Organizer Information
The Commune of Varen, in the Tarn-et-Garonne department of France, is organizing this arts residency in partnership with the Direction régionale des affaires culturelles (DRAC) Occitanie and local cultural, educational, social and community partners. The municipality is developing the project as part of the national objective of expanding access to artistic and cultural education (EAC). The residency aims to connect contemporary artistic practice with the inhabitants, heritage, natural resources and local knowledge of the territory.
Varen is a rural municipality located in north-eastern Tarn-et-Garonne, near the borders of Aveyron and Tarn. Its landscape includes agricultural and forested areas, as well as the Aveyron, Baye and Seye waterways.
Title & Description
Résidence Mission en Territoire – « Racines, mémoires et matières »
« Racines, mémoires et matières » – Traduire la mémoire des matières en un langage universel propre au territoire is a visual-arts residency mission exploring stone, earth and wood not simply as raw materials, but as carriers of memory, identity, stories and collective experience.
The selected artist will develop artistic interventions that encourage inhabitants to discover and interpret the territory through the senses and through contemporary art. The project particularly seeks to reveal the connections between people and place, while exploring local heritage, materials, know-how and memories.
The residency emphasizes artistic mediation and experimentation rather than the production of a commissioned artwork. Artists will share their creative research and processes through encounters, demonstrations, presentations, participatory artistic actions and other forms of engagement.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Sculpture
- Contemporary Art
- Artistic Mediation
- Community/Participatory Art
- Environmental and Place-Based Art
Eligibility
The call is open to French or international professional artists, artist collectives or professional companies, with a maximum of two people.
Applicants must have an established artistic practice documented through recognized professional venues and must have benefited from co-production. A valid professional licence is required. A strong commitment to cultural mediation is particularly valued.
The selected artist must:
- Be able to work professionally in French, both orally and in writing.
- Be available exclusively for the residency.
- Actually reside in the territory during the mission.
- Have a valid driving licence and be autonomous.
- Be able to engage with children, young people, families and the wider community.
Program Benefits & Awards
The selected artist receives €14,000 for the complete residency, covering artistic employment, associated charges, copyright and expenses. Expenses and equipment are limited to a maximum of 20% of this allocation.
The municipality will additionally provide a €4,000 budget covering accommodation, meals and travel-related costs. Accommodation will be arranged and paid for by the Municipality of Varen.
The residency lasts 12 weeks, distributed between December 2026 and May 2027, preceded by an immersion period to discover the territory and meet local partners.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Applications must be submitted by email only to: mediatheque@varen.fr
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 15 October 2026
- Selection Committee: Shortly after 1 November 2026
- Auditions: By videoconference; selected candidates will be invited to clarify their intentions and proposed approach.
- Immersion Period: 30 November–13 December 2026
- Residency Mission: 12 weeks between December 2026 and May 2027
- Exact residency dates will be agreed with the selected artist.
Location
Varen, Tarn-et-Garonne, Occitanie, France
Additional Details
The project is strongly oriented toward education, cultural democracy and community engagement. Artists should structure their proposal around the three pillars of French EAC: experiencing/encountering art, practicing, and appropriating knowledge.
Environmental considerations are also important, including reuse and recycling, local resources and heritage, reduced digital consumption, lower-carbon mobility, and cultural diversity.
This is not a conventional creation residency: there is no major production obligation or commissioned artwork. Instead, the selected artist is expected to facilitate artistic encounters, disseminate existing work, develop participatory artistic gestures and make their creative process accessible to the local population.