SPACES OF FREEDOM: Emergency Residency Program for Ukrainian Literary Creators in Belgrade, Serbia

02 Aug SPACES OF FREEDOM: Emergency Residency Program for Ukrainian Literary Creators in Belgrade, Serbia

Association KROKODIL is launching a call for applications for literary residencies in duration from 1 to 8 months ranging from October 2022 to June 2023. The open call addresses Ukrainian literary creators – prose writers, poets, essayists, translators, editors, cultural journalists, comic book authors, theoreticians, columnists, singer-songwriters, rappers, spoken word performers etc.

The program is intended for literary creators from Ukraine as well as those who are already in exile.

Beginning in October, residency recipients will be based at the KROKODIL Residence for Writers and will be able, should they wish so, to participate fully in the life of the KROKODIL Center for Contemporary Literature. They will benefit from a monthly grant (depending on the status of the applicant – whether they are coming with the family or not), a housing and travel allowance, an individual workspace, and administrative and overall support.

Those interested in applying should send us a short email with desired duration of the stay and whether they are coming with members of their immediate family or alone, written in Ukrainian or English. Applications should be sent by email at office@krokodil.rs.

Candidates will be selected by a commission formed by writers, cultural workers and translators from Ukraine and the region of former Yugoslavia.  The application deadline for the first stage of the program (beginning isn October 2022) is September 15th and successful applicants will be notified shortly afterward.

For any further answers and clarifications do not hesitate to contact us.

Contact information:
Milena Berić
milena.beric@krokodil.rs and office@krokodil.rs
+38163666682

More about the Project

KROKODIL’s Writer-in-residence program has been active ever since 2012 as the only continuous residential program for writers in Serbia. It has in the meantime hosted more than 110 writers from 20 countries. However, to be able to offer this space to literary creators and cultural workers from Ukraine the decision was reached to freeze all usual activities of this ongoing program and to secure it as the safe haven for the creative individuals in jeopardy from this war-torn country. Depending on the situation, we can either offer two six-month residential periods to two individuals together with the members of their nuclear families or a number of shorter residential periods to a larger number of participants, either solo or accompanied by their families. Travel expenses, rent with monthly living expenses as well as a grant allocated monthly will be provided in order to meet the basic needs of these individuals and/or families. The call will be published in August 2022 and the residential period will start in October 2022. Independent commission will select participants based on the analysis of the received application forms.

Besides the residence for writers, the space in KROKODIL’s Center for Contemporary Literature will also be provided together with numerous activities (primarily depending on the wish of the particular residing writer) regarding the professional needs of the exiled writers.

Association KROKODIL, as an independent organization from Belgrade with literary, artistic and socio-political activities has decided to provide shelter and support to Ukrainian literary creators on top of other activities related to Ukraine such as collecting humanitarian help for the City Perinatal center in Kharkiv etc. Being that a large number of Ukrainian writers have been offered similar programs in many European countries, we decided to open the doors of our residence for writers to all literary creators (including, besides prose writers and poets, also essayists, translators, editors, cultural journalists, comic book authors, theoreticians, columnists, singer-songwriters, rappers, spoken word performers, etc.).

The project is supported by: The European Cultural Foundation, Heinrich Böll Foundation, FRIDA and Pobbunjene čitateljke.
For more about their activities please visit: https://culturalfoundation.eu/, https://rs.boell.org/en, https://youngfeministfund.org/ and http://bookvica.net/