NAC is seeking applications for its international residency programme in 2027 from participants working across a diverse range of practices.
Application deadline: 31 March 2026
The Individual Residency programme at Nida Art Colony of Vilnius Academy of Arts (NAC) offers selected participants the opportunity to live and work in Nida, Lithuania, for a period of two to five months.
The goal of the residency programme at NAC is to provide participants with time, space and focus, and the opportunity to gain insight into the practices of fellow residency participants and expand their own outlook through this exchange.
NAC regularly works with artists and researchers engaging with art, ecology, technology, (bio)politics, social sciences, visual culture and cross-disciplinarity. The programme is also open to designers, architects, researchers, theoreticians and curators, as well as practitioners working with performing arts, sound, material research/craft, and film. This list is not exhaustive, and proposals for a residency by professionals from other fields are always welcome.
While the residency programme doesn’t have predefined outcomes, participants are expected to organise one public activity per month related to their practice, enriching NAC’s environment of exchange and collaboration. As the communal premises are shared with students, NAC programme participants, and other guests, residents may have the opportunity to participate in study courses, workshops, or other events regularly organised and/or hosted by NAC.
The residency programme can host up to five participants at a time. It is not open to BA or MA students.
NAC is situated in Neringa within the distinct landscape of the Curonian Spit, a 98 km-long sand dune shared by Lithuania and Russia, overgrown with forests, separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where forests planted over the last 200 years created an environment dedicated to managing natural drifting-sand processes.
NAC is a subdivision of Vilnius Academy of Arts, and in addition to the international residency programme, NAC organises and commissions art and research projects, events and exhibitions, and hosts study courses for BA, MA students and PhD fellows. NAC is a hybrid organisation: a place for art, research, education, and leisure. It is focused on individual and group work – open to all, while primarily aimed at the cultural community.
Living and working conditions
Each resident is provided with a 65 m² live/work space equipped with basic kitchen facilities, a bathroom, and workspace. Depending on availability, residents have access to communal spaces such as the reading room and workshops with weaving looms, laser cutting, basic wood and metalworking tools, basic photo, video and sound equipment, and a hand-printing press. NAC does not provide materials for residents’ individual work and projects.
Children / Partners / Guests / Pets
All are welcome to join the resident and stay in the studio during the residency period. Guests and partners pay a pillow fee of €12/night.
Duration
Two to five months: January 2027 – February 2028
Residents should not be absent from the residency for more than 5 days within any 2-week period.
Based on individual circumstances and workflow, it is possible for the duration of the residency to be divided over several time periods, each of 4 weeks’ duration.
Costs
€580/month
If necessary, selected candidates are issued a letter of support for individual grant-seeking.
Application requirements
1. Completed application form;
2. Portfolio including examples of work, or publications (please select 3–5 relevant projects);
3. Current CV (max. 2 A4 pages);
4. Submit all documents as a single file PDF (max. size 5MB), in the order listed above, using the following title: ‘Full Name_R2027’.
Selection criteria and process
Applications are assessed by the NAC team, NAC Advisory Group members and external practitioners with extensive knowledge of NAC, such as former residents or participants in previous NAC artistic programmes.
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. Professional artistic practice and its relevance to the fields of interest addressed at NAC (art, ecology, technology, (bio)politics, social sciences, visual culture and cross-disciplinarity).
2. Evidence of need and understanding of context – why individual time and conducting work in a solitary environment, such as Nida, would be suitable, and a demonstrable understanding of NAC as an institution and organisation;
3. Impact on practice – how spending time in Nida will benefit and develop the practice of the applicant.
Shortlisted applicants will be informed prior to 1 June 2026.
For further enquiries, please contact us at: residency@nidacolony.lt