ERIAC – DAAD Residency Programme 2026: LITERATURE
The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) and the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program jointly announce the second edition of the ERIAC–DAAD Residency Programme for Arts and Media. The first edition of the programme, launched in 2025, focused on the field of visual arts. Following an international open call, the jury selected artist and photographer Anita Horváth (Hungary), who undertook a one-month residency in Berlin. Building on this foundation, the 2026 edition turns to literature and literary practices, with a particular focus on Romani writers, poets, and literary voices.
The residency is developed in dialogue with ERIAC’s ongoing initiative to establish the Romani PEN, a transnational community of writers, poets, translators, journalists, and cultural practitioners committed to literature, linguistic diversity, and the protection of freedom of expression, at the same time dedicated to the promotion of Romani literature. In this context, the selected resident will have the opportunity to connect with emerging and established writers of Roma origin and to be introduced to a growing network of literary practitioners across Europe and beyond.
The residency provides time, space, mentoring, and institutional support for reflection, research, and networking in Berlin, as well as opportunities to connect with local and international professionals. It also offers the possibility for public engagement (e.g., an artist talk, exhibition, presentation, or performance). Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to already reflect on ideas for such an intervention during their stay in Berlin.
About DAAD and ERIAC
The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program is one of the most prestigious international scholarship programs for artists in the fields of visual arts, film, literature, and music. Its team is also responsible for the DAAD Arts and Media short term scholarships, funded by the Federal Foreign Office, supporting research and study visits to Germany by international cultural practitioners.
The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), founded in 2017, is a transnational organization promoting the artistic production, cultural heritage, and creative expression of Roma communities across Europe. ERIAC acts as a hub for Roma-led innovation in the visual and performing arts, literature, film, and cultural theory, and has played a leading role in presenting Roma culture at major international art events.
Residency Details
- Duration: 1 month (autumn 2026 – preferably September, exact dates to be confirmed with the selected applicant)
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Stipend: EUR 3,000 (to cover living costs, payable upon arrival to the resident)
- Travel costs: Travel must be organized individually, however, costs will be covered (calculation is flat-rate based depending on the country of origin, payable upon arrival)
- Housing: Must be arranged and covered independently by the artist from the stipend
- Visa and health insurance (if applicable): To be arranged and covered by the resident (applicants have to make sure they can enter and legally reside in Germany)
- Public engagement: The residency includes the possibility of a public literary event such as a talk, exhibition, or performance, hosted by the Artists-in-Berlin Programm at daadgalerie, alternatively at ERIAC. While the residency does not require the production or submission of a finished work. There is no obligation to present an artistic output at the end of the stay. However, the programme strongly encourages a form of public intervention, such as a talk, presentation, exhibition, or performance, developed in dialogue with the partners. The organizational and material costs (if any) of such an event may be supported by the programme in coordination with the organizers.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be writers or cultural practitioners with self-declared Roma identity.
- Eligible applicants include: fiction writers (novelists, short story writers, authors of children’s tales) and non-fiction authors (autobiographies, testimonies, reportage), poets and spoken word artists, playwrights and scriptwriters, essayists, and literary critics.
- Applicants must demonstrate: a coherent body of literary work or a clearly articulated literary project, engagement with writing as a primary practice, contribution to contemporary literary or cultural discourse.
Selection
Applications will be reviewed by a jury jointly convened by ERIAC and The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program.
Selection will be based on:
- Literary quality, originality, and strength of voice
- Coherence and development of the applicant’s work
- Relevance to the programme’s focus on Romani literary expression
- Motivation and proposed use of the residency
- Self-declaration of Roma identity
- Artistic excellence and originality
- Relevance to the goals of the residency programme
- Motivational statement
- Self-declaration of Roma identity
How to Apply
Your application (in English) must include:
- Writing sample / portfolio
– up to 15 pages of literary work (published or unpublished)
– excerpts from longer works are accepted
– for non-traditional formats, appropriate documentation - Updated CV with contact details
- Motivation letter ( maximum 1 page)
– outline your interest in the residency - Self-declared Roma identity: provide a brief written statement.
Please send your materials as PDF files to eriac (at) eriac (dot) org with the subject line: DAAD-ERIAC literary residency 2026.
Deadline: 3 June 2026, 17:00 CET. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Notification
Applicants will be informed of the jury’s decision approximately four weeks after the deadline. The selected applicant must be available during the proposed residency period.
Contact
For questions regarding the open call and application process, please contact:
Emese Molnár at emese (dot) molnar (at) eriac (dot) org
