Akademie Schloss Solitude 2025 Residency Program for Namibian Artists

Akademie Schloss Solitude, together with the National Art Gallery of Namibia and the Goethe-Institut Namibia, is pleased to announce the continuation of its bilateral residency program, which promotes long-term cultural exchange between Namibia and Baden-Württemberg. The aim is to connect the fellows with the local cultural scenes on site and to strengthen the exchange of knowledge within the artistic communities of both contexts.

The residency program supports artists from Namibia. It aims to integrate them into new artistic communities and to introduce their work to a wider audience in Baden-Württemberg. In 2026, the program will organize two six-month fellowships from March to August in Baden-Württemberg for artists from Namibia. The residency will give two artists the opportunity to go to Baden-Württemberg together and to accompany each other over the course of the fellowship. In exchange, two artists from Baden-Württemberg will have the opportunity to go to Namibia for six months in 2026. These fellowships will be promoted in a separate call.

The program will enclose events such as readings, exhibitions, discussions, and workshops as a form of output for audiences and cultural communities in Baden-Württemberg. Applicants are free to choose the thematic focus of their project.

• Table of Content
• About Akademie Schloss Solitude
• Residency Program
• Aim and Benefits of Residency Program
• Requirements for Residency Program Qualification
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Akademie Schloss Solitude

Akademie Schloss Solitude is an international Artist-in-Residence Program and has supported approximately 1,700 young artists from more than 120 countries since opening its doors in 1990. It creates a close-knit, global and transdisciplinary network of Solitude alumni that expands from year to year.

Residency Program

Aim and Benefits of Residency Program

The fellowship includes the following benefits:
• A free, furnished living/working studio including electricity, water and heating
• A monthly fellowship grant of € 1,300
• Travel expenses for arrival and departure (on a one-time basis)
• Project funding and one-off materials subsidy of € 2.000
• Visa costs
• Health insurance

Requirements for Residency Program Qualification

• Individuals of all ages may apply for the fellowship
• Good English skills are necessary
• Individuals who are currently in vocational training or studying at university (except for those pursuing a PhD) cannot apply.

Documents Required for Application

The application material is submitted online and should include:
• A motivation letter explaining why you want to go to Baden-Württemberg (in English, max. 1 Din A4 page)
• A project description outlining what you aim to realize and how you plan to engage with the artistic communities in Baden-Württemberg (in English, max. 1 Din A4 page)
• A short biography and an informative portfolio or documentation of previous artistic work (in English)

Application Deadline

How to Apply

All documents can be sent in PDF format via e-mail to: [email protected]

The artists will be selected by an international jury.

Fellowship period and application deadline:
• The two fellowships in Stuttgart will be awarded for the period of March 1 to August 31, 2026.
• The final date for all applications is July 8, 2025, 24 PM (CET).

For further inquiries, please contact: Sophie-Charlotte Thieroff, [email protected]

The residency program is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg as part of the Namibia initiative of the state of Baden-Württemberg.

For more details, visit Akademie Schloss Solitude 2025 Residency Program webpage