Creative Exchange Residency for Craft Practitioners 2023-25

World Craft Council Europe

“The Creative Exchange Residency for Craft Practitioners is Back! Now extended and more flexible, building on the experiences of over 20 previous exchanges.”

The Creative Exchange Residency for Craft Practitioners aims to foster a collaborative and open learning environment, encouraging craft practitioners to apply their unique skills and perspectives. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful exchanges, contributing to the rich tapestry of European craft knowledge and practice.

The call is open to professional craft practitioners of all levels from diverse regions across Europe, facilitating exchanges both between different countries and within different regions of the same country, encouraging a rich variety of knowledge-sharing experiences.

Whether you’re based in different countries or various regions within the same country, you can take part in this knowledge exchange. The roll-out call spans from November 2023 to December 2024, and the residency can take place between November 2023 and mid-February 2025, providing an extended application window and more opportunities for craft practitioners.

Each selected participant will receive a stipend of 400€ to facilitate their involvement. This stipend is intended to cover basic travel expenses and contribute to accommodation costs. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to proactively seek additional financial support by applying for an EU mobility grant or other applicable grants if they anticipate further funding needs.

Categories

Pair Exchange: A traditional two-week knowledge exchange and residency either all 14 days in-situ or a minimum of 7 days in-situ and the rest up to the 2 weeks online.
Established pairs of craft practitioners are encouraged to apply together. This category also has the flexibility to choose between 14 days face-to-face or a hybrid format with 7 days in person and the rest online (equivalent to 15 hours per week). Participants in this category should apply individually and add the name of the partner in the corresponding section and visit each other in their studios. Both persons in the pair are entitled to the full stipend. If you don’t have a partner, a dedicated closed Facebook group will be provided, monitored by the WCCE team, allowing you to explore potential exchange partners.

Workshop Attendance: Craft practitioners interested in attending already established workshops that last at least 7 days.
Participants in this category can apply and be eligible for a stipend if the established workshop has a minimum duration of 7 days in situ . For the remaining time applicants should propose a supplementary program to cover the remaining days (equivalent of 15 hours week). This could involve exploring local craftspeople and their workshops, local heritage, and unique materials in the region.

Group Exchange: Craft practitioners forming a group for a collective exchange either all 14 days in-situ or at least 7 days in-situ and the rest online.
Craft practitioners, 3 or up to 20, can form a group and apply together. This category also has the flexibility to choose between 14 days face-to-face or a hybrid format with at least 7 days in person and the rest up to 2 weeks online (equivalent to 15 hours per week). The group can create its own knowledge exchange in one place (e.g., one of the members of the group’s studio) based on craft discipline or the use of materials in different craft disciplines. All members of the group are individually eligible for the stipend.

Application Process

The individual stipend of 400€ per participant will be disbursed once the application is approved by WCCE. Participants will then be responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodation.

During the residency, participants are expected to actively engage in the exchange. The experience is intended to open up new learning opportunities and exchanges of knowledge at a transnational or transregional level as well as at an intergenerational level. With this in mind, we strongly encourage participants to develop a common project together. This could take the form of a collaborative craft object; a concept or a digital collaboration. The purpose is to produce something new that can help structure the residency exchange and potentially spark further collaboration into the future.

It’s important to note that WCCE will not be physically present during the residency; it’s a self-organised, open and collaborative interpersonal exchange. While WCCE will provide guidelines on organising the time together, participants are encouraged to take a creative approach to learning and sharing knowledge, finding synergies that suit their individual styles of working.

Participants will have one month after completing the residency to submit a report about their experience, incorporating written and photographic material.

Please find more information on the residency in our Q&A document and join us for an Informal online Q&A session with WCCE & past participants on 12 December at 17.00 CET, where we will share past experiences as well as answer your specific questions.

You can sign up for the Q&A session via Zoom here.

Timeline:
Roll-out call: November 2023 – December 2024
Informal online Q&A session with WCCE & past participants: 12 December 2023 at 17.00 CET
Residency Period: November 2023 – mid-February 2025

Eligibility:
professional craft practitioners of all levels across Europe

Financial Support:
400€ per participant, intended for travel and accommodation

Application Categories:
Pair Exchange (2 craftspeople)
Craft practitioners attending established workshops (1 craftsperson)
Group Exchange (3 or up to 20 craftspeople)

Format of residency:

14 days in person, a minimum of 7-days in person and the rest online in the minimum duration of 15 hours

Residency Process:
Stipend is disbursed upon application approval and a proof of travel documentation (bus / train / plane ticket etc.) is delivered to WCCE.
Participants arrange their own travel and accommodation.
Active engagement during the residency and development of a collaborative project.
Participants submit a report within one month of completing the residency.

Participants of the first Creative Exchange Residency for Craft Practitioners on the experience:

“Thanks to the program, we got the opportunity to exchange ideas and skills, and to implement the project for a joint exhibition. The time spent with my colleague was pleasant and useful for us.”

“This was a good opportunity to connect in person and to experience each other’s home and studio life and local environment. Though the time was very short, we have worked hard to make the best of it and packed in so much, we talked through several ideas to work on in the future.”

“It has been an experience to remember for a lifetime. The fact of leaving your comfort zone, adapting to another culture, speaking in another language and the workplace has brought about a qualitative change. In this way developing the resolution of problems that were arising.”

“This is a really great tool for connecting people and creating new collaboration!”

wcc-europe.org