The ISSP Riga Residency provides an opportunity for concentrated work on a personal project informed by interaction with Riga and its residents or much needed time to rethink and complete an ongoing work. We welcome photographers, artists and curators interested in exploring the local social and cultural context.

Applications are now open for the time period July–December 2021!
Application deadline: 25 April. 

Who can apply?
The ISSP Residency is open for photographers, artists and curators working with photography. Due to the current pandemic-related travel restrictions, the 2021 residency programme will host artists from countries within EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK.
There are no limitations regarding age, background or photographic style of the participants. The residents will be chosen based on the strength of their applications and fit to the residency calendar.
Thanks to our cooperation partner kuš!, the residency also hosts illustrators and comics artists – if you are one or the other and want to come to Riga, get in touch with kuš! through their website.

Duration and timing
Due to the current Covid-19 situation, we recommend longer stays of 2 – 3 calendar months. Stays of 1 month can still be possible, however, depending on the individual preferences and residency schedule.
NB! The residency calendar is based on full month slots, so in case you leave earlier than the end of the month, the monthly fee will still apply.

Participation fee
The residency participation fee is 300 EUR per calendar month; a partial advance is payable to confirm the participation.
The participants are responsible for their travel and production costs. We can provide you with an official invitation letter to apply for funding in your country.

Nordic – Baltic Grant
One selected artist from a Nordic or Baltic country * will get to stay free of charge and receive a 500 EUR stipend and travel costs covered by the Nordic Culture Point.
* eligible countries: Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland, Estonia, Lithuania.

What we offer:
– a private room in a comfortable residency apartment in the center of Riga (the 3-bedroom apartment is shared with 2 other artists). The rooms are spacious and equipped with working tables; the artists share a common living room, fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, wifi, scanner, printer.
– a possibility to use the library and extra equipment at the ISSP premises;
– contact with a part-time staff member to provide local support;
– a possibility to meet with the local community at an artist talk, and to organise extra events or pop-up exhibitions.

What we expect from the residents:
– to work on their artistic project in Riga / Latvia for the period of the residency;
– to be open to present their work to the local audience in the form of an artist talk or other public event;
– at the end of the residency, to send us a selection of the images produced for publicity purposes.

More info is on the direct link.