Villa Swagatam is a network of 29 residencies spread across India & France, each of which will host a resident for a period of at least one month. The residents will be selected via a common, annual call for applications.
Each residency in this network is embedded in its unique context and focuses on two thematics - Literature, and Arts & Crafts. The residency conditions and eligibility criteria for each space are different. Please refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies for more details.
Any French national (irrespective of their current country of residence), or any resident of France for at least 5 years (irrespective of their nationality), is eligible to apply. Applications are only open to individuals - duos and/or groups will not be considered.
Any Indian national (irrespective of their current country of residence), or any resident of India for at least 5 years (irrespective of their nationality), is eligible to apply. Applications are only open to individuals - duos and/or groups will not be considered.
For literary residencies, candidates need to have at least one published work to be able to apply.
Candidates must be at least 18 years old at the time of sending their application. There is no upper age limit per se unless explicitly indicated in the individual presentation of one of the 29 residencies.
While students are eligible to apply, one of the evaluation criteria will be the candidates’ portfolio. Hence, students are requested to apply only if their portfolio includes a substantial body of work and if they can be involved in the residency full-time.
It is mandatory to be available on-site for the activities of the residency for the complete duration of your stay in the residency space. Candidates are requested to refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies as the duration of the stay is different across residency spaces.
Our programme is open to all. However, candidates are requested to refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies for more details about each space. Applicants may face mobility or access-related issues in certain residency spaces.
Proficiency in English is essential for both residencies, in India and in France.
Submit your application via the “Candidater” button. Applications received via any other means [email, dropbox etc.] will not be considered.
Your application must be in English.
The deadline to submit applications is midnight [ Central European Summer Time ] on May 31st, 2024 [ Friday ]. However, we strongly encourage you to submit your application as much in advance of the deadline as possible. Any application received after the deadline will not be considered.
You can apply to a maximum of 3 residencies from India or France in a given year. In case you are applying to more than one residency for a particular year:
We encourage you to think about your project - what are your goals and how are they connected to the context of a specific city or region and to a particular thematic [ Literature, Arts & Crafts ]. These reflections will help you choose an appropriate residency.
The Villa Swagatam call for application is launched annually in May. It consists of a single call for application for candidates applying to the Indian and French residencies.
You will need to submit the following documents in English when you fill out your application form:
Apart from these documents, you will be asked to reflect upon & submit short texts in English [ maximum 250 words each ] on:
Any incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications in French will not be accepted.
You will be selected for only one Villa Swagatam residency in a given year.
You can work on new ideas or continue to develop one of your existing projects in the framework of the residency. It is up to you to decide how the Villa Swagatam residency will help you achieve your goals.
The applications received will be assessed across 3 criteria:
Note: We will also take into account inclusion, diversity, and parity between genders among the successful candidates. Eco-responsible projects are strongly encouraged.
The decision about the chosen residents will be final & binding.
The names of the residents will be published on the IFI website in early July.
Please refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies. The presentation outlines the output expected at the end of your residency (if any).
Please refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies. In most cases, the exact start date and end date are already mentioned. In some cases, the residency space has indicated the period during which it can host a resident - the exact dates will be determined by the residency space once the resident has been selected.
The residencies are designed for individual applications. If you wish your partner to travel with you on the residency, you will have to make the necessary arrangements for travel, accommodation, food, etc.. outside of the residency space. All the related expenses shall be borne by you. Moreover, the accompanying partner will not be able to participate in the activities organized by IFI or the residency for the resident.
The resident is responsible for submitting all the required documents in time to obtain a visa. IFI will provide assistance if any problem occurs and will reimburse the business visa fees for the selected residents.
The resident is responsible for applying for, obtaining, and paying for any relevant insurance for the entire duration of their stay in India. We urge you to:
Please refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies which highlight basic information about the kind of resources you will have access to. Once a resident has been shortlisted, they will be put in touch with the relevant residency so that they can coordinate on this front.
Please refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies - the accommodation and studio space (if any) are different for each residency.
Please refer to the individual presentations of the 29 residencies - each residency space has different expectations in terms of public-facing events. In general, a resident should be prepared to allocate a maximum of 20% of their time in a residency space to such activities.
For any queries, please contact [email protected]