Atlas initiatief is a very small and a private organisation based on a former Polish fishing vessel. The initiators of Atlas initiatief are Stijn de Geus (1984), yacht builder and Laura Schippers (1985), visual artist. They are in the same time the owners and the crew of ship Atlas.

The name Atlas is derived from the book containing abstract charts and data about the Earth. With the Atlas initiatief the organisers aim to "open up" these charts. Experience an untamed world in all its extensiveness.

Ship Atlas was an abandoned former fishing vessel (HEL-141) build in 1974, Poland. Within eight years the residency organisers restored the ship in Breda, the Netherlands. During this period small art events took place aboard. From 2023 they start living aboard with their family of three. Now they’re travelling the world in a slow pace and the Atlas Residency took shape. During their travels, they create ample space for encounters with others and let their journey shape by what they encounter along the way. The artistic projects aboard helps them connect with others in a purposeful and meaningful way.

Artists from all disciplines who can use ship Atlas for their artistic practice are welcome to come aboard in the area where the Atlas is sailing at that moment. You can sail with them, in the direction they’re going or they can adapt their sailing route to your project needs. If theu have to deviate far from their route, you will be asked to share in diesel costs.

Mostly the organisers get deeply involved in the projects taking place aboard. They can support you with technical difficulties, artistic feedback and navigational-landscape advice. A residency at sea is intense: everyone depends on each other and are subject to the elements. But because of that, the passengers become closely involved in each other's worlds. The exchange of these worlds, perspectives and the experience of a sea voyage contributes to the development of your artistic practice.

Ones or twice a year Atlas initiatief presents their sailing route of the next few months to a half year. Artists can apply for an Atlas Residency by sending their plan. If the plan is feasible and can be achieved safely you are welcome to come aboard. The residency has no substantive criteria for the projects and artistic research. For Atlas initiatief it’s even better to have a great variety of artists aboard. Because its focus on the exchange of perspectives and the ways of interacting with the sea, coastal areas and each other.