Onassis AiR | Selection Process & Important Dates

The selection process for this year’s Open Call varies depending on the residency strand applied for.

All applicants will be informed about the results on Monday, June 15, 2026.

For applications to the Extended Research, Theater & Dance, AiR/ONX, and Cavafy Archive Residencies, the selection process consists of three (3) rounds:

The first round of selection follows a peer-to-peer process that involves previous program participants. Each application is independently reviewed by two Onassis AiR Fellows. Applications advance to Round II if at least one of the two reviewers determines that the answers meet the selection criteria. If both reviewers agree that the answers do not satisfy the criteria, or if both express uncertainty, the application does not proceed further.

In the second round, all shortlisted applications and their supporting materials undergo a detailed review by a selection committee composed either of external collaborators or members of the internal curatorial team. The names of the selection committee will be announced soon.

In the final round, the Onassis AiR team along with the Onassis Theater & Dance, ONX, and Cavafy Archive teams conduct online interviews with each pre-selected applicant. Following these interviews, the final selection of participants for the 2026/27 cohort is made in collaboration with the curatorial team of Onassis Stegi.

The Production Department of Onassis Stegi and the Onassis AiR and Onassis ONX teams review all applications and proceed to shortlisting based on the selection criteria outlined below.

Shortlisted applicants participate in online interviews conducted by the Production Department of Onassis Stegi and the Onassis AiR and Onassis ONX teams. Following these interviews, the final selection of participants for the 2026/27 Onassis AiR Technical Residencies is made.

All applications for the Extended Research, Theater & Dance, AiR/ONX, and Cavafy Archive Residencies are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance and urgency of the proposed project
• Coherence and solid conceptual framework
• The potential of Onassis AiR as an environment in which the project can flourish
• Awareness of the contemporary context of Athens and the wider locality of the residency
• Interest in being part of and interacting with an interdisciplinary artistic community
• Consistency between the submitted work sample, the proposed project, and the applicant’s overall artistic practice

For the Onassis AiR Theater & Dance Residencies, additional considerations include:

• Creativity of the project’s concept and main research question, including the integration of fresh perspectives and/or methods
• Feasibility of the project’s implementation and future presentation
• Quality and impact of previous projects, as evidenced through submitted work samples (e.g. performances, visual documentation, dramaturgical notes)

For the Onassis AiR/ONX Residencies, additional considerations include:

• Critical and purposeful use of technology
• Potential of the project to scale up to a tourable production
• Capacity for distribution to institutions with limited resources and limited internet access, including off-grid contexts

Applications for the Onassis AiR Technical Residencies are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Prior professional experience
• Awareness of the contemporary context of Athens and the wider locality of the residency
• Interest in being part of and interacting with an interdisciplinary artistic community
• Experience of collaborative work within creative or technical environments
• Motivation to experiment with different technical aspects of performing arts productions and cutting-edge technology

For the Onassis AiR Technical Residencies taking place at Onassis ONX, additional considerations include:

• Experience in applying advanced technologies within the creative industries (e.g. eXtended Realities, game engines, generative art, motion capture, interactivity, digital fabrication, or related fields)
• Interest in bridging traditional forms with new media and digital art practices
• Previous experience with FOSS workflows or contributions to existing Open-Source Software or Hardware (considered an asset)

• Monday, January 26, 2026:
  The Onassis AiR Open Call 2026/27 application platform opens.
• Tuesday, March 3, 2026:
  Deadline for submission (no exceptions). All applications must be submitted no later than 12:00 noon (Coordinated Universal Time, UTC+2). The Open Call online platform goes offline at the specified time, and no late submissions are accepted for any applicant under any circumstances.
• April 27 – May 25, 2026:
  Online interviews with all pre-selected applicants take place.
• Monday, June 15, 2026:
  All applicants are informed by email of the outcome of their application.