**OPEN CALL: Artist Residency Stories of Migration: Art, Resistance and Solidarity Across Borders**
Residency Dates: 23 February – 2 March 2026
Deadline to Apply: 2 January 2026
Location: Armaş Foundation (İzmit, near Istanbul, Turkey)
Stories of Migration is implemented by mezopArt and Hür Adalar (Turkey), together with New Women Connectors and BAK Basecamp (Netherlands), as part of the VAHA Programme.
About the Residency
We invite artists, storytellers, and creative practitioners with lived experiences of migration, displacement, or transnational belonging to apply for a one-week residency at Armaş Foundation (İzmit, near Istanbul).
This residency offers a collective space for artistic resistance, care, and solidarity, where participants explore storytelling as a way of reclaiming visibility, shaping collective memory, and connecting experiences across borders.
As part of the transnational project Stories of Migration: Art, Resistance and Solidarity Across Borders, the program connects Turkey-based artists with migration backgrounds to storytellers from the Netherlands to co-create new artistic expressions that challenge dominant narratives around migration and belonging.
Who Can Apply
We strongly encourage applications from women+, queer, and non-binary artists, and artists from underrepresented communities.
We welcome applications from:
- Artists with migration, refugee, or diasporic backgrounds, or those whose work engages with similar themes
- Individuals working in any artistic discipline: visual arts, performance, film, sound, music, literature, or new media
- Applicants based in Turkey at the time of the residency
- The working language of the residency will be English, and translation support will be provided when needed
Our selection process prioritizes diversity of perspectives and lived experiences.
What We Offer
Accommodation & Workspace
A one-week residency at Armaş Foundation, including accommodation and a shared workspace
Artist Fee
An artist fee to acknowledge participation and support basic production needs
Mentorship & Exchange
A collaborative environment with mentorship and exchange sessions supported by facilitators from mezopArt, Hür Adalar, New Women Connectors, and BAK Basecamp
Public Presentation
An opportunity to present your work publicly, followed by a joint presentation at BAK Basecamp in Utrecht, the Netherlands
Selection Criteria
Participants will be selected based on:
✓ Artistic approach and conceptual engagement with migration, resistance, and solidarity
✓ Openness to collaboration and collective storytelling
✓ Relevance to the themes and goals of the residency
✓ Willingness to share their process and reflections with peers and wider audiences
✓ A total of 3 artists will be selected for the residency.
How to Apply
Please submit the following materials (in English or Turkish) via the online form:
1. Short bio and artist statement
2. Motivation letter describing your interest in the residency
3. Portfolio (images or links to previous works)
Timeline
Application Deadline: 2 January 2026
Selected Artists Announced: January 2026
Residency Period: Late Feb – Early March 2026
Public Presentation (Turkey) + BAK Basecamp Utrecht Presentation: March 2026
Accessibility and Care
We are committed to providing a space built on care, respect, and accessibility
Translation and logistical support will be available as needed. If you have specific accessibility needs (including mobility or wheelchair access needs), please let us know, we will do our best to accommodate them within the possibilities of the venue.
We acknowledge that experiences of migration and displacement are deeply personal and may involve sensitive topics; therefore, optional reflection and peer-support spaces will be offered during the residency.
Partners
mezopArt (Turkey)
Hür Adalar (Turkey)
New Women Connectors (Netherlands)
BAK – Basecamp, Utrecht (Netherlands)
VAHA Program - VAHA is an initiative of Anadolu Kültür and zusa, funded by Stiftung Mercator and the European Cultural Foundation.
Contact
Email: mezopart.co@gmail.com
Apply here: https://forms.gle/JTgSSjgpyWuKkTit9
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