La Becque Residency Program

Located on an exceptional slice of lakeside land on the shores of Lake Geneva in La Tour-de-Peilz, between Vevey and Montreux, in proximity to all cultural and natural points of interest of Switzerland, La Becque | Artist Residency hosts and fosters the creativity of artists of all backgrounds and disciplines. Residents benefit from an exceptional site and infrastructure, conducive to accomplishing the project they have been selected for, whether it is focused on in-depth research or on production.

La Becque dedicates particular attention to projects exploring the ever more intertwined notions of nature, the environment, and of technology. At the core of contemporary preoccupations and of growing urgency, these themes feed into all disciplines of the arts – and artists are among those best equipped to map out alternative relationships to both technology and nature.

La Becque | Artist Residency was developed under the auspices of the Fondation Françoise Siegfried-Meier.

A violinist of renown born in 1914, Françoise Siegfried-Meier showed unswerving dedication to the artists of her time. Generous and passionate, she expressed a wish to durably support a number of public organizations and institutions, particularly in the field of the arts, by creating a foundation bearing her name.

Françoise Siegfried-Meier’s wish for her family’s domain in La Tour-de-Peilz to become a haven of creativity and exchange is now realized through La Becque, a residency infrastructure that is a natural fit for this unique and stunningly beautiful site.

FACILITIES

he residents of La Becque benefit from an exceptional creative environment, conducive to the realization of their artistic projects.

Research and exploration phases are facilitated, while all the equipment needed for initial formalization or full-scale production – visual and sound – is available.

The large garden at La Becque is home to an infrastructure for living, working, and interacting with the public, developed by Pont12 Architectes, which houses eight artists’ apartments, four additional studios including a sound studio and a ceramics workshop, and a vast wood workshop. In addition, on-site facilities feature a library, a lecture and event hall, rooms for short-term stays, and numerous communal areas – not to mention unique access to Lake Geneva itself.

In a calm and relaxing setting, facing the Grammont and with private access to the Lake Geneva, La Becque | Artist Residency offers a functional and modular room, which will allow you to host conferences, seminars, training sessions, general meetings or coaching sessions in an exceptional environment.

We offer you a 63m2 space which seats 30 people that can be arranged according to your needs, equipped with a kitchen and two toilets, and accessible to people with reduced mobility. On site, you will find free access to: wifi, beamer & screen, flipchart and coffee. Several options such as coffees, minerals, catering, or any other requests, can be discussed prior to booking. Our conference room is available for half or full days, from Monday to Friday.

Parking on site (limited number of spaces). La Becque is accessible from Vevey by bus 201 (every 10mn from Vevey Station).

Duration
3 or 6 months

Paid by host
Residents will receive a monthly stipend of CHF 1,500 to cover living expenses and the cost of materials. The grant is adapted for artists’ collectives according to the number of members in the group.

Paid by artist
Visa
Insurance to cover medical assistance and accidents during the artists’ stay in Switzerland

La Becque contributes to the travel costs of residents from their place of residence to La Tour-de-Peilz, up to a maximum of CHF 500 (travel within Europe) and CHF 1,000 (worldwide).

Application guidelines
Call for Applications seeking 2025 participants in the Principal Residency Program is open from March 1 to 22, 2024. Applications sent after these dates will not be considered during the deliberations.

The Principal Residency Program is oriented towards confirmed artists as well as up-and-coming practitioners with a high development potential. The thematic focus remains unchanged: La Becque intends to continue exploring the notions of nature, the environment, and technology and their interplay through projects originating from (almost) all disciplines of the artistic spectrum.

Applicants may apply for a three-month or six-month residency (organized into two three-month periods). The desired length of stay must be specified in the application. More information can be found on La Becque’s website.