Organizer Information
Goethe-Institut is the official cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, dedicated to fostering international cultural exchange and supporting contemporary artistic discourse worldwide. Through cross-border residencies, research initiatives, and public programming, the Goethe-Institut facilitates dialogue between artists, researchers, and communities, with a strong focus on sustainability and transnational collaboration.
The Environmental Arts Residency (EAR) is developed in partnership with cultural and residency institutions in Scotland and France, forming a tri-national platform that connects artistic research with ecological practice and sustainable mobility.
Title & Description
Slow Travel Artist Residency – Germany / France to Scotland Research Journey
The Environmental Arts Residency (EAR) is a research-driven residency program designed to support artists engaging critically with ecological and environmental issues. The program facilitates collaboration between artists and environmental scientists, researchers, or organizations, encouraging interdisciplinary exchange and the development of innovative, research-informed artistic work.
The residency provides selected artists with the opportunity to immerse themselves in environmental contexts, access scientific expertise, and explore ecological questions through contemporary artistic practice. Rather than focusing solely on the production of a final artwork, EAR emphasizes process-based research, experimentation, and dialogue.
Artists are expected to develop new work or research trajectories that respond to environmental challenges—such as climate change, biodiversity loss, sustainability, land use, or human–nature relationships—while engaging with academic or field-based environmental knowledge. Outcomes may include installations, moving-image works, performances, public programs, research presentations, or other interdisciplinary formats. Public engagement components, such as talks or presentations, may form part of the residency structure.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Interdisciplinary Art
- Media Art / Video
- Installation
- Performance
- Social Practice
- Research-based Artistic Practice
- Environmental / Ecological Art
Eligibility
- All nationalities are welcome, provided the applicant has been living and working in France or Germany for a minimum of three (3) years.
- Applicants must demonstrate an established or emerging professional artistic practice.
- A strong engagement with environmental themes is required.
- Artists must be available for the full travel and residency period.
- Applicants must be willing to travel sustainably (train/boat) from Germany or France to Scotland.
- This call is open to individual artists. Collaborative practices may be considered only if clearly stated in the official guidelines.
Applicants must be able to commit to the residency period and collaborative framework outlined in the program.
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected artists receive:
- All travel and accommodation provided
- Stipend of £80 GBP per day per artist
- Speaker’s fee of £150 GBP per artist for the Artist Talk
- Opportunity to engage with local cultural and sustainability networks
- Artistic exchange with local peers and site visits
- If school visits are scheduled: £150 GBP per school visit per artist (up to 5 visits)
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
Applicants are typically required to submit:
- Completed application form (via the official platform)
- Updated CV (including exhibitions, projects, publications, and residencies)
- Portfolio (selected works relevant to the proposed research theme)
- Project proposal outlining:
- Research focus
- Conceptual framework
- Methodology
- Relevance to environmental discourse
- Proposed outcomes
- Motivation statement explaining interest in the program and collaboration
- Contact details
All documents must be submitted in accordance with the language and formatting guidelines provided in the official call.
How to Apply?
Submit the required materials by sending your application in PDF format to: culture-glasgow@goethe.de
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 11 March 2026
- Programme Dates: 22 April –12 May 2026 + travel time
Location
The residency takes place in collaboration between France and Germany, depending on the structure of the selected project and research partnerships.
Residency Travel: Various locations across Scotland
Additional Details
- The program prioritizes interdisciplinary exchange between art and environmental science.
- Artists should demonstrate a capacity for research-driven practice.
- Public engagement and knowledge-sharing components may be required.
- Projects addressing urgent ecological concerns with critical depth and conceptual rigor are especially encouraged.
- The residency forms part of a broader transnational dialogue between Germany and the UK.
Applicants are encouraged to present clearly articulated research questions and demonstrate how collaboration with environmental experts will meaningfully shape their artistic process.