The Creative Exchange Residency for Craft Practitioners by World Crafts Council Europe (WCCE) 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.
APPLICATION 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.
Workshop Attendance: Craft practitioners interested in attending already established workshops that last at least 7 days.
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.
RESIDENCY PROCESS
The individual stipend of 400 EURO 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.
Find more information on the residency in the Q&A document and join 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.
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 EURO 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
Apply here
Photo curtesy of Simone Philippou
