Organizer Information
Organization for Positive Urbanism (OPU Collective) is a Cyprus-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving urban life through citizen participation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community-led placemaking initiatives. Through research, advocacy, artistic interventions, and public engagement, OPU develops projects that encourage more inclusive, sustainable, and people-centered cities. The organization's activities focus on activating public spaces, strengthening local communities, and creating meaningful dialogue between residents, professionals, and policymakers. For this residency, OPU collaborates with Culture Moves Europe, the European Union's flagship mobility programme funded by the Creative Europe programme and implemented by the Goethe-Institut. Together, they provide artists and cultural professionals with an opportunity to engage directly with the local community while developing a collaborative digital mapping project that contributes to the long-term revitalization of the Agioi Omologites neighborhood in Nicosia.
Title & Description
Neighbourhood Co-Storytelling: Interactive Map – Research and Art Residency
The Neighbourhood Co-Storytelling: Interactive Map residency is a fully funded six-week interdisciplinary research and artistic residency that brings together creative practitioners and urban researchers to collaboratively document and interpret the Agioi Omologites neighbourhood of Nicosia, Cyprus.
Hosted by OPU Collective, the residency invites participants to investigate the area's social life, history, mobility patterns, architecture, and everyday experiences through community engagement, field research, neighborhood walks, interviews, and creative experimentation. Rather than producing individual artworks, selected residents will work collectively to create an interactive digital map that captures the identity of the neighborhood through visual storytelling, historical documentation, spatial analysis, and multimedia content.
The project aims to amplify local voices while creating an accessible digital platform that encourages both residents and visitors to explore the neighborhood from new perspectives. Participants will collaborate across disciplines, combining design, urban studies, sociology, geography, and multimedia practices to produce a living digital archive that can continue evolving after the residency.
Throughout the six-week programme, residents will receive mentorship, participate in public engagement activities—including the Laou Laou Open Streets event—and contribute to workshops, collaborative design sessions, testing phases, and a final public presentation. The residency concludes with the launch of an interactive digital map, urban intervention features, and a public event presenting both the research process and project outcomes.
Categories
- Graphic Design
- Multimedia Design
- Urbanism
- Sociology
- History
- Geography
- Community Arts
- Urban Research
- Digital Mapping
- Social Practice
- Public Space
- Participatory Art
- Cultural Research
Eligibility
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Be legal residents of a Creative Europe participating country and be able to provide proof of residency.
- Be available to participate full-time (Monday–Friday, 9:00–16:00) throughout the residency.
- Have experience or professional interest in one of the following profiles:
- Graphic Designer
- Multimedia Designer
- Urbanist
- Sociologist
- Historian
- Geographer
- Be interested in interdisciplinary collaboration and community-driven projects.
The opportunity is open to international applicants who meet the Creative Europe residency requirements.
Program Benefits & Awards
This is a fully funded residency supported through Culture Moves Europe. Participants receive:
- Travel support: €400 (from the participant's country of residence).
- Accommodation: Shared accommodation fully covered.
- Daily allowance: €30 per day.
- Family support: €200 per child (for children under 18).
- Visa support: €120 for applicants requiring a visa.
- Accessibility support: €375–€1,200 depending on needs.
- Coverage of personal assistant and sign language interpretation costs where applicable.
- Professional mentorship throughout the six-week programme.
- Opportunities to collaborate with an interdisciplinary international team.
- Public presentation of the completed project.
- Participation in a community-focused urban research initiative supported by the European Union.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Short motivation statement (maximum 1,600 characters)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Portfolio (required for Graphic Designers and Multimedia Designers)
- Personal information requested through the application form
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 10 July 2026
- Selection Results: 17 July 2026
- Residency Period: 7 September – 23 October 2026
- Final Public Presentation: 22 October 2026
Location
Agioi Omologites, Nicosia, Cyprus
Additional Details
The residency follows a structured six-week programme designed around collaborative research and production.
During the residency participants will:
- Explore the neighborhood through guided walks and community meetings.
- Conduct research into local history, public space, mobility, and everyday life.
- Participate in the Laou Laou Open Streets event to engage directly with residents.
- Develop visual concepts and digital mapping strategies.
- Collaborate with mentors through weekly review sessions.
- Design and refine an interactive digital map integrating stories, visuals, and spatial information.
- Present the completed project to the public at the end of the residency.
Residents will collectively produce:
- An interactive digital map of Agioi Omologites.
- Urban intervention features.
- A public presentation showcasing both the research process and project outcomes.
Selection Criteria
- Understanding of the project's goals — 30%
- Passion for community-driven projects — 30%
- Creative problem-solving ability — 20%
- Relevant professional experience — 10%
- Interdisciplinary skills — 10%
The residency emphasizes teamwork, public participation, and collaborative knowledge production rather than individual artistic practice, making it particularly suitable for practitioners interested in socially engaged art, urban research, participatory design, and community-based cultural initiatives.