Organizer Information
PACT Zollverein is an international centre for contemporary dance, performance, and interdisciplinary art, located in the former pithead baths of the Zollverein colliery — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — in Essen, Germany. It was formed in 2002 through the merger of the Choreographisches Zentrum NRW (which opened in July 2000 in the converted colliery building) with the Tanzlandschaft Ruhr project. Since its founding, PACT Zollverein has positioned itself as an initiator, catalyst, and venue for pioneering developments in dance, performance, theatre, media, and the performing arts, with an ongoing focus on interdisciplinary practice, urban space, and the local community of Essen-Katernberg.
Title & Description
PACT Zollverein Residency Program — January to July 2027
PACT Zollverein's year-round residency program is described by the organizer as the heartbeat of its daily work. Running since 2002, it offers artists and cultural workers from around the world a space to develop artistic projects and productions, working across the organization's Stage, Urban Space, and PACT·LAB areas as a place for interdisciplinary practice and artistic exchange. At the end of the residency, artists have the opportunity — though not the obligation — to present the work developed during the residency as an open studio or showing; the focus of the program is on the process of artistic work itself. Residents can also document their working process and projects through PACT's public-facing journal, "feed." The residency scholarship has been supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2010, and residencies are announced twice a year through an open call, selected by an international jury.
This call covers residencies taking place in the period January to July 2027.
Categories
- Performing Arts
- Inter- & Transdisciplinary Artistic Practices
- Film / Moving Image
- Artistic Practice in Relation to Digital Technologies
- Socially Engaged Arts
Eligibility
- Open to international artists working alone, or preferably in collaborative practice (maximum 4 people)
- Applicants must work in one of the fields listed under Categories above
- The organizer notes its residencies and spaces are less suitable for practices such as painting, sculpture, classical concert practice, and purely writing-based activities
- Only one application may be submitted under the same name
- Student projects are excluded
- Incomplete applications — including those lacking sufficient visual representation of the project — cannot be considered; no additional information or material can be submitted after the application, either via the form or by email
Program Benefits & Awards
- A work studio (between 69 and 173 sqm; one studio is barrier-free)
- Accommodation for up to 4 people (barrier-free and family-friendly accommodation possible by arrangement)
- A residency period of 3–6 weeks, taken in one continuous stretch
- A weekly scholarship of €400 per person, for all artists involved in the project (max. 4 people)
- Travel costs for one-time arrival and departure, for up to 4 people (the organizer asks that travel be kept low-emission where possible)
- Provision of technical equipment (by arrangement and subject to availability)
- Technical support (by arrangement and subject to availability)
- Costs for accessible/barrier-free participation can be covered by arrangement
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 28 September 2026
- Outcome notification: expected by e-mail at the end of November 2026
- Residency period covered by this call: January – July 2027
Location
PACT Zollverein, Essen, Germany
Additional Details
- The application form has an autosave feature; completed fields are stored temporarily for 15 days, provided the applicant uses the same browser and device and does not browse in incognito/private mode
- No attachments can be uploaded to the form; video/audio/text materials must be provided via links, clearly labeled with a direct reference to the project — undefined folders of research or image collections cannot be reviewed
- Selection process: PACT receives around 1,000 applications per open call (twice yearly); a selection committee of close partners and the PACT team reviews all complete applications, evaluating project feasibility, program relevance, and fit with PACT's profile and fields of work; a shortlist is then reviewed by an independent jury, which makes the final decision
- Most studios are barrier-free; the apartments used for accommodation are not, though barrier-free and/or family-friendly stays can be arranged
- Prospective applicants can sign up for PACT's newsletter to be informed of future open calls
- Further procedural details are available via the linked FAQ: https://www.pact-zollverein.de/arbeitsfelder/kuenstlerinnenhaus/residenzen/residenzen-faq