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CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: AiR PROGRAM  UMĚNÍ VE MĚSTĚ (ART IN THE CITY) HOSTED BY ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE (CZ)

Art Residency within the Festival Umění ve městě 

Project Description

This residency in České Budějovice is a collaboration between the festival Umění ve městě (Art in the City) 2026 and the European Capital of Culture České Budějovice 2028.

Umění ve městě is a well-established festival of contemporary art in public space. In 2026, it takes place for the 19th time, bringing artworks into streets, parks, landscapes and other everyday places.

“Fragility” is this year’s theme of Umění ve městě.

We live in a time of pressure, acceleration and polarisation. Things that need care – ecosystems, social bonds, trust, relationships – are becoming unstable or invisible. Fragility often appears quietly, before we notice what is being lost.

But fragility is not only about weakness. It can also be about sensitivity, attention and value – about what cannot be replaced and therefore asks for care.

We are interested in works that ask questions like:

• How can art make fragile or invisible bonds tangible?

• How can a work speak to someone just passing by – and also to people who stay longer?

• What happens when a work really responds to a place: a street, a park, a river, an edge of the city?

You don’t need to answer all of this. These are starting points, not rules.

Umění ve městě: https://www.umenivemeste.cz

European Capital of Culture České Budějovice 2028: https://www.budejovice2028.eu

Who Are We Looking For?

We are seeking an artist, a collective or an interdisciplinary team from one of the cities of the CreArt 3.0 network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (Northern Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen (France), České Budějovice (Czech Republic), Oulu (Finland), Regensburg (Germany), members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Visual Artists), Ukrainian artists through collaboration with Dialog from Lviv.

We are looking for an artist who:

• work from lived experience of disability, or engage with disability through artistic practice as allies or from support environments;

• have a visual or spatial artistic practice connected to public space, site-specific work, or urban context;

• are interested in working with the theme Fragility – understood as care, sensitivity, balance or vulnerability in social, bodily, environmental or material contexts;

• are open to developing a new work or bringing an existing work into dialogue with the public space of České Budějovice;

• are interested in exploring ways of engaging audiences – through interpretation, shared experience, mediation or other approaches shaped by their practice;

• are available for a residency of up to three weeks in České Budějovice in 2026 (preferably between mid-May and the beginning of June).

Expected artistic outcome

Possible formats include:

1. Creating a new work during the residency

• developing a new spatial or site-specific work in response to the theme Fragility and the public space of České Budějovice;

• working with forms such as sculpture, installation, mural, street art or other spatial interventions;

• shaping the final form of presentation together with the organisers, depending on the character of the work.

2. Bringing an existing work and developing an accompanying element

• presenting an existing artwork as part of the Umění ve městě festival;

• creating an accompanying action or programme during the residency that engages audiences and offers ways of experiencing, interpreting or sharing the work in its specific context;

• developing this accompanying element in dialogue with the organisers during the residency.

Works installed in public space may remain on view 24/7 throughout the festival period (June–September). Projects intended for long-term outdoor installation should therefore be materially resistant to weather conditions and physical contact with the public. The final location will be selected together with the organisers according to the character of the work.

Both approaches are considered equally in the selection process.

What We Offer

This residency is organised through a collaboration between Umění ve městě and the European Capital of Culture České Budějovice 2028. During your stay, you will work in dialogue with the festival context and the public space of České Budějovice, with organisational and production support from both partners. A local buddy will help with orientation and practical matters during the residency.

Practical support includes:

• artist fee: up to 2,000 EUR (artists are expected to cover meals during the residency from this amount)

• production and realisation budget: agreed individually depending on the residency format (new work or existing work).
  For newly created works, material and production costs are typically around 2,000 EUR.
  For projects involving an existing artwork, support may include transportation related to bringing the work to České Budějovice, as well as the development of an accompanying element during the residency.

• accommodation

• travel costs

• workspace arranged according to your practice, including:

  • studios in the cultural centre Rabštejnská,

  • a larger production space at Výměník Studio (Máj)

• technical, production and organisational support

• installation support

• local buddy during the stay

• promotion as part of the Umění ve městě festival

Accessibility-related support and adjustments are addressed individually as part of the residency planning and are not limited to a single budget line.

Collectives and teams are very welcome. Just note that the listed budgets apply to the project as a whole, not per person.

Schedule & Selection Process

• Application period: 17 February – 10 April 2026.

• Selection by: 30 April 2026

• Residency duration: The exact duration (up to 3 weeks) and working schedule will be agreed individually with the selected artist or team. The residency is ideally planned for May–June 2026, leading up to the opening of Umění ve městě 2026 on 4 June 2026. 

The selection will be carried out by a committee of curators and artists representing the Umění ve městě Festival, the European Capital of Culture České Budějovice 2028 team, and the Accessibility Alliance.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a short online conversation as part of the selection process (mid–late April 2026).

After selection, residency logistics (including travel, accommodation and timeline) will be discussed and confirmed together with the selected artist or team.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via the CreArt platform:
https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/

Your application should include:

• a short bio or CV

• examples of previous work (portfolio, links, or other documentation)

• a description of your proposal (up to approx. 2,000 characters), including:

  • your artistic idea for the residency,

  • the materials or media you plan to work with,

  • how your project relates to the theme Fragility and the public space context

• visual materials, if relevant (sketches, visualisations, photographs, references)

• technical and budget needs

• accessibility or support requirements related to the residency

You can apply:

• in writing,

• in audio or video (including International Sign),

• or in another format by prior agreement.

If you need support with preparing or submitting your application, please get in touch. We’re happy to help.

Accessibility and support

Accessibility is not a checklist. It’s a conversation.

If relevant, please share any access needs or support requirements connected to:

• your working process,

• workspace or environment,

• communication,

• accommodation,

• presentation of the work.

This information helps us create appropriate conditions for the residency and does not influence how applications are evaluated.

Contact

If you have any questions about the residency, the application, or accessibility, feel free to get in touch.

You’re welcome to contact us in the way that works best for you: by email, voice message, video message (including International Sign), or another format.

 

Project manager: Tereza Milota Mitošinková
e-mail: tereza.milota.mitosinkova@budejovice2028.cz

 

This residency is developed in collaboration between Umění ve městě and the European Capital of Culture České Budějovice 2028. If any questions arise that are not covered in this open call, the teams will be happy to discuss them with you. Final organisational decisions are made by the Umění ve městě organisers.

OPEN CALL

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