Organizer Information
Jester is a contemporary-art organization based in Genk, Belgium, located on the former mine site C-mine. Rooted in the merger between two earlier institutions (one focused on studio- and residency work, the other on exhibition and presentation), Jester aims to provide artists with resources, community, and an environment to develop their practice in relation to Genk's post-industrial heritage.
Jester emphasizes values of care, diversity, sustainability, and fair compensation for artistic labor; it recycles materials and promotes an inclusive, socially engaged art practice.
Title & Description
Open Call: Jester Development Residencies 2026–27
This residency opportunity invites contemporary visual artists to undertake a four-month development residency at Jester during the 2026–27 cycle. The program is designed to offer material support, dedicated time, mentorship, and a stable environment — enabling artists to engage in focused research, experimentation, and the development of new work. Through a combination of remote preparation, on-site production, and post-residency follow-up, residents are encouraged to explore new directions and deepen their practice while engaging with the context of Genk and the broader cultural landscape.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Sculpture / Material-based practices (wood, metal, ceramics)
- Digital Arts / Mixed Media
- Interdisciplinary / Experimental practices
Eligibility
- Contemporary artists working within visual art and material-based or media-based practices.
- Open to individuals, duos, or collectives.
- Artists who are interested in using the residency for research, experimentation, and developing new trajectories within their practice.
- Artists from diverse backgrounds; Jester encourages applications acknowledging that different forms of experience, training, and practice are valuable.
Program Benefits & Awards
- A residency stipend (honorarium): €3,000 gross for individual artists; €5,000 for duos; €7,000 for collectives.
- A production budget of €5,000 per residency. This may be used to cover project-related costs including materials, travel/transportation, communication, or hospitality — according to project needs.
- Accommodation in the Jester residency house: private or shared rooms (approx. 14 m²), with access to shared kitchen, common living space, garden, library.
- Individual studio space (26, 39 or 60 m² depending on project needs) for production during on-site period.
- Access to well-equipped workshops: wood, metal, ceramics, and digital studios. Possibility to use associated production ateliers (e.g. at LUCA C-mine) depending on availability.
- Coaching and mentorship: residents may co-create a tailored coaching programe with the Jester team — for example to invite external mentors, plan studio visits, or expand skills via workshops.
- Support for post-residency tasks: one month remote follow-up to help with administration, shipping artworks, documentation, or other wrap-up work.
- Full intellectual property rights remain with the artist. Jester retains only the right to use documentation (photos, video) for communication, with correct attribution.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- General information about themselves and their practice.
- A residency proposal — including intentions, methodology, and needs for the project.
- A portfolio of past work
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 18 January 2026
- Residency Cycles (on-site phase):
Location
Genk, Belgium
Additional Details
- The selection is made by an external jury. Finalists (short-listed artists) may be invited to present their proposal to the Jester team before final decisions are made.
- Because of high volume of applications, individual feedback will not be provided to applicants.
- Artists retain full rights over their work. Jester may document the residency (photos, video) for communication purposes, with credit.
- The program is designed to support serious reflection, experimentation and process-based work, with an emphasis on materials, context, and sustainable/pragmatic practice.