Organizer Information
Typography Collective, operating as TRAPAN NGO in Yerevan, is a Yerevan-based organization whose "The Shine of Our Eyes" residency was among the projects selected under the EU's Culture Moves Europe programme (part of Creative Europe) for its 2025–2026 call for residency hosts, which received 1,326 applications from 38 Creative Europe countries. The residency is co-developed with League of Tenders, a curatorial duo established in 2018 by Elena Ishchenko and Maria Sarycheva, whose work has focused on disability representation, overcoming the alienation of everyday labour, practices of care, and support and friendship in the age of disasters. The duo has previously organized related research around craft and gender, including a closed-door discussion series exploring how embroidery, tapestry making, and working with fabrics are often assumed to be primarily women's domains, both in Western and non-Western art contexts. Limited further public information is available about Typography Collective/TRAPAN NGO beyond its role as host organization for this residency.
Title & Description
The Shine of Our Eyes / Open Call
A one-month residency in Yerevan, Armenia, dedicated to traditional Armenian crafts and practices — carpet weaving, dyeing, ornamentation, and embroidery. The residency aims to expand a decolonial and feminist understanding of these practices and to facilitate exchange between local Armenian masters and international artists, particularly women working with crafts. The program combines research and networking with public outcomes; residents are invited to share skills and practices with local masters and the community through public and non-public events. The specific program content will be tailored to residents' interests and developed further with Armenia-based professionals.
Theme
Traditional Armenian crafts (carpet weaving, dyeing, ornamentation, embroidery) explored through a decolonial and feminist lens, with an emphasis on crafts as vessels of memory, history, and worldview that resist appropriation within an imperial paradigm.
Categories
- Residency
- Craft
- Fiber/Textile Art
- Visual Arts
- Curatorial
- Research
- Culture
Eligibility
- Must legally reside in a Creative Europe country, except Armenia itself (nationality is not the determining factor — legal residence is)
- Must be 18 years or older; no upper age limit
- Open to artists, curators, and researchers working with traditional crafts (especially weaving, wool, ornamentation, dyeing, etc.) who are confident in their practice and interested in broadening their perspective and learning about Armenian crafts
- Those who identify more as a craftsperson or skillworker than as an artist are also welcome to apply
- Educational background is not a factor
- Artists based in Armenia are not eligible to apply (though the organizers invite Armenia-based artists interested in the program to contact them directly)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Modest accommodation in Yerevan (a separate room in a shared apartment with kitchen, wi-fi, and living room — not hotel standard); accommodation cannot be provided for partners or family members
- Travel allowance: €400 for travel distances under 5,000 km; €800 for distances of 5,000 km or more, with possible top-ups for sustainable/green travel
- Daily allowance: €30 per day
- Curated program of guided tours, research trips, and visits
- Program funded by Culture Moves Europe
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 10 September 2026
- Residency Period: May 1–31, 2027
Location
Yerevan, Armenia
Additional Details
- Total number of selected residents: 5
- Working languages of the residency: English and Armenian
- Applications received after the deadline will not be considered
- Questions can be directed to: typography.collective@gmail.com