should result from a Residency
Each Residency should result in a co-developed publicly displayed artistic expression in the Residency location. The artist’s innovative and creative methods should be driven by citizen engagement, scientific knowledge, and inspired by the surrounding environment to create art that unlocks and strengthens the public’s connection with their aquatic environments so they:
- Feel better connected to the aquatic environments around them, seeing themselves as a part of them.
- Have a greater understanding of the challenges and pressures facing the ocean and waters.
- Identify with their local environment as well as the larger body of water to which they belong (the identity of each Lighthouse is defined and enhanced by the artist’s creation).
- Are aware of blue careers and how they can be engaged for their ocean and waters.
Application process
Once the Residency Call has closed, all applications will be reviewed to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. If so, the application will be forwarded to the evaluators for Stage 1. After the Stage 1 evaluations are completed, short-listed applicants will then be invited to submit a more detailed project description for further evaluation during Stage 2.
Stage 1: Open to All Eligible Applicants (October 15 - November 15, 2025)
- Draft concept of the project (maximum of one page, minimum font size 11)
- Artistic Portfolio (maximum of four pages total, 5 MB)
Stage 2: Open to Invited Applicants Only (January 9 - February 11, 2026)
- Project Proposal: The proposal includes a description of the project, budget, and information on how the project will meet the Call’s objectives and make an impact on the public.
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Interviews with shortlisted Candidates
Evaluation criteria
The evaluation process for each stage involves considering criteria from four categories that will be weighted numerically so that each application is evaluated and scored clearly, consistently, and objectively. For more information on the Evaluation Criteria, see page 19 of the Residency Call for Proposals.
- Relevance of the project to the Call – 30%
- Artist’s experience and profile – 25%
- Quality and circularity of the project design plan – 25%
- Impact – 20%
What are the eligibility criteria?
We welcome individual artists, collectives (up to 5 people ), and creatives of all types to apply. Applicants should have a portfolio of work that demonstrates their practice and experience (5+ years) relevant to the TIDAL ArtS themes of aquatic ecosystems, aquatic science, and citizen/community engagement through creative means.
Those who apply must meet the following criteria:
- Have the legal right to reside and work in the Residency location where the project is implemented (UK and non-EU citizens will therefore be excluded if they do not have the appropriate work/residence permits).
- Implement the project in the Residency location and spend at least six weeks on-site*.
- Be able to communicate in English (the application must be submitted in English).
- Be able to communicate in the local language of the Residency location or have a plan to engage local communities in their language.
- Applicants should address any foreseeable translation expenses in their proposed budgets.
- Have not had a Residency at the location (specific hosting organisation) before
- Have not been granted funds from TIDAL ArtS or its sister project PartArt4OW
For more specific details about the Eligibility Criteria, see pages 15-16 of the Residency Call for Proposals.
Budget
Applying artists will be required to submit a project budget of exactly 50,000 Euro during Stage 2 of the application process. Travel to and from the residency location as well as local travel, community engagement costs, production and exhibition costs, material costs, translation services, and personal costs should be included in the budget. Further, depending on the Residency location, exhibition costs as well as rental costs for storage facilities and working space should also be included. The Project Proposal Template provided in Stage 2 will include a section to outline the budget. Six weeks of accommodation at the Residency location will be covered by TIDAL ArtS.
Important dates
| Dates | Important Events |
|---|---|
| October 15-November 15, 2025 | Call is open |
| October 27, 2025 | Open House Lectures |
| November 15, 2025 | Applications due by 23:59 CET |
| January 8, 2026 | Successful applicants invited to Stage 2 |
| February 11, 2026 | Stage 2 applications due by 23:59 CET |
| February 28, 2026 | Awards announced |
| April 1, 2026 | Projects commence |
| April, 2027 | Projects exhibited |
*Dates subject to change, see pages 22-23 in the Residency Call for Proposals for a more detailed timeline.
