Organizer Information:

SOPRA SOTTO is an interdisciplinary art residency platform founded in 2023 by Constance van Berckel. The name stems from the ancient Hermetic axiom "Come sopra, così sotto" (As above, so below), found in the Emerald Tablet. This mystical concept suggests the profound interconnectedness of the universe, where events are mirrored across different planes—spiritual and material, celestial and terrestrial. Understanding one plane offers insight into another, revealing the entangled patterns and the oneness of life.

The organization operates as a "living laboratory" and a creative cauldron for the exploration of radical ideas and collective critical inquiry. SOPRA SOTTO is rooted in the belief that creatives are cultural alchemists and change-makers capable of generating ripple effects that extend far beyond their individual practice. The residency emphasizes collective care, cyclical ways of living, accountability, openness, and trust. It creates a container where artists, community builders, activists, and thought leaders can come together to learn and unlearn, challenging dominant cultural narratives and planting seeds for a more regenerative future.

Title & Description:

Applications are open for the Spring 2026 edition titled "Change Makers: Communal Living, Creativity, and Care as Practices of Resistance."

Set in the rural tranquility of La Tegolaia, Tuscany, this residency invites an interdisciplinary group to explore how creativity can cultivate resilience in a time of transition. As dominant systems unravel, the program posits that new structures and ways of being are urgently needed. Art is approached not merely as aesthetics or leisure, but as a powerful tool to question, challenge, and educate, while simultaneously functioning as a practice of radical self-care, connection, and embodied emotional processing.

The Philosophy:

This experience is explicitly not productivity-driven or outcome-oriented. Instead, the focus is on process, presence, creative exchange, and investigation. The residency asks: How can the artist contribute to societal transformation? It draws inspiration from ancestral wisdom, traditional ecological knowledge, and cultural theorists such as Joanna Macy and Audre Lorde.

Guiding reflections for the residency include:

  • How can art and creativity act as tools for resistance and change?

  • What does it mean to live, create, and relate beyond productivity and extraction?

  • How can rest, care, play, and joy be intentional practices of resilience?

  • What systems are ending, and what new narratives are waiting to be imagined?

  • How can small, temporary communities act as seeds for wider cultural change?

The Format:

The residency is grounded in immersive communal living. The framework is decentralized and co-created: the program of workshops is built by residents, for residents. These workshops can take any form—discussions, rituals, performances, walks, readings, or movement—shaped by what participants are researching or wishing to share.

Daily rhythms include morning check-ins for alignment, time for individual research in the designated working area (a large basement), and engagement with the local landscape. Communal cooking and shared meals are central pillars of the experience, serving as primary moments for connection and conversation.

Category:

Transdisciplinary / Social Practice / Ecological Art.

(Including Visual and Sonic Arts, Installation, Writing, Film, Theatre, Performance, Poetry, Food, Embodiment, and Healing Practices).

Eligibility:

  • Profiles: Open to artists, creators, curators, activists, community leaders, researchers, scientists, ecologists, farmers, educators, and thinkers working across disciplines.

  • Focus: Practices rooted in land, activism, storytelling, ancestral knowledge, systems thinking, and collective futures are especially welcome.

  • Diversity & Inclusion: The residency explicitly prioritizes applications from Queer, FLINTA, BIPOC, and people with migrant or mixed heritage. It aims to amplify underrepresented voices and create a safe, empowering environment where all identities are celebrated.

  • Attitude: Applicants must be open to exchange, embrace a resourceful DIY approach, and be willing to actively participate in the communal living experience (including cooking and cleaning).

Program Benefits & Awards:

  • The Experience: A 2-week immersive stay at a historic family home in the Tuscan hills.

  • Accommodation: Private or shared bedrooms (depending on selection) in a house with a large shared kitchen, living room, and expansive gardens surrounded by vineyards and forests.

  • Meals: All meals are included (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Dinner preparation is a collaborative activity.

  • Programming: Access to a co-created schedule of workshops, morning check-ins, meditations, and closing day rituals.

  • Local Transport: Transport during the residency for local visits is included.

  • Scholarship: One (1) Scholarship position is available at a reduced rate of €300 for an artist requiring financial support.

Participation Costs:

This is a fee-based residency (non-profit model to cover costs).

  • Standard Fee: €575 – €675 per person (Prices vary based on room selection).

  • Scholarship Rate: €300 (One spot available).

  • Includes: Stay, all meals, program, and transport during the residency.

  • Excludes: Travel costs to/from Italy/La Tegolaia and meals/drinks during excursions (e.g., lunch in Florence).

Application Requirements:

All materials must be submitted in English as a single PDF.

  1. Personal Info: Full name, age, address, email, phone, and a copy of ID.

  2. Online Presence: Website and/or Instagram handle.

  3. Portfolio & CV: Feel free to submit any format that represents you and your work most authentically.

  4. Bio: Short bio & description of your practice (Max. 1 page).

  5. Letter of Intention: Describe how your work applies to the residency theme (Max. 1 page).

  6. Scholarship Request (Optional): If applying for the scholarship, briefly explain why you are requesting financial support.

How to Apply?

Send your complete application PDF to soprasottoresidency@gmail.com.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for video calls in the days following the deadline, with final selection announced the subsequent week.

Key Dates:

  • Application Deadline: 20 February 2026.

  • Video Interviews: Late February 2026.

  • Final Selection: Early March 2026.

  • Residency Period: Sunday 5 April – Sunday 19 April 2026.

Location:

La Tegolaia, Pelago, Tuscany (Italy).

The venue is a family home located in the Tuscan hills, surrounded by nature. It is approximately a 30-minute walk to the village of Pelago, and a 30-minute drive (or train ride from Pontassieve station) to Florence.

Additional Details:

The residency views slowness as a form of resistance. It encourages stepping out of hyper-productivity and away from models that demand overdrive. Participants should be prepared for the discomfort that may arise when slowing down, viewing it as part of the process where feeling the body and emotions helps loosen the grip of patriarchal and extractivist patterns.

Contact Information:

Email: soprasottoresidency@gmail.com

Facilitator: Constance van Berckel