Free Theater Residencies
75 residencies
Fully funded theater residencies that cover both housing and a stipend. These programs remove financial barriers entirely, letting you focus on your art.

Callie’s
Berlin, Germany
Callie’s is a non-profit experimental institution in Berlin dedicated to fostering creativity and cultural exchange through its residency program, exhibitions, and public programs. Housed in a former machine factory in the Wedding district, Callie’s offers private studio spaces, a movement studio with a sprung floor, a cooperative sound studio, and a dedicated writing room. The residency is self-guided, allowing artists at any stage of their careers to explore new ideas without production requirements. Artists-in-residence can also request on-site accommodation in micro-apartments, designed with handmade and custom elements. Callie’s fosters an open and interdisciplinary environment, with periodic informal gatherings, networking opportunities, and access to Berlin’s rich cultural landscape. While the residency covers workspace and resources, it does not provide direct funding for travel or materials. The program is open to visual artists, musicians, choreographers, writers, poets, and researchers, supporting a wide range of creative practices. Residencies typically last six months, with some flexibility for shorter stays.

Delfina Foundation
London, United Kingdom
The Delfina Foundation Residency Program, based in London, offers opportunities for artists, curators, and writers to develop their practice, explore connections, and build collaborations. Residencies, lasting up to three months, are largely thematic and support both emerging and established cultural practitioners. The Foundation hosts 6 to 8 residents simultaneously in its central London location, providing flexible living and working space. Residents engage with international peers and the public, fostering artistic exchange and professional development. The program has a strong focus on critical issues in contemporary art and has established relationships with the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

Helene Wurlitzer Foundation (HWF)
Taos, New Mexico, United States
The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation (HWF) is a private, non-profit organization that has been supporting the arts since 1954. Located on a fifteen-acre campus in Taos, New Mexico, HWF offers one of the oldest artist residency programs in the USA. The Foundation provides three months of rent-free and utility-paid housing to visual artists, literary artists, and music composers from around the world. The campus consists of eleven fully furnished casitas, each tailored to the specific needs of different types of artists. The Foundation’s mission is to support the artist and the creative process, offering a peaceful setting for artists to pursue their work without imposed expectations or quotas. Applications are reviewed by a committee of professionals in various artistic disciplines, ensuring a diverse and enriching residency experience.

Tulsa Artist Fellowship
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a unique, place-based initiative designed to support artists across various disciplines by providing them with the resources they need to thrive creatively in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each year, the fellowship selects new awardees through an open call process, offering a generous package that includes a $150,000 grant spread over three years, a yearly housing stipend of $12,000, health and studio assistant stipends, and a one-time relocation stipend. Awardees are provided with fully-subsidized studio spaces situated in Tulsa’s vibrant cultural district, enriched by galleries, performance venues, and green spaces. The fellowship is committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity, extending specific invitations to Native American artists and promoting a broad spectrum of artistic practices. This nurturing environment not only supports individual creative growth but also encourages artists to engage with the community through collaborative projects and public interactions. By integrating artists into the heart of Tulsa, the fellowship aims to enhance the city's cultural landscape and affirm its place as a center of creative activity. Recognizing the profound impact of art on social change, the fellowship aligns with the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s vision, which focuses on transformative impact through arts and culture. The program is an opportunity for artists to develop ambitious projects that resonate with both local and global audiences, ensuring a dynamic exchange of ideas and cultural enrichment.

(Re)Create Inc
Italy
Name of Residency: (Re)CreateApplications are currently by invitation only, as we are shifting our focus to invite and host artists at risk, refugees, and artists from zones of conflict and war. Artists in residence at (Re)Create have the opportunity to spend their time as they see fit in order to replenish their creative energy, or to fulfill an ambitious project with (Re)Create’s support.Selected artists will have the possibility to reside at Casa Bianca in Castelnuovo Calcea or Venice, Ital

421
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The 421 Residency Program supports creative practitioners from various disciplines seeking space and time for experimentation. This multidisciplinary program spans five months and takes place at the artist studios at 421 Arts Campus in MiZa. The residency is open to practices in visual arts, curation, design and technology, literary arts, music, theater, culinary arts, and more. It prioritizes process-driven exploration over the need for a final project outcome. The program is designed for artists from the MENASA region (Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia), offering living space and studio facilities for non-Abu Dhabi-based participants, as well as travel expenses, a stipend, and a production budget. Each residency cohort includes three artists, with two cohorts held annually. The program promotes collaborative engagement among its residents while encouraging individual experimentation.

Alpujarra Artist Residence
Calle Calvario 15, Spain
Name of Residency: Alpujarra Artist ResidenceThe AAR wants to provide local, national and international artists with inspiring and optimal circumstances for research, experiment and production. In this regard, the AAR acts as a network organization that works both locally and internationally to promote connections to support the artistic development of creators. By offering work periods and realizing projects in collaboration with other institutions the AAR connects the artistic motives and idea

American Academy in Berlin
BERLIN, Germany
The American Academy in Berlin is a private, nonprofit institution offering semester-long residential fellowships to American scholars, artists, writers, composers, and journalists for advanced independent research and creative work in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and public policy. Fellows reside at the Hans Arnhold Center on Lake Wannsee and engage in transatlantic dialogue through public lectures, readings, performances, and discussions.

Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori Public University
Japan
ACAC(アジア芸術文化センター)は、アーティスト・イン・レジデンス(AIR)プログラムを公募しています。現代美術作家、キュレーター、研究者など、文化芸術活動に携わる方々に、展覧会、パフォーマンス、ワークショップ、トークなどの活動に向けた準備の実践機会を提供しています。これらの活動を通して、世界中からアーティストが集まり、青森の地域社会と国際交流を行う機会を提供しています。選考に選ばれたアーティストは、最長3ヶ月間ACACに滞在することができ、滞在費、渡航費、制作費が支給されます。滞在中は、リサーチと制作活動に加え、ワークショップ、トーク、共同制作、地域社会との交流プログラムなどに参加し、展覧会やパフォーマンスなど、様々な形で成果をあげることができます。ACACは、アーティスト、学生、そして地域住民が多様な交流を通して芸術体験を育む機会を提供することで、芸術教育と芸術文化の振興を目指しています。Residency Programme since: 2002Description of Organisation: 青森公立大学附属国際芸術センター青森(ACAC)は、八甲田山麓のダイナミッ

Art Project Graniti
Piazza San Sebastiano, Italy
Name of Residency: Graniti MuralesWe try hard to make Graniti Murales an experience unlike most mural festivals where artists simply arrive, create their work and leave. The residency is designed to encourage a cultural exchange between the artists and the community. The artists bring their talent, vision and outside perspective while the community offers a glimpse of small town Sicilian life nestled within a picturesque mountain-scape, showcasing their food, culture and incredible hospitality.A
Artist Residency Thailand
Artistic Director, Thailand
Based in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, Artist Residency Thailand has an international reputation for delivering high-quality, bespoke residency experiences for artists and Creative Practitioners at different stages in their careers.. Residents are provided with the necessary environment and mentoring, to develop skills as workshop leaders, as well the resources and support to produce and evolve their own Creative Practice.All of our residencies are FREE and practitioners are selected via a comm

ARTS 14C
United States
Name of Residency: Project 14CARTS 14C offers both free and subsidized residencies for artists of all disciplines – short-term project-based residencies and long-term development based residencies.Our 12-month live/work residencies open quarterly, with residencies starting on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1 each year. There is also a 3-month option for international artists unable to get a longer visa, and artists with special circumstances.These residencies focus on participation in

Arxiu Comarcal de l’Urgell (ACUR)
Carrer de les Sitges, Spain
Name of Residency: ACUR Residency ProgramThe residency program is located in a public archive in a small city in the region of Catalonia. From the Arxiu Comarcal de l’Urgell(ACUR) we want to support the creators and researchers, from any scientific or artistic discipline, who produce, reflect upon or research, the documents and archives for inspiring and basing the work.Therefore, ACUR provides residents with their equipment for carrying out their creations and research. With particular interest

Atelier Mondial
Basel, Switzerland
Atelier Mondial is an international and interdisciplinary artist residency program in Basel, Switzerland, hosting guest artists from partner institutions worldwide in its seven studios for stays typically lasting three to six months. It provides live-in studios, stipends for living expenses, and opportunities for open studios and exhibitions at Salon Mondial. The program also offers grants to regional artists from Basel, South Baden, and Alsace for residencies abroad in fields like visual arts, literature, fashion & textiles, dance & performing arts, and curation.

Bearnstow
Mount Vernon, United States
Bearnstow is a summer arts retreat center in Mount Vernon, Maine, offering weeklong workshops, artist retreats, and programs like the Young Artist Internship focused on dance, performance, and creative exploration in a natural lakeside setting. Artist retreats provide one-week residencies for individuals or small groups (up to 3) in any discipline, including shared cabins, meals, and facilities for $450-$425 per person, with family options during day camp. The Young Artist Internship runs mid-June to late August, offering shared housing, meals, $100 weekly stipend, and dance workshops in exchange for assistance with operations.

Beppu Project
Beppu City, Japan
Beppu Project is a non-profit art organization founded in April that operates artist residency programs in Beppu City, a renowned hot spring area in southern Japan. The organization hosts the KASHIMA Artist in Residence program (since ) and short-term residencies at Kiyoshima Apartment, welcoming artists across multiple disciplines to create work while engaging with the local community.
Bibliothek Andreas Züst
Oberegg, Switzerland
The Bibliothek Andreas Züst in Oberegg, Switzerland, offers studio residency stipends for national and international cultural workers in disciplines such as visual arts, literature, new media, music, theatre, design, architecture, film, and photography, with projects focused on the library or its sub-areas. Residencies typically last 4-6 weeks at the Alpenhof panorama lodge, providing free accommodations, meals, studio access, travel costs coverage, and optional living stipends up to CHF 750. The program supports individuals, duos, collectives up to 5 people, and families, emphasizing research into cultural diversity.

Bibliothek Andreas Züst
Oberegg, Switzerland
The Bibliothek Andreas Züst offers four studio residency stipends in autumn 2024, providing a four-week stay for national and international cultural workers across various disciplines, including visual arts, literature, new media, music, theatre, design, architecture, film, and photography. Located at the Alpenhof panorama lodge in Oberegg, Switzerland, the residency includes free accommodations, meals, studio access, and travel costs. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects related to the library or its sub-areas, fostering research and creative work that explores cultural diversity.

Blueproject Foundation
Barcelona, Spain
The Blueproject Foundation, based in Barcelona, Spain, was a non-profit organization operating from to that supported emerging national and international artists through a residency program open to all creative disciplines, including visual arts, music, performing arts, and gastronomy. Residents received access to a dedicated studio space (El Taller), production support, financial grants, and opportunities for exhibitions or performances at the foundation's venues. Since late , the foundation has no permanent space and focuses on delocalized projects, podcasts, and collaborations, with the residency program appearing inactive.

Breck Create
Breckenridge, Colorado, United States
Breck Create’s Artist-in-Residence program offers regional, national, and international artists across all disciplines an opportunity to focus on process rather than product while engaging meaningfully with the local community. The program provides a live/work studio in the Breckenridge Arts District for 2-4 months, nestled in downtown Breckenridge, Colorado. Artists are expected to facilitate open studios, teach lessons, and collaborate with community partners. The residency includes a biweekly stipend of $600 and access to classes and open studios. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and artists with teaching experience are prioritized.

Casa de Velázquez
Madrid, Spain
Casa de Velázquez, the Académie de France in Madrid, is a public institution offering artist residencies for stays of 2 to 11 months, welcoming around 30 artists annually across disciplines like visual arts, architecture, music, choreography, film, and photography. Residents receive dedicated studios, accommodation, and support through calls for applications and partnerships, fostering creation, research, and professional development linked to the Iberian Peninsula. Programs include long-term 11-month residencies for 13-15 artists and shorter collaborative grants.

Centrale Fies
Dro, Italy
Centrale Fies is an independent art residency and production center for contemporary performing arts, located in a repurposed 19th-century hydroelectric power plant in Dro, Italy. It supports artists worldwide through residencies, equipped spaces, curatorial guidance, technical assistance, and networking, with a focus on experimental performance, live practices, and interdisciplinary projects like the LIVE WORKS Free School of Performance. Programs include stipends, accommodation, meals, and public presentations at events such as the Live Works Summit.

Centre for Aesthetics, Religion and Contemporary Culture
Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, Spain
Name of Residency: Javier & Marta Villavecchia FellowshipThe Centre for Aesthetics, Religion and Contemporary Culture and the Haas Library at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra are pleased to announce a call for applications for two individual fellowships, permitting the successful applicants to carry out original artistic and/or research projects at the Haas Library for a period of three months during - . We welcome scholarly and/or artistic submissions from any disciplinary background or per

Centre International d’Art et du Paysage (CIAPV)
Beaumont-du-Lac, France
The Centre International d’Art et du Paysage (CIAPV) on Vassivière Island, France, supports research, experimentation, production, and dissemination of contemporary art. The CIAPV is unique within the French artistic landscape, known for its remarkable contemporary architecture and open-air permanent collection. The residency program offers an immersive experience in the landscape, history, and culture of Vassivière Island, fostering artistic experimentation and public engagement. The upcoming thematic residency, “Landscape and the Commons,” invites an artist-scientist duo to explore the relationship between landscape and the commons.

Chashama North
United States
Name of Residency: Chashama North ( ChaNorth )ChaNorth upholds the storied tradition of the Hudson Valley by providing local and international artists with a supportive and secluded environment in which to create new work. The artist residency is embedded in the rural communities of the surrounding towns, serving as a cultural resource for the Hudson Valley. The program offers networking, exhibition and teaching opportunities and promotes awareness and understanding of visual arts in a rural com

Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec
MONTRÉAL, Canada
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) offers the Atelier-résidence à Montréal, a six-month program exclusively for Quebec artists and writers living outside Montreal, providing access to a studio in the city. In partnership with PHI Montréal, CALQ supports the Résidence artistique d'engagement public, also six months long, for one Montreal-based artist and one from elsewhere in Quebec to develop and present public engagement projects. These residencies include financial support, with the PHI program offering a 12,000 CAD stipend per artist and housing for the non-Montreal resident.

Context AiR Plovdiv
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Context AiR Plovdiv is an artists-in-residence program initiated and funded by the Culture Department of the Municipality of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city. It focuses on producing new artistic works in public space inspired by interactions with the city's distinctive history, heritage, and communities. The program provides full scholarships covering living expenses, production costs, and shared living/working spaces at Nishaniyan House, while requiring artists to organize public presentations and community engagement events.

Cove Park
Helensburgh, United Kingdom
Cove Park is an international artist residency centre on a 50-acre rural site overlooking Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland, near Helensburgh, hosting national and international artists, writers, researchers, and creative practitioners across all art forms and career stages. The program supports research, experimentation, development, and production of new work in a supportive environment with communal facilities and events. Residencies vary from funded opportunities with stipends and housing to self-funded stays, typically lasting 2-4 weeks.
Creative Body Institute
United States
Name of Residency: Site-SpecificCreative Body Institute offers immersive, site-specific residencies designed to support thematic, cross-disciplinary inquiry. Our residencies are intergenerational and curated for emergent, mid-career, and established artists working across visual art, sound, performance, writing, installation, dance, social practice, and beyond. We welcome artists with existing embodied practices as well as those seeking to deepen or expand their relationship to the body, land, a

Creekside Arts
Humboldt County, California, United States
Creekside Arts is a nature-immersed artist residency and retreat located in the redwood forests of Humboldt County, Northern California. The residency welcomes artists across diverse disciplines to focus on projects related to land, community, climate, and social justice. Artists receive private living quarters with individual studio spaces, set on a six-acre property surrounded by nature and outdoor performance areas. The residency offers two formats: flexible, self-directed retreats (minimum two weeks) and a curated, collaborative three-week Spring Residency Program. Creekside Arts fosters both solitude and connection, encouraging engagement with local communities through workshops, artist talks, and community projects. Resident artists participate in informal weekly gatherings and a concluding public showing or panel. The program champions diversity and is committed to providing an inclusive space for artists from varied backgrounds and experiences. Creekside Arts is a supportive environment for reflection, experimentation, and cultural exchange in one of Northern California’s most inspiring settings.

DANCE BOX
Shin-Nagata, Japan
DANCE BOX is an artist residency program based in Shin-Nagata, Kobe, Japan, focused on contemporary dance and performing arts, welcoming international artists, scholars, and curators for experimentation and research often tied to local contexts like Shin-Nagata and Japanese society. Residencies typically last around 35 days or up to 8 months, providing housing, stipends, airfare support, and facilities for creation and public presentations in Kobe and partner locations. The program emphasizes collaboration with locals, rehearsal processes over final products, and themes such as transformations in arts and folk performing arts.

Davvi Centre for Performing Arts
Hammerfest, Norway
Davvi Centre for Performing Arts in Hammerfest, Norway, offers an Artist in Residence program for professional performing artists working on contemporary performing arts projects, including laboratory work and nearly finished performances, typically lasting about 20 days with access to a fully equipped dance studio.

DE PROEF.
Majoor van Swietenlaan 15, Netherlands
Name of Residency: DE PROEF. ResidencyAt DE PROEF, we support artists and makers who are eager to explore nature-related subjects and have a clear vision for their work. Our residency offers a unique balance of freedom and guidance, tailored to each resident’s individual needs. Whether you thrive in self-directed exploration or benefit from structured support, we provide an inspiring environment where creativity, ecology, and craftsmanship intersect.Residents stay on our 8-hectare site in Freder
Embassy of Foreign Artists
Genève, Switzerland
The Embassy of Foreign Artists (EOFA) is an international residency program based in Geneva, Switzerland, established in , that welcomes artists, researchers, and cultural actors from around the world. The program provides logistical and financial support for creative development, with a focus on bridging artistic and scientific practices around themes such as imagination in research processes.

Fienile Fluò
Via Paderno, Italy
Given the nature of the location, immersed in the beautiful setting of the Bolognese hills, and the fact it is equipped with a theatre and the possibility to host guests in the guest quarters, we wish to dedicate ourselves to developing and implementing our artistic residency programme. Since 2007, the year of our opening of Fienile Fluò we hosted productions and creative and experimental periods for Italian artists. In 2013 Fienile Fluò Crexida began a scheme to develop international artistic r

Frankfurt LAB e.V.
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Frankfurt LAB e.V. is a production space for rehearsing and performing experimental works in performing arts and contemporary music, operating through the Frankfurt Moves! residency programme initiated by KfW Stiftung since . The programme invites international emerging artists from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the WANA region for a four-week on-site residency in Frankfurt followed by one month of remote artistic research support in their home country.

GreenHaven Artist Residencies
Cologne, Germany
GreenHaven Artist Residencies, an initiative of TGR The Green Room in Cologne, Germany, supports performing artists from non-EU countries, especially those at risk or displaced, by providing free housing, rehearsal space, and a stipend of up to 1500€ per month for 1-2 months.

index freiraum
Rautistrasse 31, Switzerland
Name of Residency: index freiraum Artist ResidencyThe index freiraum Artist Residency is an international artist-in-residence program for artists and curators from all artistic disciplines, including visual arts, literature, music, theatre, dance, and film. The fellowship includes free use of a live-in studio apartment in the city of Zurich as well as a contribution toward living expenses. In addition, the program fosters artistic exchange and networking with the local cultural scene. When neede

Kaatsbaan Subsidized
Tivoli, United States
Kaatsbaan Cultural Park provides opportunities for artists of all genres to create, live, and collaborate in the Hudson Valley countryside with state-of-the-art studios, theater, and accommodations.

KAIR
Hlavn 40, Slovakia
Name of Residency: Košice Artist in ResidenceKAIR is an international Artist-in-Residence-program for the artists from all over the world and out of all artistic disciplines and expressions. KAIR is strongly focused on creation of international cooperations between the Slovak and foreign artists and art organizations.Residency Programme since: 2011Description of Organisation: Košice Artist in Residence is an international residency program for artists from all over the world and all artistic dis

KfW Stiftung & Frankfurt LAB
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
The KfW Stiftung & Frankfurt LAB residency, known as Frankfurt Moves!, invites emerging international performing arts artists trained in Africa, Asia, Latin America, or the WANA region to Frankfurt am Main for a four-week on-site residency followed by one month of remote research support. Artists receive access to professional venues at Frankfurt LAB, dramaturgical and technical assistance, a workshop presentation, stipend, housing, travel, and production expenses. The program fosters future-oriented projects, intercultural exchange, and networking in contemporary performing arts.

KINITIRAS CHOROTHEAMA
NIKIOU 133, Greece
Kinitiras is the first Residency Centre for performing arts in the city of Athens, It was created in December and until August it hosted numerous artists throughout the world from the fields of dance, theatre and performance. Inside its small premises located underneath Akropolis, Kinitiras became a creative hub while at the same time it opened the pathway for the idea of residency centre in Greece.It is now time for us to move on and create another flexible model of residency that wil

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.

Lìzé Puppet Art Colony
Wujie Township, Taiwan
Lìzé Puppet Art Colony is Taiwan's first revitalized granary art park and Asia's largest base for contemporary puppetry, offering artist residencies, workshops, performances, and educational programs in Wujie Township, Yilan County. It provides a creative hub with facilities including studios, rehearsal spaces, puppet-making workshops, and performance venues, fostering international exchanges and innovation in puppet arts. The residency program, launched in , supports artists with accommodation, shared spaces, materials up to NT$20,000, and opportunities for public presentations.

Mary Sky
United States
Name of Residency: Mary Sky Artist ResidencyMary Sky’s Artist Residency is hosted in a tiny-cabin on a forested mountainside in rural Vermont, adjacent to hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest land.The residency campus is rural, and staying in the cabin is much like camping, which presents certain undeniable realities. You must be generally physically fit and able to walk up steep hills in order to participate in the program.The culmination or outcome of this residency is ultimately

Nancy B. Negley Artist Residency program
France
Name of Residency: The Dora Maar HouseThe Nancy B Negley Residency Program providesone to three months in residence at the Dora Maar Housea private bedroom and bath and a study or studio in which to worka travel award for travel from a fellow’s home to the Dora Maar Housea grant based upon the length of stay at the Dora Maar HouseResidency Programme since: 2007Description of Organisation: The Nancy B. Negley Artists Residency Program, based at the Dora Maar House in Ménerbes, France, hosts resid

Northern AiR
Kauppilantie 15, Finland
Name of Residency: Northern AiR networkThe objective of the innovative network is to create permanent supporting structures for the residency field. We aim at increasing cultural mobility and to establish new forms of cooperation through residencies.Residency Programme since: 2019Description of Organisation: Northern AiR – a newly established unique artist residence network in northern Finland as a part of the KRIPA-project.Organisation founded in: 2020What type of organisation are you?:Not-for-

NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore
Singapore, Singapore
NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore is a research-oriented, studio-based residency programme that has supported over 210 artists, curators, and researchers since 2014. The programme provides fully-funded residencies with curatorial support, enabling multiform creative processes and facilitating interdisciplinary knowledge production. Residents become active contributors to the Centre's cultural life and develop public programmes including talks, workshops, open studios, screenings, and performances.

PASS Performing Arts Salon Saturdays
Staten Island, United States
PASS: Performing Arts Salon Saturdays is a residency program at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island, NY, supporting creation of new works in dance, music, theater, and multi-disciplinary performance. Offers live/work space in historic cottages, studios, honorarium, and public work-in-progress shows.

Pavillon K
Vordingborg, Denmark
Pavillon K is a performing arts center and residency program in Vordingborg, Denmark, offering two-week residencies for companies and collectives in fields like physical theatre, performance, dance, circus, and mixed media, primarily for artists aged 35 or under developing new projects. It provides studio space, accommodation for up to three residents, a symbolic stipend, travel support, and opportunities for public presentations or workshops. The program fosters exchange with local professionals and hosts events as a production house and venue.
Peter Bullough Foundation Residency
Winchester, United States
The Peter Bullough Foundation offers 4-week residencies for emerging artists and writers in Winchester, VA, providing housing, studios, $600 stipend, and community engagement opportunities, prioritizing diverse and LGBTQIA2S+ voices.
PimOff Spazio Scenico
Milano, Italy
PimOff Spazio Scenico is a cultural association in Milan, Italy, founded in , that promotes theatre and dance research through residencies, workshops, and performances via its annual 'Citofonare PimOff' open call. It supports national and international contemporary dance and performance projects in their creation phase, providing up to 10 days of residency, theatre space, accommodation for up to four people, financial support up to €3,000, and technical/promotional assistance. Residencies culminate in public previews or studies and educational activities to foster artist-audience exchange.

Platform
Vasa, Finland
Platform is an artist-run initiative in Vasa, Finland, dedicated to promoting and producing international contemporary art. Founded in 2000, it hosts exhibitions and projects primarily resulting from its residency program. The residency emphasizes local interaction through curated projects, artist talks, and seminars. Artists are invited to explore various themes, producing site-specific and community-engaged works. Platform provides accommodation, travel expenses, a working grant, and a production budget. The residency fosters a conducive environment for creative development and intercultural exchange. Artists benefit from private apartments, project spaces, and essential tools and equipment. The program aims to connect artists with the local community and broader artistic discussions.

Pro Helvetia
Zürich, Switzerland
Pro Helvetia's residency programme enables artists from Switzerland and regions covered by its liaison offices to spend up to three months immersed in a different daily context, offering possibilities for artistic exchange, reflection, and the emergence of new work, collaborations, and ideas.

Radar Sofia
Sofia, Bulgaria
Radar Sofia is an independent art hub in Sofia, Bulgaria, offering residencies primarily for writers, playwrights, dramaturgs, theatre makers, performers, and visual artists, including those at risk, with free live/work space, networking, and presentation opportunities.

Riga Circus Residency
Riga, Latvia
The Riga Circus Residency Program, run by Rīgas cirks in Riga, Latvia, serves as a laboratory for new forms of artistic research and practices, primarily focused on contemporary circus arts, while also welcoming interdisciplinary artists for site-specific projects related to the circus or the city. It supports up to 4 artists or groups, providing working spaces, accommodation, and for , a daily stipend of 40 EUR per person plus travel for Baltic applicants, with residencies typically lasting 2-3 weeks. The program promotes circus development in Latvia and the Baltic region through experimentation, collaboration, and community engagement.

Sacatar Foundation
Itaparica, Brazil
Instituto Sacatar is the longest continuously-operating artist residency in Brazil, founded in 2001 on the island of Itaparica across the bay from Salvador, Bahia. The residency provides fully-funded fellowships to artists of all disciplines from around the world, hosting up to eight artists at a time across five annual sessions. Since its inception, Sacatar has awarded residencies to over 550 artists from more than 75 countries.

Stalker Teatro officine CAOS
Turin, Italy
Stalker Teatro officine CAOS in Turin, Italy, is an international cultural hub and residency program operated by Stalker Teatro since , focusing on interdisciplinary performing arts, urban regeneration, and social inclusion in peripheral areas. It hosts emerging artists in contemporary theatre, dance, performance, and multimedia through open calls like Differenti Sensazioni, providing performance space, technical equipment, accommodation for up to 4 people, and travel reimbursements of 1000€ (Italy) or 1500€ (abroad) for works around 40 minutes long. The multi-functional 2000m² facility includes a large performance space, guest house, workshop areas, and more, supporting cross-disciplinary innovation.

Studio for the Research on the Art of Acting
Krušče 2, Slovenia
Name of Residency: Krušče Creative CenterKrušče Creative Center stretches through few plots of land with six buildings. The property is being renovated since 2006 and has almost 1000 m2 of spaces for group work and accommodation. The renovation has been a process of artistic directors collaborating with architects, students of scenic design and others to establish spaces and landscapes that respect cultural heritage, being at the same time contemporary and homey. Krušče Creative Center is being

Teatro del Lemming
Rovigo, Italy
The Veneto Residency Centre – Vene.Re is a network of performing arts venues in Italy that supports artistic research through 15-day residencies across multiple locations in Rovigo, Vicenza, and Bassano del Grappa. The program offers experimental laboratory spaces for multidisciplinary artists at regional, national, and international levels, with each residency including at least two public sharings in different locations.

The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora
Christchurch, New Zealand
The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora in Christchurch, New Zealand, offers a Creative Residency Programme for creative professionals from diverse fields including visual arts, crafts, music, theatre, dance, film, writing, design, photography, digital and sound art, fashion, and gaming, with stays typically lasting 1-3 months. Residents receive housing in fully furnished rooms with shared living spaces, a daily per diem of $85 NZD, up to $1500 NZD travel support, publicity, and community engagement opportunities, often culminating in public events. A self-funded residency option is also available for 2-10 weeks, providing accommodation without financial support.
The Grant Wood Art Colony
United States
Name of Residency: Grant Wood FellowshipSponsored by the University of Iowa, the Grant Wood Fellowship and Art Colony is a year long appointment. In addition to living and studio accommodations, the Fellowship provides a Visiting Associate Professor appointment with salary and benefits at the University of Iowa’s School of Art & Art History or Division of Performing Arts.Residency Programme since: 2001Description of Organisation: The Grant Wood Art Colony seeks to provide a creative home for the

The Saison Foundation
Tokyo, Japan
The Saison Foundation's Artist in Residence program, based at Morishita Studio in Tokyo, supports international artists and arts managers in researching Japan's contemporary performing arts scene through residencies focused on theater, dance, and performance. It provides grants including travel, daily living expenses up to 5,000 JPY, research costs, accommodation, and studio access, with typical durations of 1-3 months such as November-December and January-March periods. The program fosters international networks and collaborations by selecting fellows expected to influence the global performing arts field.

The Yard
Chilmark, MA 02535, United States
The Yard in Chilmark, MA, is a residency program focused on contemporary dance, offering paid creation residencies for choreographers, dance artists, and companies from diverse backgrounds, with on-campus housing, stipends, and studio access. It emphasizes collaborative group residencies, public performances in a rustic barn, and community engagement on Martha's Vineyard. Artists receive weekly stipends ($1,000 for choreographers, $800 for collaborators), food support, travel coverage, and facilities like studios and theaters.

Theatre in Palm
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Theatre in Palm Residencies offers a unique opportunity for emerging theatre artists to develop professionally and expand their networks across Europe. Hosted in 12 partner countries, these two-week residencies focus on collaboration, inspiration, and the creation of shareable works. Each residency will produce a co-production in various forms, emphasizing themes like social impact, equality, and environmental sustainability. Participants will receive travel, accommodation, and compensation. The program aims to foster cross-cultural exchanges and enhance the visibility of emerging artists in the European theatre scene.

Unga Dramaten/The Royal Dramatic Theatre
Nybrogatan 2, Sweden
Name of Residency: Unga Dramaten International Writing Residency ProgrammeThe Writing Residency for young audiences is a newly launched programme aimed at professionals working within the performing arts or academia who want to explore an idea, question or theme for children and young people aged 3-15 years old.What we offer in our international Writing residency:A 3-week long residency at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in StockholmAccess to an apartment during the entire periodA travel budget of 10

Upper Jay Art Center
new york, United States
The Upper Jay Art Center in Upper Jay, New York, hosts the CA+MP (Creative Arts and Multidisciplinary Performance) artist residency program, providing artists across all disciplines with 1-4 weeks of time, space, housing, and creative freedom in a historic Adirondack setting to create, dream, and perform. The program supports working artists by offering stipends to offset costs and aims to share new creative perspectives with the local community through performances and exhibitions. It welcomes musicians, writers, filmmakers, visual artists, dancers, theater practitioners, and others, though applications are not being accepted.

Veneto Residency Centre Vene.Re
Rovigo, Italy
The Veneto Residency Centre – Vene.Re is a network of three venues in northeastern Italy that supports artistic residencies as experimental laboratories for performing arts, offering space and support to multidisciplinary artists at regional, national, and international levels. Selected artists or companies receive a 15-day residency across different venues with at least two public sharings in different locations, along with accommodation and a stipend of €2,000–€3,000 depending on group size.

Villa Decius
Kraków, Poland
The Villa Decius Institute for Culture in Kraków, Poland, operates the Artists' Residencies Centre, hosting multiple residency programs for writers, translators, visual artists, scriptwriters, playwrights, and persecuted creators from around the world. Each program provides housing in comfortable rooms at the historic Łaski's House within the Renaissance palace-park complex, along with monthly scholarships, travel reimbursements, and opportunities for professional development and cultural engagement. Specific initiatives include the Krakow UNESCO Residency, ICORN for at-risk artists, Artistic Scholarship for visual artists focused on Polish heritage, and others like Arts in Exile for literature, visual arts, and music.

Villa Kujoyama
Kyoto, Japan
Villa Kujoyama is a pluridisciplinary research residency located in Kyoto, Japan that has welcomed established and emerging artists, artisans, and creators since 1992. The residency provides time and space for residents to dedicate themselves fully to their practice and research while engaging with artistic, cultural, academic, and economic communities across Japan. It is operated by Institut français du Japon and supported by the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation.

Villa Medici – French Academy in Rome
Rome, Italy
The Villa Medici – French Academy in Rome offers residency programs for French-speaking artists, authors, researchers, and craftsmen from all disciplines, including visual arts, music, literature, architecture, design, choreography, theater, and art history. Residents and fellows stay for periods ranging from two weeks to one year, focusing on creative, experimental, or research projects in a supportive environment that encourages interdisciplinary exchanges. Fellows receive grants covering room, board, workspace, and artistic support, while shorter residencies are available through thematic calls and partnerships.

Visegrad Artist Residency
Bratislava, Slovakia
The Visegrad Artist Residency Program, run by the International Visegrad Fund, supports artistic exchanges for citizens of Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) by funding residencies in a different V4 country, requiring artists to secure a host organization. It covers various fields including visual and sound arts, performing arts, literature, and others, with typical durations of 3 months or 4 weeks depending on the specific call, providing fees or stipends to both artists and hosts. Residencies emphasize innovative projects and must be implemented through approved hosting institutions across V4 countries.

Wexner Center for the Arts
Columbus, United States
The Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, operates as a research and development laboratory supporting artists across disciplines including visual arts, performing arts, film/video, and soon education through residencies and commissions since 1989. The Artist Residency Award program provides substantial financial resources (totaling $200,000 annually), technical support, and tailored residencies to selected artists for developing new work, often involving collaborations with Ohio State University and the community. Specific programs like Film/Video Studio Residencies offer housing, editing facilities, and 1-3 week stays for post-production projects, though new applications are paused.

WilderHaven
Chengdu, China
WilderHaven is an artist-founded initiative based in Southwest China that fosters cross-cultural dialogue and interdisciplinary creation in deeply immersive rural settings. Founded in 2024, it offers artist and writer residencies in the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou, engaging directly with the region’s diverse landscapes and minority cultures. The residency supports visual artists, writers, musicians, performers, and designers through flexible programs designed to bridge global practices with local traditions. With small cohorts and a balance of solitude and community, WilderHaven emphasizes experimentation, collaboration, and critical inquiry. Participants have access to studios, cultural excursions, and local engagement opportunities with ethnic Yi and Lisú communities. Group and pop-up exhibitions offer residents ways to showcase work locally and in major Chinese cities. Family-friendly accommodations, bilingual support, and curated events make it accessible to a broad range of creatives. The program is primarily self-funded but offers merit-based stipends to reduce participation costs for selected artists.

Yukon Arts Centre
Whitehorse, Canada
The Yukon Arts Centre offers multiple artist residency programs for visual arts, performing arts, film, music, and literary arts. Programs include the Jenni House Artist Residency (June-October , one-month residencies with $1,000 CAD honorarium), the Kluane National Park Artist Residency (two-week residencies June-August with $3,000 CAD honorarium and accommodations), and the @YAC Residency for performing arts. Residencies serve artists from the Yukon, northern regions, and circumpolar countries.
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Frequently asked questions
Are there really free theater residencies?
Yes. Fully funded residencies provide both accommodation and a stipend at no cost to the artist. These programs are typically supported by government arts funding, private foundations, or institutional endowments.
How do I find free theater residencies?
Browse our curated list above, each with real reviews from artists who attended. You can also filter by country or check each program's website for current application details and deadlines.
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