Organizer Information
The TED & POSCA Global Artist Residency is a collaborative international initiative developed by TED, the globally recognized nonprofit platform dedicated to spreading impactful ideas through storytelling, and POSCA, the creative brand known worldwide for its professional paint markers and commitment to supporting artistic expression. The residency is curated and coordinated by Fine Acts, an international nonprofit creative studio that collaborates with artists, activists, and social movements to promote positive social change through public art and creative interventions.
Together, these partners have created an innovative residency model that moves beyond traditional artist-in-residence formats. Instead of gathering artists in a single location, the program supports artists working within their own communities while connecting them through a shared conceptual framework focused on civic imagination, social engagement, resilience, and collective creativity. The initiative aims to demonstrate how artistic practices can strengthen social connections, inspire dialogue, and contribute to meaningful community transformation.
Title & Description
TED & POSCA Global Artist Residency 2026: Visible Mending
The TED & POSCA Global Artist Residency 2026 is an international artist residency centered around the theme “Visible Mending.” Inspired by the Japanese practice of Kintsugi, in which broken ceramics are repaired with gold to highlight rather than conceal fractures, the residency invites artists to explore repair as a creative, social, and civic act.
The program seeks artists whose work engages directly with communities, public spaces, and collective experiences. Rather than producing artwork solely for exhibition, selected artists will develop participatory public interventions that make visible processes of healing, restoration, resilience, and renewal within their local contexts.
Artists are encouraged to investigate themes such as rebuilding trust, restoring ecosystems, strengthening social relationships, repairing cultural or historical wounds, and fostering hope through creative action. Projects should activate public spaces and encourage participation, reflection, dialogue, and collective imagination.
Unlike conventional residencies, there is no centralized studio or residency site. Artists remain embedded within their own communities and develop projects that respond directly to local realities while contributing to a growing international network of civic artistic interventions.
In 2026, four artists or artistic teams will be selected to develop projects that will be implemented and documented throughout 2027.
Categories
The residency welcomes proposals across a broad range of artistic and creative disciplines, including:
- Visual Arts
- Public Art
- Socially Engaged Art
- Community-Based Art
- Participatory Art
- Installation Art
- Mural Art
- Performance Art
- Interdisciplinary Art
- Design
- Architecture
- Spatial Practice
- Storytelling
- Creative Activism
- Collaborative Art Projects
- Hybrid and Cross-Disciplinary Practices
Possible project formats include:
- Public installations
- Participatory interventions
- Community workshops
- Performances
- Temporary activations
- Story-driven artistic projects
- Collaborative processes
- Site-specific works
- Experimental and hybrid formats
Eligibility
Applications are open to artists worldwide. Eligible applicants include:
- Individual artists
- Artist collectives
- Visual artists
- Muralists
- Interdisciplinary practitioners
- Designers
- Architects
- Spatial practitioners
- Community-based artists
- Social practice artists
- Creative practitioners working across disciplines
The selection committee is particularly interested in proposals that are:
- Rooted in a specific local community or context
- Community-engaged and participatory
- Socially relevant
- Visually compelling
- Emotionally resonant
- Feasible within the available budget and timeline
- Open to documentation and storytelling collaboration
No previous collaboration with TED, POSCA, Fine Acts, or affiliated organizations is required.
Artists from all countries and regions are encouraged to apply.
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected artists will receive substantial artistic, financial, and promotional support.
Each selected artist or collective will receive:
Financial Support
- Total funding of USD $15,000
- Artist honorarium
- Production budget
- Community activation expenses
- Documentation funding
Professional Support
- Curatorial guidance from Fine Acts
- Creative direction support
- Project development assistance
- Storytelling and documentation collaboration
International Visibility
- Exposure through TED’s global media platforms
- Visibility through POSCA’s international creative network
- Promotion via Fine Acts’ communication channels
- Inclusion in a growing international archive of civic artistic interventions
Long-Term Network
Artists become part of an evolving global cohort that will continue to expand annually through future residency cycles in 2027, 2028, and 2029.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Personal information
- Artist biography
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Project proposal or concept
- Description of community engagement approach
- Portfolio of previous work
- Relevant supporting materials
- Documentation samples (if applicable)
Applicants do not need to submit a fully developed or finalized project.
Selected artists will have the opportunity to further develop their proposals in collaboration with the curatorial team following selection.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 July 2026
- Artist Selection & Announcement: September – October 2026
- Residency Development Period: 1 January – 30 June 2027
- Project Implementation & Documentation: During Residency Period (2027)
Location
Sofia, Bulgaria
Additional Details
The TED & POSCA Global Artist Residency represents an innovative model of international artistic exchange. Rather than relocating artists to a single institution, the program invests directly in community-rooted artistic practices and supports projects that create meaningful public engagement.
The residency emphasizes:
- Civic imagination
- Collective participation
- Community collaboration
- Public space activation
- Social connection
- Repair and resilience
- Hope and renewal
- Creative responses to contemporary challenges
Artists are encouraged to view mending not only as a metaphor but also as a practical framework for creating new forms of connection, dialogue, and shared meaning. The residency values process as much as final outcomes and seeks projects capable of generating lasting social and cultural impact.
Only four artists or collectives will be selected for the inaugural 2026 cohort, making this a highly competitive international opportunity.