Organizer Information
421 Arts Campus is a multidisciplinary arts institution operating out of a large art campus with artist studios, exhibition galleries, and community spaces. The Residency Program at 421 supports creative practitioners and provides them with studio space and the time to experiment, free from pressure to deliver a final product.
Title & Description
Residency Program 2026
A five-month residency supporting creative practitioners whose work requires studio time and space to experiment. The program is designed to foster open-ended artistic exploration, community engagement, and interdisciplinary exchange. For 2026, residencies will run from February to July and from July to December, offering uninterrupted studio access and a supportive environment for process-driven work.
The residency welcomes a broad range of creative practices, from visual arts to design, technology, music, literary arts, culinary arts, performance, theater, and other creative disciplines, with no strict requirement of a final deliverable — emphasis is placed on experimentation, process, and studio-based development.
Categories
- Visual Art & Curation
- Design & Technology
- Music
- Literary Arts
- Performance / Theater / Dance
- Culinary Arts
- Interdisciplinary / Mixed-Media / Experimental Practice
Eligibility
The Residency Program is open to all disciplines. Additionally:
- Applicants must be over 21
- Disciplines include, but are not limited to: Visual Arts and Curation, Design and Technology, Literary Arts, Music, Culinary Arts, Theater and Performance
- Applicants should not be enrolled in a degree program at the time that the residency takes place
- This program is open to all creative practitioners in the West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia regions.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Access to dedicated studio space at 421’s artist-studios for 5 months (per cycle: Feb–Jul or Jul–Dec 2026).
- Time and space to experiment; the residency “prioritizes free experimentation without the pressures of a final outcome.”
- Inclusion in a multidisciplinary cohort (three successful applicants per cohort) — opportunity for peer exchange and community building.
- Critical support, studio visits / crit-sessions, and access to 421’s resources (works-in-progress, potentially production support in some cases — at least previous cycles offered that) — as evidenced by prior residencies.
- The residency includes:
- Private studio space
- Living space for accepted residents not based in Abu Dhabi
- Round-trip travel for accepted residents not based in Abu Dhabi
- Travel expenses
- Stipend/per diem
- Production budget
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Applicants should propose a practice requiring studio support — presumably submitting a CV/portfolio or project description (though exact requirement details are on the application page).
- Because the program intends to support “creative practitioners with work that requires studio space,” your proposal should justify the need for physical studio access and outline the process or intention rather than a fully completed work or exhibition-ready outcome.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Residency Periods 2026: February–July 2026 or July–December 2026.
- Application Deadline: 4 January 2026
Location
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Additional Details
- The 2026 Residency Program is the continuation of their on-site Residency, which replaced the former “Homebound Residency Program” (an online/distance format used previously).
- The program emphasizes process over final result: artists are encouraged to experiment, explore, and use the studios for research or creation without pressure to deliver a final exhibition or completed work.
- The cohort is multidisciplinary and open to many disciplines, hinting at a supportive environment for cross-disciplinary collaboration.
- Given the international and global-south representation in past cohorts, the program appears open to a wide geographic range of applicants, not limited to UAE-based, though artists may need to handle their own travel and logistics.
