FAQs

Villa Swagatam is a network of 16 residencies spread across India, 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 one of three thematics - Literature, Performing Arts, Arts & Crafts. The residency conditions and eligibility criteria for each space are different. Please refer to the individual presentations of the 16 residencies for more details on this front.

Questions Related to Eligibility

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.

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 16 residencies.

While students are eligible to apply, one of the evaluation criteria used to select candidates will be their 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 16 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 16 residencies. Unfortunately, it is likely that you will face mobility or access related issues in certain residency spaces.

Proficiency in English is essential.

Questions Related to Application

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 / heure d'été d'Europe centrale ] on June 5, 2023 [ Monday ]. 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 in a given year. In case you are applying to more than one residency for a particular year:

  • Please fill the ‘Candidater’ form only once. Choose all the residencies you wish to apply to [ maximum 3 ] in the same attempt [ instead of filling the form multiple times ]
  • Please indicate your order of preference for the residencies you are applying to

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, Performing Arts, Arts & Crafts ]. These reflections will help you choose an appropriate residency.

Yes, please have the following documents ready in English when you fill your application form:

  • A literary / artistic portfolio including texts, visuals and/or links;
  • A detailed CV;
  • Any other relevant documents that you may wish to share [ Maximum 3. For example: certificates, recommendation letter, press reviews etc. ]

Apart from these documents, you will be asked to reflect upon & submit short texts in English [ maximum 250 words each ] on:

  • your motivation for applying to become a resident of Villa Swagatam in India
  • brief description of the project you wish to work on [ its nature, contours etc. ]
  • the correlation between the project you wish to work on and the residency space you are applying for
  • the correlation between the project you wish to work on and your current professional activity or your overall literary/artistic trajectory

Any incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications in French will not be accepted.

Please note that the form does not auto-save your responses. Hence, we recommend that you prepare all the elements [short texts, files to be attached (CV, portfolio etc.)] in advance and submit them in a single session. Once submitted, an application cannot be modified

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 to achieve your goals.

The applications received will be assessed across 3 criteria:

  • Convincing track record of prior literary / artistic activity
  • Context-related motivation
    • Projects which demonstrate the need to travel to India & to the specific residency space
    • The candidate’s desire to engage with the local cultural ecosystem of their chosen residency space
  • Concrete project with a lasting impact

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.

Practical Questions

Please refer to the individual presentations of the 16 residencies. The presentation outlines the output expected at the end of your residency (if any).

  • International Flight Tickets (Economy Class) to and from India
  • Business Visa
  • Basic Living Expenses

Please refer to the individual presentations of the 16 residencies. In some cases, the exact Start Date and End Date is already mentioned. In other cases, the residency space has indicated the period during which it can potentially host a resident - the exact dates will be determined by the residency space once the resident has been selected.

IFI & the residency spaces cover the costs for the selected residents only. In most cases, the residency space will not be able to host your guests. You will have to make the relevant arrangements for accommodation, food, travel, etc. on your end directly outside of the residency space - any costs incurred on this front have to be borne by 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:

  • Be aware of your insurance company’s terms and conditions
  • Share any long-term medical conditions with us well in advance of your departure

Please refer to the individual presentations of the 16 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 16 residencies - the accommodation and studio space (if any) are different for each residency.

Please refer to the individual presentations of the 16 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]