Gate 27 Open Call

The International Creative Residency Program Gate 27 was established in 2019 to support the research and production processes of different practices and to provide a platform for interdisciplinary interaction. Treating art and creative productions as research methods, Gate 27 invites artists, curators, researchers, and professionals from different disciplines to establish a dialogue around ecology, sustainability, accessibility, and local creative networks. It encourages the formation of different collaborations through public programs and events it organizes.

Gate 27 provides its residents with a calm working environment and studio space where they can turn their ideas into production, as well as facilitate access to various resources and people to deepen their research. Participants become part of an extensive and ever-growing network of artists and researchers who are now an alumnus of the program.

Gate 27 hosts its residents at its premises in Istanbul and Ayvalık.

Gate 27 residency program welcomes artists, researchers, and professionals in visual arts, curation, literature, music, architecture, and design. In this way, they aim to create and maintain new collaborations by bringing together their guests working in different disciplines and strengthening their creative perspectives.

Gate 27’s residency program duration varies according to its locations. Applicants can apply for a 4-12 week residency program for our Yeniköy premises. Those who want to join Gate 27’s residency program in Ayvalık can apply only for 4 weeks. The facilities provided by Gate 27 vary according to Gate 27’s premises.

In Yeniköy:

• Spacious and communal working areas intertwined with nature,
• Production workshop with basic materials and tools (circular saw, table saw, drill, sander, angle grinder, hand tools),
• Private room and bathroom,
• A fully equipped communal kitchen where residents can cook their meals,
• Supplying essential food shopping needs weekly,
• Public transportation support every week,
• Opportunity to communicate with Istanbul culture and art environment,
• Opportunity to benefit from the art workshops, science laboratories, and library of Sabancı University, which is among the corporate collaborators of Gate 27,
• Event opportunity that focuses on art professionals, institutions, and artists.

 In Ayvalık:

• A quiet and isolated work and accommodation area intertwined with nature,
• Private room and bathroom,
• The working area within the accommodation area,
• Daily meals,
• Round-trip, transportation support to Ayvalık and Cunda once a day,
• Opportunity to meet and interact with Ayvalık’s contemporary art scene,
• Opportunity to connect with artists, curators, art professionals, and other cultural and art venues working in Ayvalık.

Gate 27 does not charge any fees for the application and accommodation. In addition, it provides 200 TL per week for the in-city public transportation card for residents in Istanbul and one round-trip city transportation support per day in Ayvalık, free of charge. While essential food shopping is carried out in Istanbul per week, three meals are offered free in Ayvalık every day. In addition, Gate 27 supports the promotion of the residents and their projects by offering public and media relations plans, both printed and digital. Only the essential goods determined by Gate 27 are provided for weekly food needs.

Guests are responsible for all their expenses, except for the financial and non-financial supports mentioned above. Gate 27 does not provide any financial support for the artwork production or project expenses. However, it ensures that the resident is brought together with the relevant stakeholders to realize the related production. In this context, residents can benefit from Sabancı University’s art workshops and scientific laboratories free of charge, subject to availability.

Gate 27 does not support any visa application fee, flight tickets, or similar international or intercity transportation; in-city airport transfer, taxi, or chauffeured vehicle support.

Guests are expected to actively work on the projects they have applied for the program, to be open to communication with local cultural and artistic actors and artists, to participate in the process documentation video organized by Gate 27 at the end of their residency to convey their residency process. In addition, guests are encouraged to contribute to the Gate 27 Collection by donating a work (such as a draft, drawing, artwork, text, or a report) that best describes/represents the process they had at Gate 27.

A new residency program has been developed in collaboration between the Gate 27 international creative residency program and ORTA, a renowned denim fabric manufacturer from Turkey with over 70 years of expertise in textiles combined with sustainability efforts, as part of ORTA’s Bluesky fellowship program. With this collaboration, Gate 27 aims to contribute to its sustainability efforts through arts and culture, while ORTA focuses on communicating its sustainability initiatives through arts and culture.

The application is online. Applications for the year 2024 residency program will close on October 31.