Open Call | European Media Art Platform (EMAP) Residencies 2026

The EMAP residency program places a strong emphasis on collaboration, co-creation, and knowledge exchange. Applicants are therefore required to apply as a duo or collective, or to propose a collaborative project, either with a partner of their choice or with a collaborator connected to the selected host organization.

Applications are submitted exclusively online via the EMAP application platform, following registration: https://call.emare.eu/user/register

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the FAQ section before submitting their application.

General information about EMAP is available at: www.emare.eu

Deadline

March 13, 2026, 14:00 CET—Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Selection & Program Framework

Artistic projects are selected through open calls and evaluated by the EMAP consortium based on artistic quality, relevance, feasibility, and collaborative potential.

The residency program is embedded within a broader European framework that supports:

• International mobility and presentation of works
• Capacity-building workshops and professional development
• Documentation, evaluation, and publication of results
• Long-term visibility through an extended international network of organizations

The open call is addressed to:

• Artists, duos, and collectives working in media, digital, technological, and science-based art practices
• EU residents or taxpayers in an EU Member State, or residents/taxpayers of eligible non-EU countries
• PhD candidates and emerging artists of any age and academic background

The following are not eligible:

• Undergraduate and master’s students

Collaborating artists do not need to be confirmed at the time of application.

The European Media Art Platform (EMAP) was established in 2018 with the support of the Creative Europe program, bringing together leading European media art organizations and festivals to support emerging artists through intercultural production residencies.

EMAP supports innovative artistic practices across a wide range of media, including media installations, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, artificial intelligence, and bio art. Selected through open calls, EMAP projects engage critically with some of the most urgent challenges of our time, such as climate catastrophe, environmental degradation, social inequalities, inclusion, digital bias and surveillance, open-source tools, and technological literacy.

Beyond hosting and producing new works, EMAP functions as a major international platform for the presentation, dissemination, and promotion of artists’ productions, fostering long-term collaboration and knowledge transfer between artists and institutions across Europe and beyond. Over the course of the program, EMAP will support 45 residencies, numerous international presentations, and extensive capacity-building activities, while documenting and publishing results through its online platform and network.

Selected artists will receive:

• A two-month production residency at one EMAP host organization
• An invitation to the EMAP Kick-off Conference in Braga, Portugal (8–9 May 2026)
• €4,000 grant for the applying artist (including subsistence)
• €2,000 grant for collaborating artist(s) or €6,000 total for artist duos
• €4,000 project budget
• Accommodation provided by the host organization
• Travel costs covered by the host, in accordance with EU travel ceilings
• Access to technical facilities, media labs, and expertise
• Professional presentations, exhibition tours, and opportunities for future exhibitions and showcases within the EMAP network

Applicants apply to the EMAP consortium as a whole and indicate their preferred host organizations in order of priority:

• Ars Electronica—Linz, Austria
• Chroniques—Marseille, France
• CIKE–Creative Industry Košice—Košice, Slovakia
• gnration—Braga, Portugal
• iMAL—Brussels, Belgium
• IMPAKT–Centre for Media Culture—Utrecht, The Netherlands
• Kersnikova Institute (Kapelica Gallery)—Ljubljana, Slovenia
• KONTEJNER | Bureau of Contemporary Art Praxis—Zagreb, Croatia
• LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial—Gijón, Spain (Residency possible only between September and November 2026)
• MEET Digital Culture Center—Milan, Italy
• NeMe—Limassol, Cyprus
• Onassis Foundation—Athens, Greece
• RIXC Centre for New Media Culture—Riga, Latvia
• werkleitz–Centre for Media Art—Halle (Saale), Germany
• WRO Art Center—Wrocław, Poland

This project is co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe program.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.