Verpėjos (The Spinners) is inviting interdisciplinary artists to a two-month artistic residency in the Kabeliai village in Lithuania from 1 July - 29 August 2024.
Verpėjos’ ‘Shepherds and Spindles’ residency project will invite interdisciplinary artists to work on their own proposed art research project within the given framework, conditions and aims: to explore and rethink the themes of traditional rural lifestyle and nature conservation, to empower discourse on processes and changes both locally and globally. The two selected artists will stay and work in a homestead with traditional log house, a courtyard, garden, and various outbuildings, living for two months together and sharing the responsibility of shepherding the herd of 50 sheep and including spinning wool in their artistic practice.
Artists are offered an authentic rural experience and the opportunity to work closely with the local people and neighbours: small farmers, naturalists and craftspeople, who will be happy to share their skills and knowledge.
Artists will be encouraged to commune not only with the villagers, animals, and plants around them but also between each other: the daily life and routines of the two artists living together will call for new forms of artistic inquiry and dialogues.
The mentors – professional artists from Verpėjos’ team will support the residents with connections to local community, help with their work, development of their artistic thinking and other work related issues, and organise artist talk events and artist workshops.
Verpėjos’ residency is designed to focus on the slow process of artistic research and the long-term value for the participating creators and audience. At the end of the residency, artists are not expected to have completed their art projects, but rather to have gained experiences, communities, and discoveries that will help them in their further creative work.
Each participant will receive a grant of 1500 EUR and a travel grant (to cover travel to residency and back from 350 EUR up to EUR 700, depending on distance and means of transportation).
Interdisciplinary artists are welcome to apply who legally reside in the following countries Creative Europe countries (including their Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) and (ORs) Outermost Regions of the European Union):
Albania, Austria, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia and Ukraine.
