Open Call for International Creators
*** in Residence Kyoto invites international creators to apply for a one-month residency in Kyoto, Japan, scheduled to take place between September and December 2026.
For this programme, creators will be hosted by different residency spaces across Kyoto. Each residence has its own character, environment, facilities, and local context. Therefore, the type of creator we are looking for may differ depending on the host residence. Applicants are invited to choose the residence that best matches their practice, interests, and proposed activities.
The residency is not necessarily production-based. Selected creators are not required to complete a finished artwork, but are expected to share their research, process, or outcomes publicly at least once during their stay, such as through a talk, workshop, open studio, small presentation, or informal gathering.
The host residences in this open call are newly selected micro-residency spaces, independently run by local hosts with support from the *** in Residence Kyoto office. Many of them are either still developing their residency programmes or taking their first steps in starting a new residency. For this reason, the programme has an experimental character, and we especially welcome creators who are open to working with emerging spaces and shaping the residency experience together with the hosts.
Residency Period
Minimum one month between September and December 2026. Exact dates will be confirmed in consultation with the selected creator and host residence.
Host Residences
Please read the information carefully before selecting your preferred residence in the application form. As these are newly selected micro-residency spaces, each residence is still shaping its own approach to hosting creators.
Common Support
All selected creators will receive:
- Accommodation during the residency period
- Basic coordination support from the *** in Residence Kyoto team
- Support in organising at least one public sharing opportunity
- Public relations support for residency-related events
Production support may cover costs such as printing, materials, consumables, studio use, or honoraria for collaborators, depending on the project. Any purchases or orders must be discussed with the organiser or host residence in advance. Please also refer to the details listed for each host residence, as available support and expectations may vary depending on the residency space.
Applicants should:
- Be non-Japanese nationals
- Be engaged in creative, cultural, social, research-based, or interdisciplinary practices, not limited to conventional art fields
- Have a clear interest in conducting research, production, exchange, or other creative activities in Kyoto
- Be interested in engaging with the local context, people, and everyday environment of the host residence
- Be open to communicating with local communities, hosts, and other people involved in the residency
- Be able to stay in Kyoto for a minimum of one month
- Be able to communicate in English or Japanese
- Be willing to share their process, research, or outcomes publicly at least once during the residency
- Please note that this open call is not intended for applicants who are already long-term residents of Japan
Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed based on:
- Compatibility between the applicant’s practice and the selected residence
- Relevance of the proposed project to Kyoto and/or the host residence
- Potential for meaningful exchange with local people, places, or cultural contexts
- Clarity of motivation and proposed activities
- Feasibility within a one-month residency period
- Openness to process-based, site-responsive, or research-oriented practice
Application Information
In the application form, you will be asked to provide:
- Your contact information
- Preferred host residence
- Preferred residency period
- Short biography or CV
- Portfolio or documentation of past work
- Project proposal
- Idea for public sharing during the residency
- Budget plan, if production support is requested
Application Schedule
Application deadline: 21 June 2026
Notification of results: 30 June 2026
Important Notice:
Due to our limited administrative capacity, applications are limited to the first 30 submissions per residence. The application form for each residence will be closed once this quota is filled. We encourage early submission to ensure your application is considered.
How to Apply
Please submit your application through the online application form below.
Application form: https://forms.gle/7Ebw5p8bT3RJwmEY6
Contact: *** in Residence Kyoto office
inresidencekyoto@gmail.com