OPEN CALL: ART CONNECT RESIDENCY

Location: Kino Úsmev, Mäsiarska 35, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia

Residency Period: 1 March – 29 May 2027 (90 days, continuous)

Places Available: 4

Application Deadline: 27 September 2026, 23:59 CEST (reviewed on a rolling basis)

CINEFIL invites visual artists, including digital arts, and/or writers to apply for a fully funded 90-day residency at a cultural centre Kino Úsmev in Košice, Slovakia. The residency provides dedicated time, space, and mentorship to explore a new concept and create a new piece of artistic or cultural work. 

Applications are assessed as they arrive and places are filled on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as early as possible using a form available at this link.

Basic Information

Art Connect Residency offers four creatives dedicated time, space and mentorship at an independent cultural centre in eastern Slovakia. The two objectives of the residency are to explore – to conduct artistic research, investigate and work on a specific theme or new concept – and to create – to engage in a creative process leading to a new piece of artistic or cultural work.

Residents work independently and in dialogue with the local environment and with our team, and The residency concludes with a public presentation (e.g., exhibition, reading, discussion) to share the process with local audiences. Residents need to be present in person for the entire duration of their stay.

Note: The residency is not intended for presenting existing work only, and it cannot form part of an academic degree or post-graduate qualification.

Host Organisation

CINEFIL is a civic association that revitalised Kino Úsmev – a historic 1922 building – into a thriving independent cultural centre in 2016. Our mission focuses on audience development, inclusion, and creating a safe community space. We have run an international residency programme since 2019, hosting 35+ creators to date. Our venue features two cinema halls, an underground black room, a café/bar, and outdoor terraces. We host daily workshops, masterclasses, concerts, and literary events. We received the SozialMarie Prize (2022) and a Zero Project nomination (2025) for our accessibility efforts. We have implemented major international projects supported by Creative Europe, EEA & Norway Grants, and UNICEF.

Location

Košice is Slovakia's eastern cultural capital. It is a walkable, highly diverse city shared by Slovak, Hungarian, Roma, and Ukrainian communities, providing a deeply stimulating creative environment.

What We Provide

This residency is funded under the Culture Moves Europe scheme. Grant amounts are fixed by the programme and are paid directly to residents.

• Daily Allowance: 30 € per day for subsistence (food, local transport). 

• Travel Allowance: 400 € (under 5,000 km) or 800 € (from 5,000 km). Residents travelling less than 600 km must use green transport unless a disability prevents it or they reside on/travel to an island accessible only by air. 

Travel and medical insurance are not included and remain the responsibility of the selected residents.

Top-ups (if applicable):

• Green mobility: 400 € for trips over 600km not using airplanes.

• OCT/OR: 175 € for residents legally residing in an eligible Overseas Country or Territory or Outermost Region. 

• Visa: 120 € if you need a visa to enter Slovakia. 

• Family: 200 € per child under 18. 

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Accessibility support (if applicable):

• Resident’s accessibility support: 1,200 €

• Non-professional support: 6,800 € or professional services (reimbursed based on formal invoices). I.e. personal assistant, sign language interpreter.

• Supporting medical or official documentation is required (needs to be uploaded with the application, either a disability ID, official statement from a government authority that confirms a disability or signed and dated medical certificate by a qualified professional).

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Host Support Includes:

• Private, accessible accommodation in central Košice (private bedroom, fast internet, dedicated workspace, equipped kitchen). 

• Working space at Kino Úsmev, including access to exhibition rooms and technical equipment. 

• A dedicated CINEFIL mentor for artistic and strategic guidance. 

• Promotional support, production assistance, and networking introductions to the local cultural scene. 

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Who Can Apply

Open to emerging and established artists and/or cultural professionals (visual arts, digital arts, literature) of any nationality. You must: 

• Legally reside in a Creative Europe country other than Slovakia. (Slovak citizens living abroad are eligible; anyone residing in Slovakia is not). 

• Be 18 or older (no upper age limit). 

• Be available for the full 90 days (1 March – 29 May 2027). 

• Be able to work in English. 

Note: Artists in exile legally residing in a Creative Europe country with refugee/humanitarian status are warmly encouraged to apply.

You are NOT eligible if:

• You are receiving travel/accommodation funding from another EU programme for the same dates/project.

• You are employed by the Goethe-Institut, EU institutions, or the Culture Moves Europe evaluation pool.

• You have already been selected for a Culture Moves Europe Residency Host project from 2025 onwards.

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Timeline

• 15 September 2026: Open call announced.

• 15 – 27 September 2026: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

• 27 September 2026 (23:59 CEST): Call closes (or earlier if all 4 places fill).

• By 29 September 2026: Applicants notified; selected residents confirm documentation.

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How to Apply

Apply via this form: https://bit.ly/ArtConnectResidency. Submit the following in English: 

• Short bio (max 100 words);

• CV (1 page, PDF);

• Project description outlining what you will explore and create (max 500 words). 

• Artistic portfolio (PDF, video, images, or website link; max 10 MB). 

• Proof of legal residence (dated within 12 months)

• Copy of your ID (any language). 

• confirmation that you are available for the whole period 1 March – 29 May 2027;

• a note of any accessibility needs, and of any top-ups you expect to claim (green travel, visa, children under 18, OCT/OR).

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Selection Process 

A committee of independent cultural professionals and our team assesses applications based on: 

• Artistic quality;

• Relevance to the "explore and create" objectives;

• Feasibility within 90 days at Kino Úsmev;

• Potential for exchange with the local scene. 

We apply strict inclusion principles and consider overall diversity, gender balance, and geographical spread. In selecting the group of four, the committee also considers the overall diversity, gender balance and range of countries and disciplines represented. Discrimination on any ground – gender, race, origin, language, religion, political opinion, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other – is excluded, and all activities respect the values of the European Union.

Contact

Natália Centková, Project Manager – natalia@kinousmev.sk

The Art Connect Residency is implemented by CINEFIL at Kino Úsmev, Košice, and supported by Culture Moves Europe, a mobility scheme funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.