Organizer Information
IDRA Teatro is a residency centre, cultural organisation, and production hub based at MO.CA – Centro per le Nuove Culture, in Brescia, Northern Italy. Originally founded in 1998 as a theatre production company, IDRA has evolved over more than 25 years into a multidisciplinary residency structure, redefining its role within the local and national cultural landscape as it established itself within MO.CA, a shared cultural cluster housed in the historic Palazzo Martinengo Colleoni di Malpaga. IDRA is recognised as a certified residency centre by the Italian Ministry of Culture and has hosted more than 90 artists through its residency programmes. Among its major ongoing projects are the Wonderland Festival of contemporary theatre, Progetto CURA, and MIR – Residencies for Peace. Its stated mission is to build meaningful connections between artists, communities, and institutions, fostering artistic experimentation and social impact. For this call, IDRA Teatro has been selected as one of the host centres of Culture Moves Europe, a mobility scheme funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
Title & Description
Culture Moves Europe 2027 — Residences of Change: Harnessing the Transformative Power of the Creative Practice
IDRA Teatro is opening a call for artists to join a 31-day international residency in Brescia, Italy, running across January and February 2027, supported by the Culture Moves Europe programme. The residency is open to European artists, collectives, and companies working with or interested in participatory practices and the social impact of art. Five residents will be selected. Applicants must legally reside in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries; per the programme's guidelines, applications from artists based in Italy — the host country — will not be considered, regardless of nationality. Over four structured phases, residents will meet survivors, local communities, associations, and experts; work collectively with local practitioners to define a creative approach; design and test a participatory artistic device through workshops and laboratories; and conclude with the implementation of a device that may later be developed within IDRA's Wonderland Festival or other international contexts.
Theme
Gender-based violence and violence against women. Residents are asked to elaborate on the topic and reflect on the role the performing arts can play in addressing what the organisers describe as a social emergency, through the creation of a participatory artistic programme.
Categories
- Residency
- Performance
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Culture
- Craft
- Cross Disciplines
Eligibility
- Legal residence in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries
- Applications from artists residing in Italy (the host country) will not be considered, regardless of nationality
- Open to individual artists as well as collectives and performing arts companies; individual applications welcome, but applications from existing artistic groups/companies with experience in collective creation are strongly encouraged
- Particular interest in performing arts companies, interdisciplinary collectives, participatory theatre practitioners, socially engaged artists, community-based creators, visual artists, and cultural professionals willing to collaborate across disciplines and cultures
- Must be at least 18 years old (per the general Culture Moves Europe programme eligibility criteria)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Accommodation for the entire residency period, in accessible housing within walking distance of the working spaces
- Shared and private living spaces
- Fully equipped rehearsal and workshop spaces, with access to theatre facilities
- Technical support for lighting, sound, and production needs
- Access to IDRA's warehouse of scenery materials
- Mentorship from experienced professionals in participatory art and community engagement
- Administrative and logistical support before and during the residency
- Opportunities to connect with local organisations, institutions, and communities
- Access to digital tools and community engagement platforms
- Travel allowance: €400 (under 5,000 km) or €800 (5,000 km or more)
- Daily allowance of €85 per day spent working on the project
- Green mobility top-up of €400 for sustainable travel over 600 km
- OCT/OR top-up of €175 for applicants residing in, or travelling to, an Overseas Country/Territory or Outermost Region
- Family top-up of €200 per child (for applicants with children under 18)
- Visa top-up of €120 for applicants requiring a visa
- Accessibility support available in four forms: a fixed accessibility per diem of €30/day, support for a personal assistant or sign language interpreter, a green-travel exception, and the option of a virtual or hybrid project
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completion of the online application form, with all required documentation attached
- (The call directs applicants to the full guidelines PDF and online form for the complete list of required documents; the source text itself does not itemise each specific document beyond directing applicants to "attach all required documentation")
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 5 September 2026
- Online Meeting with Selected Artists: 8 September 2026
- Residency Period: January–February 2027 (31 days)
Location
Brescia, Northern Italy
Additional Details
- Culture Moves Europe aims for gender, geographical, regional, and sector balance, and encourages sustainability and inclusion
- Applicants, grantees, hosts, and any project implemented under the programme must fully respect EU values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities
- If the travel distance is under 600 km, applicants must travel via green means of transport (any means other than airplane), unless they have a disability preventing this or reside on/travel to an island only accessible by airplane
- The residency is structured in four phases: Research and Listening (8 days), Collective Artistic Strategy (8 days), Co-Creation and Experimentation (12 days), and Device Implementation and Future Development (3 days)
- The programme is funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut