The Villa

Villa Swagatam is a dynamic network of residencies designed to foster cultural exchange between France, India and the South Asia region. It spans a wide range of disciplines, with a particular focus on literature as well as arts and crafts.

After the resounding success of the first two editions of the programme, Villa Swagatam is proud to launch the third edition - with around thirty residency partners across France, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ! Our residency partners are some of the most distinguished cultural institutions and organisations in the domain of design, crafts and literature across France and South Asia, which provides fertile ground for unique creative collaborations at the intersection of artistic and literary traditions, techniques and perspectives from both regions.

'Swagatam' is the Sanskrit equivalent of the French 'Bienvenue' and reflects our desire to welcome dialogue, collaboration, and exchange. This philosophy is indeed at the core of the French cultural network, which aims to encourage bilateral cooperation. The residency model is particularly appealing as it allows for longer, deeper, and more meaningful collaborations between the literary and artistic traditions of the two regions.