Short Description
The Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action – NAARCA – unites Artica Svalbard (Norway), Cove Park (Scotland), Narsaq International Research Station (Greenland), Saari Residence (Finland), and Skaftfell Art Center (Iceland) to collaborate on research, commissions, institutional change, residency exchange, and public education around climate action.
In 2025, the NAARCA network will facilitate two funded residency exchanges taking place between June 2025 and December 2025. The NAARCA resident(s) will receive a fee, materials/equipment allowance, and a travel stipend. This programme builds upon the research, commissions, and institutional projects NAARCA has launched since 2021 which focus upon the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, climate justice and the four pillars of sustainability – ecological, social, psychological and cultural. This residency supports research, the development of existing and new projects, engagement with local communities, and the production of new work and ideas in relation to the NAARCA partners’ unique ecological contexts.
Eligibility
We welcome applications from artists based in Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway or Scotland, working in visual arts, craft, or design and whose practice intersects with themes surrounding sustainability and the climate emergency. For 2025, only applicants in the countries where our institutions are based are eligible, however we aim to expand the geographic eligibility for our 2026 open call.
Eligible applicants are invited to apply for either one or two residencies in a host country that is not their own. Hosting a NAARCA resident in 2025 are Artica Svalbard (Norway), Cove Park (Scotland), Narsaq International Research Station (Greenland), and Skaftfell Arts Center (Iceland). Each host institution is listed below along with their available dates and details about what they offer.
Submission Requirements
- Statement of Interest & Biography
- Documentation of Recent Work & CV
How to Apply
Online Application
Artica Svalbard – Norway
Duration: 6 weeks
Availability: between October – December 2025
Artica Svalbard is one of Norway’s leading non-profit arts and culture organisations. We facilitate artistic and cultural activities on Svalbard and support the development of Norwegian and international art and culture. We seek to raise awareness of Svalbard, and the Arctic. We aim to create a platform for debate on topics that relate to our region such as culture, geopolitics, climate change, migration and minorities.
A key part of Artica Svalbard’s mission is to foster a deep connection between our resident artists, writers, and the local community. We believe that creativity thrives through shared experiences and collaboration. Therefore, during their stay, we encourage our residents to host workshops, artist talks, readings, lectures, or other community events. These activities provide unique opportunities for artists, writers,
and locals to exchange ideas, skills, and perspectives, enriching the cultural fabric of Svalbard. Through these engagements, we create a vibrant, inclusive environment where creativity can flourish and mutual understanding can grow.
Key Points
● Svalbard is a critical location for studying and discussing climate change. Located in the High Arctic, it is one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth, with temperatures rising up to six times faster than the global average. The archipelago’s changing climate is visibly evident in melting glaciers, thawing permafrost, and shifting wildlife behaviours.
● Artica hosts up to three residents working in contemporary art, literature, or scientific and cultural research at any one time.
● The NAARCA resident will receive a total residency fee of £2,000 GBP, plus a materials/equipment allowance of £200, and a travel allowance of £600.
Cove Park – Scotland
Duration: 4 weeks
Availability: 4-31 August 2025
About Cove Park
Cove Park is an international artists’ residency based on an outstanding 50-acre rural site in Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. We host local, national, and international artists and creative practitioners working in all art forms and at every career stage. Cove Park provides the facilities, support, and care required for the development of new ideas and projects, collaborations, and interdisciplinary practice. Residents stay
on site in private accommodation with access to private studios, communal work and meeting spaces, and a library. We host up to 12 residents at any one time, offering every resident the opportunity to meet and work alongside individuals and collaborative groups from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. We organise informal peer-to-peer events to promote discussion, the exchange of ideas
and experiences, and the development of new connections. Our FAQ page answers general questions on Cove Park’s residencies and access.
Key Points
● As the Argyll Beacon, Cove Park’s ecological work is largely connected to Argyll’s ancient woodland, rainforests, and threats to our unique biodiversity on the banks of Loch Long.
● Cove Park is a member of the Green Art Lab Alliance and we promote the use of sustainable, biodegradable and non-toxic materials and resources such as the Future Materials Bank and the Circular Arts Network.
● The NAARCA resident will receive a total residency fee of £3,000 GBP, plus a materials/equipment allowance of £300, and a travel allowance of £600.
Narsaq International Research Station – Greenland
Duration: 4-6 weeks
Availability: Between 16 June – 17 August 2025; 8 September – end of October.
Narsaq International Research Station (NIRS) is an independent non-profit research platform with a focus on cultural and scientific research in South Greenland and how it can benefit the local population. The Research Station is located in a region of outstanding natural beauty and cultural heritage that is central for understanding some of the most urgent challenges the world is facing today. The Research Station provides residency for projects with a specific focus on the Narsaq and South Greenland region. Projects must have a socially and environmentally sustainable approach to research and engagement with the local community and the results must be intended for public dissemination. Researchers and cultural practitioners are expected to communicate their research to the local community – e.g through lectures, workshops, film screenings, exhibitions, performances or teaching at schools, museums, community centres or organisations in Narsaq and the region. Contacts will be facilitated by NIRS in collaboration with local organisers.
Key Points
● Narsaq is located in a geographic region where many of the most important decisions currently facing Greenland are at their most visible and urgent. These are long-term decisions about sustainable development, independence, mining, environmental protection, democracy, infrastructure, tourism, cultural heritage, climate change, and Greenland’s geopolitical role in the world.
● NIRS is located in a two-storey house in the middle of the town of Narsaq, South Greenland, with views towards Kuannersuit (Kvanefjeld) and the ice fjord.
● The NAARCA resident will receive a total residency fee of £2,000 (4 weeks), plus a materials/equipment allowance of up to £158, and a travel allowance of £1,300.
Skaftfell Art Center – Iceland
Duration: 6 weeks
Availability: 3 November – 15 December 2025
Skaftfell Art Center, in Seyðisfjörður, is an independent, non-profit art organization that serves as the regional visual arts center for East Iceland. It was founded in 1998 in the spirit of the Swiss-German artist Dieter Roth (1930-1998), who frequently lived and worked in Seyðisfjörður in the last decade of his life and had a lasting influence on the cultural life of the town. The organization takes its name from the original name of the timber building, constructed in 1907, that now houses the art center, including an exhibition space, an art library, a residency apartment, the Skaftfell office, and the Skaftfell Bistro. Skaftfell fosters and presents contemporary art on an international level through its artist residency program, exhibitions, workshops, artist talks, and collaborations with other arts organizations.
Key Points
● Situated in Iceland’s subarctic climate, Skaftfells local community experiencesthe many facets of the climate crises first hand. The residency’s remote setting provides artists the opportunity to work in relative seclusion in a place that is also home to an international community of working artists.
● Skaftfell hosts up to 4 artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners working in all artforms at any one time and are invited to present their work in an open studio, artist talk, or host a workshop.
● The NAARCA resident will receive a total residency fee of £2,000 GBP, plus a materials/equipment allowance of up to £500, and a travel allowance of £700.
Entry Fee
None
Location
Scotland
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 25 April 2025
Website Link: https://covepark.org/naarca-residencies-2025/
