Artistic-Research Residency Programme. Third Edition / 2025

The Warsaw Observatory of Culture (WOK) is pleased to announce the third edition of the WOK.residency programme. The experience gained so far confirms our conviction that it is worth continuing to accompany artists and researchers in their development and search for new ways of acting, offering them conditions for reflection and supporting the implementation of new ideas. In 2025, the keyword will be resilience, which we understand as the ability to adapt and be flexible in the face of the volatility, unpredictability and complexity of today’s world. By strengthening the individual practices of WOK.residencies participants, we aim to build the resilience of the arts and cultural community.

In these uncertain times, we want WOK to be a safe space that offers you the opportunity for deeper reflection, focus or experimentation, allows you to strengthen your artistic and research practice, and fosters the development of resources that can provide you with multi-dimensional and long-term support. Just as a vaccine strengthens the body’s immune system, we want the WOK.residency programme to enhance artistic and research practitioners to meet the challenges they face and to cope with sudden changes in their environment.

The WOK.residency can be a process of building resilience in your artistic or research work, enabling you to:

• reflect and experiment to find models of working that support resilience;
• identify your own ‘powers’ and nurture resources that will strengthen you in the long term;
• develop community practices and support networks in areas close to you, including through participation in a residential programme with others.

We remain committed to creating a comfortable and flexible environment for the development (and respite) of Residency Fellows without the requirement to produce work – this is particularly important in the context of the frequent pressures for productivity in artistic and research fields. At WOK, we strive to find new systemic solutions and rely on collaborations based on relationships rather than procedures. We want to support practices, partnerships, and long-term processes, without requiring events or the creation of works.

We offer residency participants a unique opportunity to explore new ways of developing their artistic and research practices.

We want to create flexible conditions to best meet the needs of the residents.

We want to support the artistic and research community and help participants to focus on the qualitative aspect of their work.

Individuals who wish to strengthen current and explore new ways in their professional lives of examining their artistic practices and research paths and to explore potential new transdisciplinary connections are particularly encouraged to apply.

We invite those living in Warsaw to participate in the programme:

• artists;
• researchers;
• artistic, research or activist duos and collectives.

• Participation in the programme can last from 5 to 6 months, depending on individual needs.
• The programme is open to adults. Applicants are not restricted by professional status, nationality, religion, background, gender or physical ability.
• Selection will be based on the quality of the applications submitted and the ability to implement the processes related to WOK.
• The programme supports the practice, reflection and collaboration of the participants in the residencies without requiring the realisation of works and events.
• Once participants have been selected, the modalities of their participation in the residency and the areas of support will be worked out with the programme leaders.
• Residency participants will be required to attend collaborative meetings and will be asked to write a summary of the process at the end of the residency.

We understand that preparing an application is work, so we want to make your application to the programme as easy as possible. All you need to do is complete a short application form and attach your portfolio/curriculum vitae in PDF format (10MB max.). If for any reason you are unable to apply online, please contact us by phone or email and we will work with you to find a solution. This request also applies to any other questions about the residency programme.

The residency programme includes regular group meetings and support for the individual processes of each participant, according to their needs and capacities, arising from the specificities of their artistic and research practice and their current life situation.

Individuals, duos and collectives invited to participate in the programme will receive:

• a grant of PLN 10,000 gross per person, payable in four instalments;
• a process development budget of up to PLN 5,000 gross (may be used for expert, technical, production, psychological, or specialist support, purchase of materials, etc.), to be agreed upon in detail with the invited persons;
• substantive support from WOK, agreed based on the individual needs of each person participating in the programme;
• the possibility of using WOK workspace according to individual needs and availability;
• process support in the form of joint workshop meetings;
• childcare for those who need it to attend meetings.

Residencies at WOK are based on developing and supporting artists and researchers according to their needs. Based on previous experience, we create spaces and situations that support the professional and personal development of artists and researchers. The residency formula allows for the exchange of practices and knowledge, offers time and a safe space to deepen selected themes and mutual inspiration, aims to strengthen the participants and allows us to build a relationship with the institution-organiser – this is our answer to the deficiencies felt in the creative and research communities. The programme supports collaborations and artistic and research processes, without requiring the realisation of events or the creation of works.

WOK is an urban cultural institution. We exist to observe phenomena and processes in contemporary society. We combine knowledge and experience to translate them into actions that allow us to better understand the world and shape the future.