CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – READ residency program 2021

01 Apr CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – READ residency program 2021

Announcement date: 01.04.2021

Deadline for applications: 29.4.2021

The open Call for author in residence program in five countries aims to provide the authors from North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania and Turkey the opportunity to get to know the literary, artistic and cultural scene in the region and to support the regional diffusion of literary work from the target countries. At the same time, the local audience will be given a unique opportunity to be introduced to the work of the selected artists. 

Regional and local writers, translators, playwrights, poets, illustrators, graphic novel artists and comic book writers from North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania and Turkey are invited to apply for the READ residency program, to spend time and reflect upon reconciliation and cultural diversity. The resident authors will be hosted by the partner organizations in the 5 countries. Each partner organization will host 2 resident authors per year, so in total 10 residency grants are planned for 2021. Each residency duration will be up to 1 month. 

Our goal is to give the READ artists-in-residence the opportunity to develop a project over a fixed period of time, and to reflect and consolidate their artistic practice in the specific context. Creative and innovative project ideas, as well as works dealing with contemporary and relevant topics will be given a priority. 

The residencies will take place from May 2021 until December 2021.

The resident authors are expected to spend their time in residence productively. Besides working on the proposed project, they are expected to entirely complete one shorter work (text, essay, poem, short story, article, comic), related to the general topic “The differences of similarities” contributing to reconciliation and intercultural tolerance. In addition to writing, creating and/or translating, they will be expected to contribute to workshops, deliver presentations, take active part in the literary festivals and project networking activities, have public reading sessions and so forth. 

The READ residency grant will include:

• one-month stay in fully equipped apartment;

• travel costs (up to 250 EUR)

• stipend in the amount of 1,350 EUR (gross)

• involvement in the literary festivals in the partner countries and project networking activities

• translation of one text/ work produced during the residency in the local language and/or in English

• opportunities to participate in the city’s literary life, arrange contacts with local authors, give interviews for the media, document the work created during the residency, and promote the work on a website and social media channels.

Eligibility:

Regional and local writers, translators, playwrights, poets, illustrators, graphic novel artists and comic book writers are invited to apply for the READ residency program. We are welcoming both young and emerging authors as well as established and experienced ones. Eligible will be those, who have published at least two books/ works of their own or at least two translations. 

The applicants must be residents of one of the following countries: North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Albania or Kosovo.

Application must include:

1) Biography and bibliography (of the published works);

2) Full address (phone number and e-mail address);

4) Motivation letter (1 page) showing interest in the residency, networking and other project activities, indicating the preferred period for the residency

5) List with country preferences from 1 to 4 (1 is first priority, 4 is the last one), where to do the residency

6) Description of the project (1 page) to be undertaken during the one-month residence.

The application should be sent in English.

The application material should be sent via email.

For authors from Albania: instituti.libri.promocioni@gmail.com

For authors from Kosovo: info@qendra.org

For authors from North Macedonia: lojaculture@gmail.com

For authors from Serbia: office@krokodil.rs

For authors from Turkey: info@itef.com.tr

Deadline for applications is 29.04.2021.

For additional information, please contact us via email: READ-residency@goethe.de 

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram READ project page for more information. 

Regional Network for Cultural Diversity (READ) is a four-year EU funded regional cultural project implemented by Goethe-Institut Skopje together with the partner organizations: Center for Balkan Cooperation – Loja (North Macedonia), Instituti I Librit dhe i Promocionit (Albania), Kalem Culture Association (Turkey), Krokodil (Serbia), Qendra Multimedia (Kosovo). The project contributes to reconciliation and intercultural tolerance by opening new channels of communication from the independent cultural societies, offering them networking opportunities away from the political stage. The project aims to promote intercultural reading skills and democratic values through reading culture and the handling of supra-regional high-quality literary works.