🏛️Historic Town Residencies
14 historic town residencies
Residencies in historic towns and villages — centuries of culture as your backdrop.

A|S Boutique Residence
La Habana, Cuba
A|S Boutique Residence is a luxury artist residency program located in a privately owned 5-star boutique hotel in the heart of UNESCO World Heritage site Old Havana, Cuba. Created by Amsterdam-based owner and artist Andre Visser and his partner Sandy Solano, the program offers emerging and established artists an unparalleled artistic experience in one of the world's most creative neighborhoods. The residency provides luxury accommodations in a meticulously restored 19th-century palatial mansion featuring 9 luxury suites, Art Gallery HAV, organic restaurant, and tropical garden patios. The program includes curated workshops with local artists, studio visits with contemporary Cuban artists and curators, museum visits, and collaborative opportunities, culminating in exhibitions at the on-site art gallery.

Art Futures
Athens, Netherlands
The Art Futures Fellowship is a prestigious program located in Athens, Greece, with an additional residency in Zutphen, the Netherlands. The fellowship aims to foster inclusive, socially engaged artistic practices. The program offers two-month residencies in fully equipped studio-apartments in both locations. It is open to artists from all disciplines, providing an immersive experience to create and showcase their work. Selected artists will have opportunities to engage with local contexts and participate in exhibitions, workshops, and symposia. Art Futures prioritizes sustainability and collaboration, facilitated by Research Fellow Georgios Papadopoulos in Athens and Artistic Director Marlise van der Jagt in Zutphen.

Banditto
Montefollonico, Italy
The Banditto Residency, hosted by Banditto Art in the picturesque town of Montefollonico, Tuscany, represents a unique blend of cultural immersion and artistic development. Designed for artists of all disciplines seeking to push the boundaries of their work, the residency provides a 10-day stay in a private Galleria, along with a 500 euro travel allowance, accommodation for two, and transport. The aim is to offer artists not just a space to create but an experience enriched by the Tuscan landscape, local cuisine, and community. Participants enjoy the solitude needed to focus on their work while also having the chance to engage with the local culture and international art community. The program covers administrative costs through a $49 application fee and celebrates creativity by awarding both a Main Art Prize and an Emerging Art Prize. Through its commitment to nurturing talent, the Banditto Residency opens doors for artists to share their work with a wider audience and deepen their artistic practice in an inspiring setting.

bEam arts International Artist Residency
Thessaloniki, Greece
bEam arts runs an international artist residency and gallery in Thessaloniki supporting a vibrant studio practice. Residents receive an individual studio space within a communal environment, with 24/7 access via personal key, regular one-to-one support, technical and curatorial assistance, and visits to local institutions and studios. The program culminates in a curated group exhibition and may include previews. Artists are encouraged to propose site-specific projects, presentations, and workshops, with critiques and promotion through digital platforms to extend visibility.

Contact Darkroom Residency
Totnes, United Kingdom
Contact Darkroom offers a resource-based, self-directed photographic residency with daily access to fully equipped colour and black-and-white darkrooms, a dedicated workshop room, and an open gallery space. The program supports immersive, hands-on making for emerging and established artists across photography, film, and lens-based practice, with scope for interdisciplinary and alternative processes. Located in the South Hams, Devon, the residency environment of rivers, hills, and coastline encourages reflection, experimentation, and connection to place. Optional add-ons such as workshops, guided walks, excursions, and local gallery visits can be arranged, fostering engagement with the local cultural landscape.

Dar Meso
Tunis, Tunisia
Dar Meso is an artist residency located in the heart of the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia, offering a unique environment that fosters creativity and cultural exchange. The residency hosts a variety of programs, including the Writing Residency and Babbasawt Sound Lab, which cater to different artistic disciplines such as writing, music, and sound art. The residency provides private workspaces, communal areas, and access to specialized workshops like ceramics and sound labs. Dar Meso emphasizes collaboration, intercultural exchange, and the development of innovative artistic projects. The residency is fully funded for selected participants, covering accommodation, a daily allowance, and a travel stipend. Dar Meso supports artists by offering a tranquil space to focus on their work while encouraging cultural interaction within a vibrant, historic setting.
Kristinestad Artists' Residency
Kristinestad, Finland
Kristinestad Artists' Residency is a non-profit, artist/volunteer-run program anchored in the community of Kristinestad on Finland's west coast. The residency encourages reflection on local and Finnish contexts, welcoming practitioners in visual arts, craft, design, music, writing, and research. Residents focus on studio work in a calm setting with support from hosts and local partners, optional exhibition and event possibilities, and opportunities for community interaction. The preserved wooden town, craft traditions, and Baltic environment provide a rich context for site-responsive and material-focused practices.

Kulturfactory
Domicella, Italy
Kulturfactory Residency, hosted at the historic Villa Santa Maria in Domicella, Italy, provides artists with an immersive environment to explore innovative and multidisciplinary art forms. Situated in a scenic region between the Vesuvio and Vallo di Lauro, the residency encourages artists to engage with nature and local culture while developing their projects. The program is open to practitioners across performance, music, film, literature, theater, and other creative fields, inviting both established and emerging artists to explore radical expressions. Kulturfactory’s unique approach combines independent creation with collaborative exchange, aiming to stimulate dialogue across diverse practices. The residency includes comfortable accommodations, expansive rehearsal spaces, and shared facilities such as a library and meditation room, fostering a sense of community among residents. Artists are encouraged to interact with the local community and participate in cultural programming, workshops, and events. Kulturfactory values experimentation and seeks to build lasting connections with its artists, supporting future collaborations. This artist-run, non-profit initiative is dedicated to nurturing boundary-pushing artistic research and interdisciplinary encounters.

La Napoule Art Foundation (LNAF)
Mandelieu-La Napoule, France
La Napoule Art Foundation (LNAF) offers prestigious international residencies at the historic Château de La Napoule in the Côte d’Azur, France. Open to artists of all disciplines and nationalities, the residency provides a unique environment that fosters artistic creation, cultural exchange, and community building. Residents are housed in the Villa Marguerite, which offers private rooms with baths, and stunning views of the sea or gardens. Each resident is provided with a studio space and a stipend, and is encouraged to engage with other artists during communal meals and activities. The residency supports artistic practice through focused work time and provides opportunities for cultural enrichment in one of France’s most artistically inspiring regions. The International Artist Residency takes place twice a year, with additional specific programs for Canadian artists and filmmakers.
Lakkos
Heraklion, Greece
The Lakkos Artist Residency in Heraklion, Crete, is an artist-run program offering a peaceful yet vibrant environment for creatives. Located in the historic old town, the residency hosts up to two artists at a time, providing private accommodations and studio spaces. The residency encourages self-directed projects across various disciplines, from visual arts and writing to performance and ceramics. Residents can explore collaborations with the local community, contributing to the revitalization of the Lakkos neighborhood. With flexible stays starting from two weeks, the program provides a supportive space for independent creation in a culturally rich urban setting. Artists enjoy access to a lively arts scene, local markets, and historic landmarks, all within a short walk from the residency.

Loghaven
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Loghaven Artist Residency is an international opportunity designed for artists of all backgrounds and at any stage of their career, offering time, space, resources, and fostering relationships in an extraordinary environment in Knoxville, Tennessee. Emphasizing artistic excellence and creative potential, Loghaven champions diversity, inviting a wide array of artists excluding those in degree-seeking programs or living within 120 miles of Knoxville. This residency stands out not only for its commitment to supporting artists through financial means—including an $850 weekly living stipend, travel subsidies, and material shipping reimbursements—but also by facilitating connections with both peers and experts in the field.
Pottery Farm Gallery Residency
Gers (near Toulouse), France
Pottery Farm Gallery offers short, focused residencies for creative professionals across disciplines. Located in the countryside with panoramic views of the Pyrenees, the retreat provides a calm, distraction-free environment with a mix of private rooms and shared/individual workspaces. Residents can work independently in the Studio Gallery, the secluded Pigeon Coop, or outdoor areas across the farm. The program emphasizes self-directed practice, reflection, and project development.

Villa Oasis Collective
Ulsan, South Korea
Villa Oasis Collective is an independent curating brand established with years of experience in exhibition and cultural programming, creating a new platform for artistic collaboration and presentation. The residency programs take place in a 100-year-old traditional Korean Hanok building in Ulsan, Korea. The collective invites artists to join special residency and exhibition programs, focusing on artists with solo exhibition experience who are debuting in Korea for the first time. The program is open to all artistic fields and genres, providing accommodation, studio space, K-tufting education, and exhibition support. Villa Oasis Collective aims to welcome artists who will bring their unique artistic language to Ulsan and collaborate through the platform, offering artists the opportunity to 'feel alive in the oasis' while introducing new perspectives through artistic collaboration.

Virreina
Oicatá, Boyacá, Colombia
Virreina's LOMA SERENA residency program is aimed at artists, writers, curators, cultural managers, filmmakers, architects, and designers whose practice is critically engaged with the cultural sector. The program fosters exploration and collective questioning, offering participants space to rethink possibilities of exhibition, circulation, production, and development of both material and theoretical projects while immersing in an experience tailored to the local cultural ecosystem. Located in the Oicatá valley in Boyacá, one of the most emblematic regions of the Cundiboyacense highlands, the residency takes place in a colonial-style house with three internal courtyards surrounded by large green areas. Participants have access to workshop areas equipped for large-scale work and a 5-hectare complex ideal for agricultural work. The program includes field trips to locations offering creative possibilities from lagoons and deserts to artisan workshops and gastronomic events, plus studio visits with regional cultural agents.