General Call for Applications: 2026 Residencies
Villa Albertine is pleased to announce the opening of its call for applications for its 2026 residencies. From January to December 2026, Villa Albertine will support around fifty exploratory residencies, lasting between one and three months, spread across the entire U.S. territory. These residencies will primarily be based in a particular city, with a few multi-city residencies. The 2026 season will additionally mark the fifth anniversary of the residency program.
Through the concept of exploratory residencies, Villa Albertine invites individuals to travel through and discover a territory and meet with its key actors to foster original artistic or intellectual reflections that would not be possible otherwise. Such residencies are not intended to conducted in solitude but rather should be field explorations, encouraging inspiration and connections with local actors. The project undertaken can either be a new proposal specifically developed for Villa Albertine or a continuation of a pre-existing research project prior to the resident’s arrival in the United States. In both cases, it is the project’s relationship to the territory that is important.
Thus, meetings, visits, and events should help nourish the work carried out by the resident. More than just a stay, the exploration residency fosters exchanges and future collaborations. It allows one to refine their approach and deepen their reflection. While it may lead to a final presentation, in a form to be defined, and contribute to the resident’s creative process after their stay in the U.S., no specific deliverable is required, as would be the case with a production residency.
This program is designed and led by Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, which strengthens ties between the United States, France, and the Francophone community by connecting individuals and institutions in 10 major U.S. cities.
This program is supported by Société Générale Foundation, a major patron of Villa Albertine’s residencies.
Program Objectives & Applicant Profiles
Villa Albertine is looking for creators, researchers, and culture professionals with an original research project they wish to pursue in the field of arts or ideas that requires an immersive stay in the United States. The project should relate to the challenges of the territory explored and should initiate active dialogue with local actors.
The disciplines and professional fields considered may include, but are not limited to, the following: visual arts, architecture, photography, performing arts, street arts, music (excluding applicants covered by the Classical Music call for applications), cinema, television series, literature, nonfiction, comics, children’s literature, museology, heritage, art history, perfume, fashion, digital creation (immersive experiences, video games, and other forms of creation related to new technologies, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality), podcasts, culinary arts, etc. Interdisciplinary projects and cross-disciplinary approaches between several fields of research are also welcome.
Villa Albertine welcomes professional artists and researchers, whether established or emerging. The selection process is open to a variety of profiles and careers. Special attention is given to projects that resonate with the dynamics of the territory being explored.
Villa Albertine primarily favors individual applications. However, joint applications may be accepted when applicants’ artistic or intellectual collaboration is clearly justified. Applications from groups of more than two people are not accepted.
The call is not limited to French or Francophone applicants but is open to any creator, researcher, or cultural professional who meets the eligibility criteria outlined below, including the support of a French partner.
Note:
For specific reasons related to the support provided, the fields of Applied Arts & Design and Classical Music have separate calls for applications. Candidates in these disciplines are invited to refer to the following links:
Villa Albertine’s 10 Local Offices Support Residencies
Applicants are invited to propose a residency anchored in a city or a region in the United States. They can choose one of the ten cities where Villa Albertine has a permanent office (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco and Washington DC), or even another city or territory.
Applicants may also propose a traveling residency, which is a multi-step residency in different regions or cities of the United States. It should be noted, however, that a very limited number of itinerant projects will be selected.
Candidates are asked to select a residency in a territory that corresponds to the themes they wish to explore. They will be supported by the Villa Albertine office that manages the jurisdiction in which the residency takes place. For example, a residency in Seattle would be assigned to Villa Albertine’s office in San Francisco.
Support from Villa Albertine
In addition to a variety of possible residency locations, Villa Albertine strives to provide individualized support for each resident. This support is based on the mobilization of a team of 80 people across 10 cities, as well as the systematic establishment of partnerships with French and American organizations to ensure that the resident is quickly integrated into an environment that facilitates meetings, discoveries, and inquiries. A series of appointments and visits will be tailored to each resident, depending on their projects and needs. The relevant Villa Albertine office will support residents by offering its expert knowledge of the local artistic and cultural scene and its network of partners.
Villa Albertine will also support residents in their analysis of material and logistical requirements to best conduct the projects. It will manage the resident’s arrival and stay and will cover related travel costs and living expenses. This includes:
- Residency allowance covering everyday expenses (meals, local transport, etc.). Example: this allowance amounts to $100 per diem in Washington D.C.;
- International and domestic travel costs
- Accommodations
- Car rental (if the nature of the city or project requires a car)
- Health, public liability, and repatriation insurance.
Villa Albertine cannot commit to covering expenses other than the aforementioned travel costs and living expenses. If the applicant identifies specific needs (technical, material, workspace, etc.), they should present solutions to demonstrate the project’s viability (partnerships, extra financial support, etc.).
Villa Albertine’s framework is organized to support individual residences (not including family members or other close relatives who would not be a part of the project). In the case where this accompaniment would be necessary (e.g. a parent with dependent child(ren)), such a situation could be considered by searching for adapted housing.
French Partnerships
Each applicant is asked to have their residency project supported by a French partner. Depending on the case, the partners can support the project in one of three ways:
- Conception of the residency project: assistance in writing the residency presentation, finding resources and contacts that could help the applicant, etc.
- Promotion of the residency: communication on social media, or support with content creation about the residency (articles, podcasts, videos, etc.).
- Post-residency follow-up: presenting the work carried out by the resident in the United States (conferences, professional meetings, etc. or help in developing an artistic or intellectual project) in France.
These partners are not asked to contribute financially to the residency.
Any public or private organization, governed by French law and based in France, can be a partner. The organization cannot be one that the applicant directs or has founded, but it can be the applicant’s employer or another distinct partner.
For applicants who do not have French social security and for non-French applicants living outside countries eligible for the “Visa Waiver Program,” the French partner must be able to sign an agreement with Villa Albertine to handle the administrative management of the residency and the necessary procedures for the resident’s entry into the United States.
In addition to the main French partner, applicants may also use other French partners and US entities that could help develop the project (e.g. networking, provision of a workspace, etc.) to support their application.
Selection Criteria
Eligible candidates should possess the following:
- Professional experience in their field of artistic or intellectual creation, demonstrated through a CV or file (less than ten pages long) that presents their career and work.
- Be fluent in English, proven by sending a short, three-minute (max) introductory video of their career and project. The video is not expected to be edited but rather should be a simple video shot in front of the camera in which the candidate does not read from a prepared text.
- The support of a French partner associated with the residency project, which can be any public or private French entity (a cultural institution, an organization, a publishing house, a firm in the creative and cultural industry, etc.). The chosen organization should inform Villa Albertine of their interest in supporting the applicant with a letter addressed to Mr. Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France and Director of Villa Albertine.
The candidate must be at least 21 years old before their planned date of departure for the residency.
The selection criteria considers:
- The quality of the applicant’s career: the manner in which the applicant carries out their artistic or intellectual practice professionally; recognition from peers; the way residency their project is a logical continuation of their work.
- The quality of the project: the project is clearly articulated and the artistic, cultural, and intellectual axes it develops are relevant and have a strong link with the local community or environment.
- Relevance of the project in relation to the residency location: the project is strongly tied to local dynamics and challenges and requires the applicant to travel to the United States.
- Feasibility of the project: Villa Albertine reserves the right to not host projects it cannot properly support.
The candidate should be able to adapt to any regional restrictions where they plan on spending their residency. For example, it is strongly recommended that they have a driver’s license if they plan to work in sprawling cities, such as Los Angeles.
Applications
Applications should be submitted by January 30, 2025 at 11 :59pm, French Time (UTC +1), by completing the following form.
It is strongly recommended not to wait until this deadline to avoid possible traffic on the platform.
An applicant may only submit one application per season.
Applications can be revised at any time before the closing date of the call for applications. Once submitted, the application cannot be further edited.
For applications that require the participation of two people, only one application must be submitted. Each participant must present themselves in the same form.
Since the applications are also examined by English-speaking experts, the candidate must answer any questions in English that requires a written response.
The candidate should mention the territory and the desired duration of residency (one, two, or three months). Villa Albertine reserves the right to propose a shorter residency period than that initially indicated by the candidate, or even to adapt the itinerary residency to make the project more feasible.
Any incomplete or noncompliant application will be deemed inadmissible. Any intentionally false declaration will automatically render the application void.
Selection
Applications will be examined in three phases: first, by experts in the specific field; second, by a committee that will assess the project’s relevance to their city and the respective region; and third, in a final selection phase overseen by a panel of judges. This panel shall be chosen by a jury of qualified French and US experts.
The panel of judges is sovereign and does not have to justify its decisions to applicants.
Successful applicants will be announced at the end of June 2025.
Villa Albertine encourages applicants to review the latest jury report for 2025 residencies before submitting their application.
Current Calls for Applications
Alongside this general call, Villa Albertine is launching two calls for applications for residencies in specific disciplines in 2026:
- Crafts and Design call (open from November 13, 2024 to January 30, 2025, for a residency of one to three months in 2026).
- Classical music call (open from November 13, 2024 to January 30, 2025, for a residency of one to three months in 2026).
FAQs
Are residents paid?
Villa Albertine operates under the aegis of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It may therefore grant nontaxable residency allowances. These will be adjusted in accordance with the cost of living in the cities concerned (e.g. $100 per diem in Washington D.C., amounting to $3,000 per month), with accommodation already being covered separately.
May I carry out a project in a city or territory that is not among the ten cities where Villa Albertine is based?
Yes, you may. Please state the city or cities where you wish to conduct the residency on the form.
Are there quotas per city or residency type?
Villa Albertine’s hosting capacity mainly depends on its teams in the US, which are spread out over ten cities and coordinated from New York. In this regard, it can host six to eight residents in New York each year, three or four anchored in nine other cities, and six to eight traveling residencies. Given the potentially high number of applicants for a city like New York, it is recommended that you consider different options for your project.
In all cases, the first choice of city should be stated with a specific justification.
Certain cities attract a higher volume of applications, which naturally increases their selection rate. For the selection of the previous cohort, the cities with the highest number of applications were New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
You can consult the jury’s report which includes statistics on the projects submitted for the 2025 calls for applications.
May I come with one or more people?
Only the individual who has applied may come to the residency, except for applications submitted by groups of two or three people when the artistic or intellectual work justifies it. If the arrival of a family member or caregiver is necessary, Villa Albertine will reserve suitable accommodation.
Can I apply if I already live in the US?
If a French partner supports your application and you meet other criteria for eligibility, you may apply. You should justify how Villa Albertine’s support would help you immerse yourself in a given region of your home country.
Can I do the residency in several stays?
Villa Albertine proposes residences for a single stay. However, if it were necessary for family or other imperative reasons, Villa Albertine will consider the possibility of a residency between two stays.
I would like to go to several cities overseen by the same Villa Albertine office (e.g. Los Angeles and Las Vegas). Is this considered a traveling residency?
Yes, as long as the residency does not take place in a fixed location, it is considered to be traveling.
How many people applied last year? How many did you select?
To find all the information about the 2025 call for applications, selection process, and statistics, please refer to the online jury report via this link.
Can an institution of the French cultural network based outside France (e.g. Alliance française, Institut français) be my partner?
No, the French partner organization must be based in France.
Can an organization be a partner for multiple applicants?
Yes, this does not discriminate against any application.
I’m a craftsman and/or designer and would like to apply for a 2025 residency at Villa Albertine. Which call should I respond to?
You must apply for the Craft & Design thematic call via this link.
I’m a classical musician or classical music professional and I’d like to apply for a 2025 residency at Villa Albertine. How do I apply?
You must fill in your application form for the Classical Music thematic call via this link.
Any other questions?
Please contact candidatures@villa-albertine.org
Villa Albertine is organizing an information session about the call (in French) on December 10, 2024 at 6pm (France) on Zoom. You can register by clicking here.