ERIAC–DAAD Residency Programme for Arts and Media

Open Call
ERIAC–DAAD Residency Programme for Arts and Media 2025

The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) and the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program jointly announce the launch of the ERIAC–DAAD Residency Programme for Arts and Media. Starting in 2025, this multiannual initiative offers an annual one-month residency in Berlin for one artist or cultural practitioner with self-declared Roma identity. The programme builds on shared commitments to cultural equity and the empowerment of underrepresented voices in the international arts field.
Each year, the residency programme will focus on a different artistic field. The 2025 first edition focuses on practitioners working in fields such as visual arts, spatial practices, curatorial work, exhibition making, art in public spaces, design, and architecture.
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 (November 2025)
• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Stipend: EUR 3,000 (to cover all living costs, payable upon arrival to the residency)
• 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 artist (applicants have to make sure they can enter and legally reside in Germany)
• Public engagement: The residency includes the possibility of a public 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 artists or cultural practitioners with self-declared Roma identity.
• Eligible fields for 2025: visual arts, spatial practices, curatorial work, exhibition making, art in public spaces, design, architecture.
• Applications are open to practitioners at all stages of their careers, from emerging to established. While there is no age limit, special consideration will be given to young talents at the beginning of their careers. There are no geographical restrictions; applications are welcome from candidates worldwide.

Daniel Baker, Proximity, 2018. Enamel, white gold and gold leaf on plexiglass. Photo and courtesy of © Daniel Baker, from The Romani Cultural and Arts Company Archive

Selection
Applications will be reviewed by a jury of experts jointly convened by ERIAC and The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program. The jury meeting will take place in October 2025, and the selected applicant must be ready to travel to Berlin for the residency in November 2025.
Selection will be based on:
• 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:
1. Portfolio: applicants should submit either an artistic portfolio or a comprehensive list/documentation of curatorial projects. The portfolio should include a brief description of the theoretical frameworks guiding the applicant’s work or artistic practice. The programme is particularly interested in artistic positions that critically engage with historical questions as well as contemporary discourses.
2. Updated CV with contact details
3. Motivation letter: outlining plans for the residency and (optionally) reflecting potential ideas for a public intervention during the stay. (maximum 1 page)
4. Self-declared Roma identity: provide a brief written statement.
Please send your materials as PDF files to eriac@eriac.org with the subject line: DAAD-ERIAC residency 2025.

Deadline: 9 October 2025 (end of the day). Incomplete portfolios will not be taken into account.

Notification
Applicants will be notified of the jury’s decision in late October 2025. The residency is scheduled for November 2025, with the possibility of postponement to early December upon the applicant’s request and for justified reasons.

Contact
For questions regarding the open call and application process, please contact:
Emese Molnár at emese (dot) molnar (at) eriac (dot) org