Currently 9 active funded artist residencies open to applicants in Switzerland, across AI, arts, film, journalism, research, tech and cross-disciplinary practice. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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TaDA (Textile and Design Alliance) invites artists, designers, architects, writers, performers and interdisciplinary practitioners to a three-month residency in Arbon, Eastern Switzerland, developing new work through direct collaboration with regional textile companies and research institutions. Applicants do not need to identify as textile artists; the programme welcomes practitioners from multiple disciplines who want to work with textile technology, materials and know-how. Six residents are selected annually by jury for one of two 2027 periods (April-June or September-November). Residents develop a new project in cooperation with local textile companies, present their work publicly and organise workshops. SUPPORT: accommodation, travel expenses, contribution to living costs, workspace at the Kreativzentrum ZIK, and access to the expertise and infrastructure of 13 partner companies. Applicants should identify specific TaDA partners whose expertise contributes directly to the proposal. Apply via the online form. DEADLINE: 12 August 2026, 23:59 CEST; selection results announced early November 2026.
The fifth iteration of transmediale's Digital Art Residency, run with the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, awarded to one individual or collective working in digital art practices at the intersection of media arts, performance, sound and moving image. THEME: the 2027 programme sits under transmediale's 40th-anniversary framework RFC 40, named after the early internet Request for Comments series, and treats the festival as a counter-infrastructure: the call asks how a network stays legible to itself while surrounding structures break down, and how technical paradigms can be reconfigured into new cultural protocols outside extractive logics, moving from critique to construction. Proposals should offer alternatives to how we understand, respond to and shape the technological conditions we inhabit. WHAT IS OFFERED: an artist fee of CHF 2,000 per month for two months; a CHF 15,000 production grant supporting a new work or the continuation of an existing project, open to all formats and building on the research begun during the residency (the project must be completed by December 2027 at the latest); travel and accommodation for the festival and the residency; a shared modular working space at transmediale studio; connections to Berlin institutions and stakeholders; a public presentation in transmediale's year-round studio programme; and the option of an online publication in transmediale's journal. STRUCTURE: kick-off with a presentation of the residency projects during transmediale 2027 (26 to 31 January 2027, attendance optional but strongly recommended); onboarding and the first hybrid stretch in May 2027; the mandatory on-site month in Berlin in June 2027; and a second hybrid stretch including reporting in July 2027. Availability for the festival week and for the whole of June in Berlin are treated as key prerequisites. TIMELINE: open call 16 July to 28 August 2026 (23:59 CEST); selected residents announced October 2026. Applications are only accepted via transmediale's submission forms. Contact: info[at]transmediale.de.
Residency for writers and translators at the Jan Michalski Foundation in Montricher, Switzerland, set in seven distinctive 'cabin' modules hanging from an openwork canopy, offering conditions to start, continue or finish a writing project. Around forty authors from around the world (emerging to established) are hosted each year. Open to all kinds of writing and all languages, with priority given to literary writers and translators; other disciplines are welcome as long as literature is at the heart of the project. Residencies are for individuals or pairs working on a common project (e.g. a writer and a translator). A percentage of residencies are dedicated to nature writing. WHAT IS PROVIDED: a private cabin for independent living (a separate cabin per person for pairs; one accessible cabin for reduced mobility), travel costs to and from home, a weekly allowance of CHF 400, breakfast and lunch, electric bikes, and daytime library access. ELIGIBILITY: no age or nationality restrictions; beginners accepted; one application per year; former residents may not reapply (families, children and pets cannot be accommodated). Stays cannot be split into multiple periods. Selection is by a panel chaired by Vera Michalski-Hoffmann, assessing the literary quality of the project, the candidate's background, and whether the stay length matches the project scope. APPLICATION: online in English or French (work excerpts may be in any language); the 2027 form is open 2 June to 31 August 2026; selected candidates announced December 2026.
The Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) invites applications for its 2027 Artists in Residence program, fostering artistic exchange in key areas of current research. Residencies are available in five themes: Spatial Audio; Klavierautomat (algorithmic composition); Moving Loudspeakers; Dance and Generative AI; and Object Performance. The program offers access to ICST's facilities and technical infrastructure, professional support from researchers, and per diems for meals and accommodation. Artists and musicians working with sound and sound media, whose practice reflects a strong interest in one of the listed research areas, are encouraged to apply. One selected project from the Spatial Audio Residency will be featured at the SONIC MATTER Festival 2028 as part of an ongoing partnership. PRACTICAL: residencies include use of facilities and technical infrastructure as specified in the thematic descriptions, plus technical support by ICST research staff. Participants receive a contribution toward travel to Zurich (up to CHF 300 for persons living in Europe, up to CHF 500 for persons living outside Europe) and a per diem to cover meals and accommodation in Zurich; participants organise their own travel and accommodation, with ICST assistance if required. Residency dates are defined individually. APPLICATION: submitted via the online form, uploading a concept sketch, composition idea or project draft (PDF, 2 pages, 10 MB max); a portfolio of three selected works relevant to the residency topic including links to external audio and video (PDF, 2 pages, 10 MB max); and a tabular CV covering education and career (PDF, 1 page, 10 MB max). The residencies are awarded by a jury of ICST researchers and project leaders. TIMELINE: deadline 1 September 2026 at 24:00 CET; candidates notified mid-October 2026. Selected candidates receive forms required for an invitation to Switzerland and must confirm participation and return completed forms within 10 days or the invitation may be withdrawn.
Pro Helvetia's Writing in Residency programme provides residency opportunities (for example Traduki in Southeast Europe or Art Omi) for authors and translators to develop or research projects. Applicants must have prior professionally published work. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. WHAT IS OFFERED: travel and accommodation costs (varying by destination), plus childcare support of up to CHF 1,000 per month for applicants with caregiving responsibilities. Submission deadline 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.
Stichting Stokroos funds a three-month reflective residency at Fundaziun Nairs in Scuol, Switzerland, for one selected visual artist, designer or craft practitioner (overlap possible). Both emerging and established makers may apply. Stokroos covers full accommodation and meals directly with Fundaziun Nairs and provides a discretionary EUR 7,000 budget for living, travel and production. The application should include a proposal that engages specifically with the residency, its Alpine surroundings and/or its historical and cultural context. Eligibility: you completed your first subject-specific (vocational or higher) programme in 2022 or earlier, or have an equivalent established practice, or started without formal training (first presentation marks the start of your practice); at least 21 years old; living and working in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including its Caribbean parts) or Suriname for at least one year; not currently enrolled in a study or post-academic programme. Applications are individual only; duos and collectives cannot apply. Makers already selected by Fundaziun Nairs may still apply if they meet the criteria. You may submit only one application per year across all Stokroos grants, and must not have received a Seed Grant rejection in the previous calendar year. Apply via the online form (Dutch or English) with a portfolio PDF up to 20 pages, optional video up to 10 minutes total, CV up to 2 pages, and work/plan descriptions up to 2,500 characters each. Selection includes an introductory interview with up to three candidates; Stokroos aims to respond within 8 weeks. No appeal is possible. Application window: 1 to 11 September 2026. More information at nairs.ch.
Translators' residency at Uebersetzerhaus Looren in Wernetshausen near Zurich. Looren offers a free residency for literary translators with a current contract, including six competitive CHF 4,000 stipend grants per year tied to one-month residencies. The Pro Helvetia residency programme (separately funded) has a 2026-10-15 deadline for 2027 stays. The James Joyce Scholarship and Looren Residency 2027 closes 2026-10-31. General free residencies are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. ELIGIBILITY: literary translators with substantial published work and a current translation contract; any language combination is welcome. Apply via the application page on looren.net. No application fee.
The Basel House of Film, run by the Verein Filmhaus Basel und Umgebung, offers a three month residency for emerging artists working in film and television. Residents receive housing at the Filmhaus in the Basel old town plus a stipend to cover travel and living costs. There is no obligation to produce work, and residents can use the open schedule to write a script, prepare a film, draw storyboards, or edit. The facility includes a clubhouse, meeting room, office space, a small cinema with VR equipment, and an editing and grading suite. The program targets up and coming filmmakers, and both national and international applicants are welcome. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the online form, followed by a CV, motivation letter, and portfolio sent to the residency email.
Pro Helvetia offers a two- to four-week research trip to one or more regions in Switzerland for cultural practitioners from the regions of its liaison offices: the Arab region, East Asia, South America, South Asia and Vietnam, and West, Central, East and Southern Africa. Applicants active in any of the disciplines supported by Pro Helvetia are welcome, and applications from both individuals and artist duos are accepted. SELECTION CRITERIA: permanent residence in one of the liaison-office regions and active participation in the respective cultural scene; a comprehensive portfolio and proven track record of professional activity in the applicant's field; strong professional interest in the selected destination connected to the applicant's artistic practice and to networking with the local cultural field; a concrete research topic that can deepen exchange between the cultural scenes of Switzerland and the applicant's country of residence; and knowledge of English or one of the Swiss languages. For environmental reasons, applicants are asked to consider a travel duration of at least two weeks. WHAT IS OFFERED: accommodation, travel costs, and daily allowances, plus a coach (a cultural professional from the local artistic field) to facilitate networking and exchange; artists with childcare responsibilities can apply for up to CHF 1,000 per month toward childcare or children's travel expenses (a budget must be presented in advance). EXCLUSIONS: applicants from countries outside the Pro Helvetia liaison offices' area of responsibility may not apply, and Pro Helvetia cannot consider requests from applicants enrolled in a school, university curriculum, basic training, or education programme. APPLICATION: submit a title and brief description of the proposal; a motivation explaining the professional interest and artistic research in the selected destination; the desired length of stay and destination; and a CV and portfolio. All applications must be submitted in English. KEY DATES: submissions accepted year-round; notification of decision eight weeks after submitting; earliest project start three months after application. Pro Helvetia assumes no responsibility for the approval of visa applications. Apply via the Pro Helvetia application portal.