Multidisciplinary Residencies in Portugal

AiR 351

Cascais, Portugal

AiR 351 is an innovative international visual arts residency program founded in 2016, nestled in the vibrant cultural landscape of Cascais, in the Lisbon region. This program is designed to support both artists and curators from around the globe, fostering their creative processes in a collaborative and highly supportive environment. AiR 351 partners with various institutions including museums, universities, and art schools, enhancing the residency experience through diverse contextual engagements. Residents at AiR 351 benefit from individual studios located at the Centro de Artes e Criatividade (CAC) in Torres Vedras, along with access to communal spaces that facilitate both solitary and communal forms of creativity. The program is structured to integrate residents into the local artistic community, provide extensive technical and curatorial support, and offer networking opportunities with AiR 351’s wide range of partners. Each residency period spans a minimum of three months for artists and one month for curators, which allows for profound engagement with the local culture and art scene. AiR 351 also organizes regular studio visits, public presentations, and an annual exhibition to showcase the works developed during the residency. In terms of financial support, AiR 351 periodically offers grants, such as the AiR 351 / CAC Grant, which covers living expenses, accommodation, and membership fees for the duration of the residency. This comprehensive support structure not only alleviates financial burdens but also enriches the artistic development of the residents. The program's application process is inclusive and detailed, requiring a motivation letter, CV, and portfolio, ensuring that only candidates with significant potential and readiness are selected. AiR 351 maintains a permanent open call for applications, making it a dynamically evolving cultural hub that continuously attracts and supports international artistic talent.

Aveiro Arts House / VIC AIR is an artist residency located in the former home of multifaceted artist Vasco Branco (1919-) in central Aveiro, Portugal. The residency combines arts, culture, and creative tourism while conserving cultural heritage, offering artists private bedrooms, shared working spaces, and access to the venue's gallery, cinema auditorium, and cultural programming.

Aviário Studio

Ferreira do Zezere, Portugal

Aviário Studio is an artist-run creative playground in central Portugal focused on visual arts research and production, offering multidisciplinary residencies ranging from 2 weeks to 6 months. The residency provides technical assistance, individual working space, and access to workshops equipped for printmaking, ceramics, wood, metal, sculpture, installation, drawing, painting, photography, and bookbinding. Residents benefit from project discussions, access to a network of specialized services, and culminate their stay with an exhibition at the Cultural Center of Ferreira do Zêzere.

Aviário Studio Multidisciplinary Art Residency

Ferreira do Zêzere, Portugal

Aviário Studio Multidisciplinary Art Residency is a self-directed program in central Portugal promoting exploration and production in visual arts through equipped workshops for printmaking, ceramics, wood, metal, sculpture, installation, drawing, painting, photography, and bookbinding. Residencies are customized by duration (2 weeks to 6 months), artistic focus, and goals, offering shared housing and studio access for experimentation, research, or project realization. Participants cover fees, travel, materials, and meals, with optional paid studio support.

CAAA Centro para os Assuntos da Arte e Arquitectura

Guimarães, Portugal

The CAAA Centro para os Assuntos da Arte e Arquitectura is a nonprofit cultural institution in Guimarães, Portugal, dedicated to supporting artistic creation through interdisciplinary collaboration between visual arts, design, film, literature, media, performing arts, and architecture. Its Artistic Residence Program provides emerging artists, architects, and curators with living/working studios to develop and publicly present projects aligned with CAAA's philosophy of fostering new interdisciplinary opportunities. The facility, a renovated former textile factory, includes studios, galleries, a black-box space, rehearsal room, research library, and more.

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Lisbon, Portugal

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian), a renowned international foundation, facilitates impactful residencies under its program, "Bauhaus of the Seas Sails." These residencies, including "Radical Waters – Concrete Matters," "Eating Between Tides," and "A Call to the Sea," are designed to foster innovative approaches across various disciplines—integrating art, science, and community engagement. Each residency is fully funded and supports interdisciplinary collaboration to explore and address environmental and societal issues through artistic and scientific lenses.

Convento Sâo Francisco

Mértola, Portugal

The Convento São Francisco de Mértola is an artist residency program housed in a historic 400-year-old Franciscan monastery on the outskirts of Mértola, Portugal, overlooking the Oeiras and Guadiana rivers. It hosts emerging and established artists, designers, writers, musicians, filmmakers, researchers, and others for creative work, reflection, and connection with nature in a tranquil environment. The site, restored by a Dutch family, features self-contained studios, shared workspaces, an exhibition space in the former church, and supports experimental research on art, ecology, science, and education.

Córtex Frontal (Cortex Frontal)

Arraiolos, Portugal

Córtex Frontal, an artist-in-residence program based in Arraiolos, Portugal, was established in 2016 by the Córtexcult Cultural Association. It offers multidisciplinary residencies focusing on visual arts, performative arts, literature, and music, fostering interactions between artists from different disciplines, the local community, and the territory. Their facilities include a historical 18th-century manor house with private and shared studios equipped for various art forms, from printmaking to digital media. Artists can stay for periods ranging from 4 weeks to 3 months, with accommodations and technical support provided. The program is open to international artists, including duos or groups, and supports last-minute applications. The residency emphasizes community engagement through workshops, open studios, and artist lectures at local educational institutions. It also assists residents in obtaining funding through programs like Culture Moves Europe. The fees for the residency cover accommodation, studio use, and access to common areas.

Court of Cavalum

Porto, Portugal

"The Court of Cavalum" is a dynamic artist residency located in the scenic hills around Porto, Portugal. Set in a historical estate that has been a hub of creativity for centuries, it offers artists, writers, and digital nomads a unique co-living and co-working environment. The Court provides a variety of creatively inspiring spaces such as studios for writing, sound recording, and visual arts, alongside rooms designed for relaxation and ideation. The residency promotes a sense of community among residents through shared living areas, collaborative spaces, and communal activities. Residents are encouraged to engage with both their projects and each other, fostering an environment of mutual creativity and discovery. The Court of Cavalum integrates modern digital facilities with rustic charm, making it an ideal retreat for artists seeking to combine productive work with a rejuvenating rural lifestyle.

Duplex AIR

Lissabon, Portugal

DUPLEX | Artists in Residence is an independent artist-run space in Lisbon's Graça neighborhood, featuring studios, a residency program, and a gallery to foster creative processes, experimentation, and artistic discourse among diverse artists. The residency enables quick integration into Lisbon's art community, providing private studios, curatorial support, conversations, visits, and project mentoring, with open calls and self-proposals accepted for artists and curators. Residents access shared facilities like kitchenettes, terraces, workshops, and basic tools, but housing is not provided—assistance in finding accommodation is offered.

FIBER RESOURCE

Braga, Portugal

FIBER RE:SOURCE is a multi-part artistic residency program that invites artists, designers, and artistic researchers based in the Netherlands to conduct research and create installations responding to specific themes and locations. Part 2, titled 'The Sanctuary,' focuses on the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Gerês-Xurês located in northern Portugal and Galicia, Spain, with results showcased in Braga, Portugal.

Fogo Lento

Pedroso, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

Fogo Lento is a non-profit cultural association founded in , focused on transdisciplinary artistic creation, training projects, and audience mediation, with CAMPO serving as a rural research space for artistic and cultural projects in Pedroso, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. CAMPO hosts residencies in a complete apartment, rehearsal room, workshop space, and 1.5 hectares of outdoor land, emphasizing connections between nature, art, science, literature, and crafts. It supports alternative teaching methodologies and community activities like workshops and performances.

Museu Zer0

Cooperativa Agricola de Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, Portugal

Museu Zer0 is a digital art museum and living laboratory located in the former silos of the Cooperativa Agrícola de Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, Portugal, dedicated to supporting digital artistic creation, research, innovation, and community engagement. It hosts artist residencies as part of its opening program, challenging artists to create works in dialogue with the site's industrial heritage, with a current call for residencies open until March 13, . The facility includes immersive rooms, creative ateliers, and incubation spaces for artistic startups, revitalizing the Algarve countryside through technology and local heritage.

Oficinas do Convento

Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal

Oficinas do Convento is a nonprofit cultural association based in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, that accepts year-round artistic residency proposals and project development opportunities across multiple disciplines. The organization operates from the São Francisco Convent and related facilities, focusing on visual arts, sound arts, design, and heritage, with a mission to support innovative artistic creation while contributing to the revaluation and sustainability of local cultures.

Orto Creative Hub

Vila do Conde, Portugal

ORTO is an artist-run residency in a restored farmstead in northern Portugal, fostering communal living, sustainability, and creative exchange amid nature and permaculture gardens.

OSSO Associação Cultural

Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

OSSO Associação Cultural offers an artist residency program in the rural village of São Gregório, municipality of Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, for transdisciplinary artists and researchers in fields like music, dance, fine arts, literature, performance, and cinema. The program supports creation, research, and community engagement through workshops, screenings, concerts, performances, exhibitions, and dialogues with local, national, and international partners. Residents access a 60m² multipurpose studio, formerly a cellar, equipped for various practices with technical support.

Pada Studios

Barreiro, Portugal

PADA studios, nestled in a historic industrial park from 1885, offers artists a dynamic space to enhance their practice over 1-2 month residencies. The program, welcoming various media, focuses on the exploration of techniques and processes, and encourages the development of new ideas and concepts. Artists have access to individual 35sqm open-plan studios within a 1000 sqm warehouse, complemented by communal areas, a reading room, a library, and well-equipped wood and metal workshops. PADA, an artist-led non-profit, also features a gallery space and diverse locations throughout the industrial park for artistic projects. The residency is self-led, promoting self-sufficiency in artistic practice while providing opportunities to engage with the Lisbon art scene and other residents. Participants are encouraged to propose talks and workshops, enhancing engagement with the local community. The residency concludes with the opportunity for artists to present their work in PADA's gallery. PADA's commitment to sustainability is reflected in its encouragement of eco-conscious artistic practices.

Prisma Estúdio Lisboa (Prisma Estudio)

Lisbon, Portugal

Prisma Estúdio Lisboa is a volunteer-led cultural association located in the vibrant Martim Moniz quarter of central Lisbon. The organization supports emerging artists by providing opportunities for creative development and collaboration. The residency program hosts up to five artists at a time, offering accommodation, a shared atelier space, and curatorial support. Residents are immersed in Lisbon’s dynamic underground artistic community, engaging in exhibitions, events, and collaborative projects. The residency welcomes artists from diverse practices and backgrounds for stays of one to three months. Participants are encouraged to explore new techniques, concepts, and ideas, culminating in a final project showcased in an exhibition or performance. Prisma Estúdio Lisboa emphasizes community involvement and provides a supportive environment for artists to grow and connect. The program aims to foster creativity and cultural exchange within a multidisciplinary framework.

RAMA Residências Artísticas

Torres Vedras, Portugal

RAMA – Residências Artísticas is an artist residency program located in the villages of Maceira and Alfeiria in the municipality of Torres Vedras, Portugal, aimed at national and international artists, researchers, and curators for research and experimentation. It promotes interaction between professionals, crossing of artistic practices, sharing of knowledge, and relationships with the local community, culture, traditional crafts, history, and rural landscape. Residencies last 1 to 4 months or longer, offering customized programs with mentoring, studio visits, and options for accommodation plus studio or studio only, hosting up to 4 artists simultaneously.