Künstlerhaus Bethanien Residency

National Arts Council Singapore (NAC) has partnered with Künstlerhaus Bethanien to offer two (2) six-month residency opportunities in Berlin across two cycles in 2026/2027. NAC will be supporting one (1) practitioner per residency cycle.

The dates for each residency cycle are as follows:

• Cycle 1: 15 July 2026 to 14 January 2027
• Cycle 2: 15 January 2027 to 14 July 2027

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY PROGRAMME

Künstlerhaus Bethanien (KB) is an international cultural centre located in Berlin, Germany. The centre provides residency studios and exhibition spaces for artists-in-residence that offer dedicated individual support as well as opportunities to establish connections with the wider artistic community in Berlin and across Europe.

As part of the residency programme, the selected artists will be provided with a studio and living space, along with equipment and amenities for their day-to-day life and work.

The selected artists will also receive administrative, technical and artistic support from KB. They will have an opportunity to host open studios, as well as to present an exhibition at KB.   

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The residency programme is open to all practitioners (e.g. artists, researchers, curators, writers etc.) working in the field of visual arts. Practitioners working in collectives should apply individually, as each residency cycle is only able to support one (1) practitioner at a time.

Only individuals who are Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents will be eligible.

Interested applicants with pending and/or outstanding evaluation reports from previous NAC grants, or have current debts with NAC, will not be eligible.   

APPLICATION PROCESS

All interested applicants are required to submit the following documents to Celine Tan via email at celine_tan@nac.gov.sg by Friday 31 March 2026, 5:00 PM:

• Completed Application Form (Link)
• Portfolio of key artworks and/or projects in the past five (5) years;
• Updated CV; and
• Letter(s) of Referral.

Any application deemed incomplete at the closing deadline will not be considered. Appeals for late submissions thereafter will also not be considered. NAC reserves the right to consider and/or accept any clarifications after the submission.

Notification of open call results will be communicated to applicants individually via email in April 2026.

EVALUATION

All shortlisted applications will be evaluated by a joint panel comprising of NAC and KB representatives.

Applications will be evaluated by the following criteria:

1. Strength of Proposal and Feasibility of Ideas (60%)

Project proposals should contain highly original and well-researched project ideas and demonstrate clarity in their intended focus and aims. Applicants are strongly encouraged to articulate how they wish to continue, develop, and grow their current research areas and artistic practice within their proposal.

Proposals should demonstrate willingness and openness to explore new methods and modes of developing artistic practice. Applicants should also articulate any potential avenues for collaboration with other practitioners, artists and/or researchers.

Proposals must indicate how the applicant intends to leverage on the networks and opportunities provided by KB and the residency programme to further their artistic and professional development.

2. Artistic Merit and Track Record (40%)

Artistic merit and track record will be assessed based on the portfolio submitted and the applicant’s potential to produce research of high value to Singapore’s visual arts landscape, and/or works of strong artistic merit.

Applicants must demonstrate a track record of contributing to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape through prior engagements and/or outreach, and display the potential to fill any perceived industry gaps (e.g. artistic, technical, commercial etc.).

Applicants that have participated in past residencies of good standing are preferred, as well as applicants that are able to articulate and/or demonstrate the successful use of networks gained from past residencies and/or projects

FUNDING SUPPORT

Successful applicant(s) will receive a grant of $25,000 to cover their costs and expenses for the residency programme. This includes, but is not limited to, airfare, visas, travel insurances and per diem for daily expenses.

For more information, please contact Celine Tan via celine_tan@nac.gov.sg

PAST NAC x KB PARTNERSHIPS AND ARTISTS SUPPORTED