Organizer Information
The Threads of Social Fabric – Shadowing Program 2026 is an international artistic exchange developed by Associazione Oltre…APS, a long-standing cultural organization based in Bologna with over two decades of experience in socially engaged, participatory, and community-driven art practices. The organization operates within a broader European framework and is a key Italian partner of the CultureAndHealth Platform, an EU-funded initiative dedicated to connecting arts, health, and social well-being through cross-sector collaboration.
Associazione Oltre…APS is known for its work in designing inclusive cultural spaces and participatory projects that address social fragmentation, isolation, and community resilience. It manages cultural hubs such as Camere d’Aria and B.U.C.O., which function as hybrid spaces for artistic production, education, and civic engagement. The organization’s methodology combines artivism, grassroots collaboration, and interdisciplinary exchange with institutions in the fields of education, care, and public health.
The Shadowing Program is co-funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe framework and is embedded in the CultureAndHealth ecosystem, which supports innovative practices at the intersection of cultural production and social impact.
Title & Description
Threads of Social Fabric – International Shadowing Program for Visual Artists (2026 Edition)
The Shadowing Program 2026 is a two-week immersive international exchange in Bologna, Italy, focused on participatory art, textile-based creation, and community collaboration. The program invites selected artists to co-create a large-scale, site-specific textile artwork titled “Threads of the Social Fabric”, developed through a series of participatory workshops in the Cirenaica district.
Rather than functioning as a traditional studio residency focused on individual production, the program is structured as a relational and process-oriented artistic laboratory. Artists work directly with local communities—including families, migrants, children, older adults, and socially vulnerable groups—through co-designed workshops hosted by local social and cultural organizations.
The central artistic methodology is co-authorship, where artists, mentors, and participants collectively shape both the process and the final outcome. Textile practices such as weaving, sewing, crochet, patchwork, and fabric dyeing serve as both material tools and conceptual frameworks for exploring social connection, care, and collective memory.
The program culminates in a permanent, site-specific installation of a collective textile sculpture in a public indoor space connected to Bologna’s social or health infrastructure. A parallel documentation process is led by a dedicated photo/video artist, ensuring a comprehensive audiovisual record of the entire co-creation journey.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Textile Art
- Installation Art
- Participatory Art / Social Practice
- Community Arts
- Photography (documentation role)
- Video Art / Media Documentation
- Interdisciplinary / Cross-sectoral Art Practices
Eligibility
- Open to international artists residing in Creative Europe participating countries (excluding Italy)
- Applicants must have at least 3 years of professional artistic experience (formal or informal training accepted)
- Minimum B1 English level required for collaboration (no certificate required)
- Open to:
- Visual artists working in contemporary, textile, sculptural, or mixed-media practices
- Artists with an interest in participatory, socially engaged, or relational art
- One position specifically reserved for a photo/video documentation artist capable of independent production
- Strongly encouraged:
- Emerging to mid-career artists with community-based or educational practice experience
- Artists working in socially engaged, inclusive, or interdisciplinary contexts
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected participants receive:
- Fully funded participation in the program
- Free accommodation at Camere d’Aria (shared dormitories)
- Three daily meals provided within the residency community
- Travel reimbursement:
- Up to €250 (≤500 km)
- Up to €450 (>500 km)
- Green mobility bonus (€350 for >600 km travel)
- Additional support for islands (€50) and caregivers (€100)
- Professional mentorship under artist Lisa Martignoni
- Participation in 8 participatory workshops and the final installation process
- Inclusion in a permanent public artwork installed in Bologna
- Official certificate of participation
- Professional documentation (photo/video archive of the process)
- Publication of artist profile via the CultureAndHealth Platform network
- International networking with artists, educators, and cultural practitioners
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Motivation letter (max 1 page)
- Portfolio (max 12 pages)
- CV (max 2 pages)
- Full name (and pronouns if applicable)
- Artistic practice/medium
- Contact number (including messaging app preference)
- Country and city of residence
- Estimated travel route and cost
- Short bio (max 3 lines)
- Website or portfolio links
How to Apply?
Applications must be sent via email to: cultureandhealth.italy@gmail.com
Subject line: Application Shadowing Program 2026
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 14 July 2026
- Selection results: 4 August 2026
- Possible pre-selection interviews: late July 2026 (online)
- Mandatory online meetings:
- Late August 2026 (2 hours)
- Early September 2026 (2 hours)
- Program duration: 20 September – 4 October 2026
- Installation period: 2–4 October 2026
Location
Bologna, Italy
Additional Details
- The program is highly process-oriented and emphasizes collaboration over individual production
- Artists are expected to fully participate for the entire duration (partial attendance is not allowed)
- The artwork will be permanently installed in a public institution related to social policy or health care
- Textile practices are central to both conceptual and material development
- Workshops involve diverse community groups, including vulnerable populations
- Artists are expected to engage in shared living conditions and collective daily routines
- A professional artist-mentor ensures methodological coherence throughout the program
- The program is part of a broader EU framework linking culture, health, and social inclusion