Creative Writing Residencies in France

Association des Centres Culturels de Rencontre - ACCR

Paris, France

The Association des Centres Culturels de Rencontre (ACCR) coordinates residency programs in French cultural centers located in historic monuments, primarily the Odyssée program for foreign artists, researchers, and cultural professionals, and the Nora program for refugee artists in France. These residencies support projects in fields like music, architecture, visual arts, writing, film, and more, offering free accommodation and technical resources to foster interdisciplinary creation and intercultural exchange.

Chateau d'Orquevaux (Château d'Orquevaux)

Orquevaux, France

The Chateau d'Orquevaux artist residency, set in France's tranquil Champagne-Ardenne, offers an idyllic environment for artists and writers. This program features private studios and bedrooms, set within a historic French chateau, providing a serene space for creative endeavors. All meals are included, allowing residents to fully immerse in their art without daily distractions. The Denis Diderot Grant, awarded to participants, assists with residency costs, highlighting the program's dedication to supporting artists. Community engagement is encouraged through artist presentations, literature nights, and group art activities, fostering a rich cultural exchange. The residency, accommodating around 15 artists at a time, ensures an intimate and supportive atmosphere. A welcoming champagne dinner introduces artists to the Chateau and fellow residents, setting the tone for a collaborative experience. The program, while offering vegetarian options, focuses on delivering a genuine regional culinary experience, enhancing the overall artistic journey.

Cité internationale des Arts

Paris, France

The Cité internationale des Arts, founded in 1965, is a renowned artist residency program in Paris, France. It facilitates cross-cultural dialogue and offers artists from around the world a platform to engage with the public and professionals. Annually, over 1,200 artists participate in the residency, with more than 300 new residents each month. The Cité collaborates with 135 long-standing partners from over 60 countries, fostering a rich environment for creative exchange. The residency provides 326 studios across two locations: Marais and Montmartre. These studios are designed to support various aspects of contemporary creation, offering spaces for production, experimentation, and research. Each studio, ranging from 20 m² to 60 m², includes a workspace, kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area. Residents can host guests for extended periods, subject to additional charges. Artists can apply for residency through the Cité's selection committees or via its network of long-standing partners. The Cité organizes different commissions by discipline and thematic, and also collaborates with institutions to support emerging international talents through residency programs and grants.

Les Récollets

Paris, France

Les Récollets is an 80-unit furnished international residence in Paris's 10th arrondissement dedicated to hosting established researchers, scientists, and artists from around the world. The center provides accommodation with hotel-like services and fosters interdisciplinary creative exchange among residents from diverse fields. It serves as a space for artists and researchers to develop specific projects while engaging with Paris's cultural institutions and community.

Maison des Écrivains Étrangers et des Traducteurs

Saint-Nazaire cedex, France

The Maison des Écrivains Étrangers et des Traducteurs (MEET) in Saint-Nazaire, France, has hosted foreign writers and translators for over 20 years, providing them with an 8-week residency in a large apartment overlooking the port and shipyards. Residents receive a €1000 monthly stipend and housing, with optional public engagements, and must cover travel and living expenses. It selects 6 laureates annually, primarily writers but including 1-2 translators, who are published abroad and reside outside France.

PAF, Performing Arts Forum

St Erme Outre et Ramecourt, France

PAF (Performing Arts Forum) is an artist-run residency located in a former convent in St. Erme, 150km northeast of Paris, France. It serves as a platform for professional and emerging practitioners and activists across performing arts, visual art, literature, music, new media, theory, and cultural production who seek to research and determine their own working conditions. The residency is initiated and run by artists, theoreticians, and practitioners themselves as a user-created, informal institution.