Open Call Residency 2027 schrit_tmacher festival X Greylight Projects

Visual artists, dancers, choreographers, based in Europe, are welcome to apply for a three month residency, from 1 January – 29 March 2027 at Greylight Projects Space in Heerlen, the Netherlands, in collaboration with the international dance festival schrit_tmacher. The residency offers space for visual artists, dancers, choreographers and performers to deepen their practice and expand their network.

Deadline: 15 November 2026 (midnight)

Media & disciplines: visual art, dance, performance, installation, intervention, in situ
Focus themes: technology, society, ecology, environment, history, culture, identity, chaos, silence, perception, rhythm, structure, balance, connection, consciousness

The residency encourages interdisciplinary approaches and forms that expand conventional boundaries of art and performance and practices that explore storytelling, personal or collective narratives, untold stories, revealing experiences that are often overlooked or unspoken. They welcome artists who are open to sharing their process with peers and the public. The residency is not only a place to work, but an invitation to develop a practice in relation to the specific social, spatial and historical context of Heerlen and the wider region. There are no restrictions in discipline or medium, as long as the practice resonates with the context of the program.

The residency takes place at Greylight Projects in Heerlen, the Netherlands. At the beginning of schrit_tmacher Festival, the artist will give a public presentation or talk as an introduction to their practice. At the end of the festival, the residency will culminate in a final presentation of the developed work or research, either at Greylight Projects or at another suitable location in Heerlen.

About schrit_tmacher festival
schrit_tmacher is a leading international dance festival in the south of the Netherlands, at the gateway to Europe. The festival provides a sustainable platform for experiencing and developing contemporary dance. With an adventurous mix of interdisciplinary crossovers, challenging performances, and virtuosic dance from diverse cultural perspectives, schrit_tmacher annually organizes, presents, and (co-)produces a program that pushes boundaries and creates opportunities for new artistic encounters.

The festival places contemporary productions within a historical, social and/or cultural framework; this framework highlights developments and traditions, provides scope for deeper understanding and, at the same time, ensures coherence. You could call it a common thread that helps the audience find their way around the extensive festival programme.
link: https://schrittmacherfestival.nl/

About Greylight Projects

Greylight Projects is a platform for contemporary and visual art, dedicated to fostering collaboration, dialogue, and creative exchange between artists, makers, and the public. The organization aims to create opportunities for artistic experimentation, research, and presentation, while encouraging connections across disciplines and regions.

Through its programming, Greylight Projects engages with local and international art communities, fostering artistic exchange, critical discourse, and public engagement. The organization’s goal is to provide artists with the resources, support, and environment needed to explore new ideas, expand their practice, and create projects that respond to, interact with, or take place within their surroundings.

Since 2020, Greylight Projects has been based in a former school building in the heart of Heerlen. The building offers a dynamic and versatile environment, including dedicated studios for resident artists, guest ateliers, a multifunctional exhibition space, a workshop, a shared kitchen, and a spacious garden. This combination of spaces allows for both individual artistic practice and collaborative projects, making it a hub for the development and presentation of innovative contemporary art in Heerlen.
link: https://greylightprojects.org/

Apply
To apply, please send the following documents (in English or Dutch) combined into One single PDF file (10 Mb max.) by email to: [email protected]

The document must contain the following information: 
– a short text about your motivations for the residency (500 words max)
– a short text describing your artistic practice. (500 words max)
– a curriculum vitae with your contact details (email, telephone, address, website)
– images of recent works (with captions)

*For new media, please insert links to look at videos or to listen to sound tracks within the pdf

Deadline for applications: 15 November 2026 (midnight)

• Start of the residency: 1st of January 2027
• Duration: 3 months
• Studio and accommodation information: the residency offers a studio space of approximately 40m² at Greylight Projects in Heerlen. The studio also serves as the living space. Kitchen, shower, and toilet facilities are shared with others in the building.
• Selection: The selection will be made by a member of the Greylight Projects team, in collaboration with a representative of the schrit_tmacher festival and an external advisor. The results will be communicated by email shortly after the deadline. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an online meeting prior to the final selection.
• Presence: The selected artist is invited to spend time on site regularly and to engage actively with the local context and community throughout the residency period. The residency can be structured flexibly in dialogue with the artist.
• Expected outcome: The artist is expected to participate in two presentation moments during the schrit_tmacher Festival in Heerlen: an introductory talk at the start of the festival and a final presentation — such as a performance or another suitable format — showcasing the results developed during the residency. These presentations will be realized within the available means, resources, and facilities.
• Paid by host:  The residency provides a production and research grant of €900 per month, intended as a contribution towards living and material costs. An additional fee of €500 is provided for the two presentation moments during the festival.
• Paid by the artist: insurances, travel expenses, food
• Languages spoken: English / Dutch

Find more information about this call here.