Residencies

2025: Residency for Ukrainian artists in Riga

OPEN CALL: RIGA RESIDENCY FOR UKRAINIAN ARTISTS

ISSP, kuš! comics, and TUR are offering a funded residency in Riga, Latvia for three Ukrainian artists from May to December 2025. The programme is dedicated to Ukrainian artists and cultural professionals. Priority will be given to those currently based and working in Ukraine. 

The residency offers a possibility to implement or continue developing an artistic project, work on a personal archive and explore the local art and culture scene. 


Who can apply? 

Each partner organisation will host one resident from the following professional fields:

  • ISSP: photographer or artist working with photography;

  • kuš! : comics artists or other professional working in the field of comics;

  • TUR: artist or culture professional working with the visual arts in the broadest sense (artists, curators, researchers, and educators are eligible).

There are no limitations regarding age, background or artistic style of the participants. The residents will be accepted based on the strength of their portfolio, residency calendar, and possibilities for local engagement. 

Duration

The residency is for one or two months during the period May – December 2025, depending on the preferences of the residents.  
The residency calendar is based on full month slots, from the first to the last day of the month. 
 

What do we offer?

  • A stay at the comfortable residency apartment in the center of Riga; 

  • Scholarship of 1000 EUR (incl. tax) per the whole period of the residency;

  • Covered transportation costs (up to 250 EUR);

  • An invitation letter that the residents can use for applying for additional funding;

  • Regular support from the residency coordinator and engagement in the activities of the corresponding organization (suggestions, contacts and insights into the local contemporary art scene).

  • Additional resources (e.g. studio space or extra equipment) may be provided by a receiving organisation.
     

What do we expect from the residents?

  • To work on their artistic project/research in Riga, Latvia for the period of the residency;

  • To be open to interact with the local audience in the form of an artist talk or other public event;

  • Within one month upon the completion of the residency, to provide us with feedback and documentation of the residency and copies of produced work to use for publicity purposes.
     

Accommodation and facilities

The artists-in-residence will reside in a fully equipped, spacious residency apartment close to the city centre (Brīvības Street 190, Riga). The residency is jointly managed by ISSP, kuš! and TUR and will be shared with other residents in the field of visual arts.

Each artist will have a private bedroom equipped with a working table and have access to a shared living room, fully equipped kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Other facilities: wi-fi, scanner.

Accessibility: The apartment is located on the 3rd floor, there is no elevator in the building.
 

TO APPLY

Please submit the APPLICATION FORM by 9.03.2025 
The results of the selection process will be known by the end of March 2025. 


In case of questions, please contact us
- at residencies@issp.lv (ISSP);
- at komikss@gmail.com (kuš!);
- at tur.telpa@gmail.com (TUR).
 

About the project partners:

ISSP is a platform for contemporary photography, art and education. ISSP organizes local and international education and exchange programmes, produces exhibitions, publications and events. The ISSP School offers educational programmes, masterclasses and mentoring programmes, nurturing a new generation of local photographers and artists. The ISSP Gallery is the central exhibition and events space for contemporary photography in Riga.
https://www.issp.lv/en / @issp_latvia 

kuš! is a comic art publisher from Latvia founded in Riga in 2007. It is most well known for its signature pocket-sized anthologies and its mini-kuš! series. The aims of kuš! are to popularize comics in a country where this medium is practically non-existent and to promote Latvian comics abroad. kuš! doesn't just publish paper-back comic books, it also organizes exhibitions, workshops, residencies, comic jams and other comic related events, as well as traveling to international festivals to spread the Latvian comic fever.
https://www.komikss.lv/ / @kushkomikss

TUR, Contemporary Space for Art, is mostly known for curated art exhibitions in its characteristic industrial-meets-white-cube space at the core of one of Riga’s cultural quarters. With a focus on artistic experimentation, interdisciplinary exchange, and public engagement beyond the traditional art scene, TUR fosters a dynamic platform for innovative contemporary art and dialogue.
https://turtelpa.lv/ / @tur_telpa

This residency is supported by the Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation.