Residencies

ISSP Riga Residency

See selected artists visiting us in 2024.

Brilliant news - from September 2024, the ISSP Riga Residency is continued in the new modality! Applications are open on a rolling basis throughout the year. 

Operating since 2018, the ISSP Riga Residency provides an opportunity for concentrated work on a personal research or photography/art project informed by interaction with Riga and its residents (or elsewhere in Latvia), or much needed time to rethink and complete ongoing work. We welcome photographers and artists interested in researching and exploring the local social and cultural context and connecting to ISSP platform of activities and other contemporary art and culture actors in Latvia. 

We will help you orient around Riga, introduce to local photography and contemporary culture scene, find the right contacts and other type of assistance to help you in your research or implementation of your artistic work. We will also provide you with an official invitation for funding applications. 

Accommodation: Currently, the ISSP Riga Residency is operating in the "off-site" modality - participants are responsible for finding their own accommodation, but we have access to rooms in an excellent shared artist residency apartment for a reasonable cost (300-400 EUR per month). More information can be provided upon request. We can also suggest accommodation options with our partners in the countryside of Latvia. 

We encourage knowledge exchange and are happy to support any topical interactions with local photographic/artistic community, our students, teenagers, or other local inhabitants. 

image: Kat Bowden, 2024​

Who can apply?
ISSP residency programme is open for photographers and artists working with photography or any type of image - based art. There are no limitations regarding age, background or photographic style of the participants. The residents will be accepted based on the strength of their portfolio, residency calendar, and possibilities for local engagement. 

Duration and timing 
One to three months. The programme is planned in full month slots, from 1st to last day of the month. Longer stays are heartily recommended if you plan to develop locally-based work. 

Participation fee
We don't have public funds for the residency at the moment, so the programme is self-funded. The participation fee in the residency programme is 200 EUR per calendar month. The participants are responsible for their accommodation (we can propose some good options) and other costs. Applying is free of charge of course. 

What we offer: 
- an official invitation letter that you can use to apply for public funding,
- suggestions for accommodation in Riga or in the countryside of Latvia (we collaborate with Laidi Palace Residency in Kuldīga district, Viskaļi Free Riga, and other possible great locations),
- access to the ISSP local network and introduction to Riga art and contemporary culture scene,
- review and feedback on your work-in-progress,
- support in your research and project implementation,
- regular contact with a friendly local coordinator, 
- a possibility to use photo-library and extra equipment at the ISSP premises,
- a possibility to meet with the local community at an artist talk, to organise a pop-up exhibition, a small workshop, or other events as mutually agreed.

What we expect from the residents:
- to work on their artistic project in Riga / Latvia for the period of the residency,
- to be open to interact with the local audience in the form of an artist talk or other public event,
- within one month upon the completion of the residency, to send us a selection of images produced for publicity purposes.

TO APPLY 
Applications are open on a rolling basis throughout the year. Fill in this APPLICATION FORM. 
Whilst sometimes last-minute applications are possible, we recommend applying the earlier the better, at least 3-6 months before the start of the residency period. 
Let us know if you have any questions!

Organisers  
The Riga Residency is curated by ISSP – a platform for contemporary photography, art and education. More information about our activities here: www.issp.lv/en/about

Host town
Riga stands at a geographical and cultural crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe and has a multicultural history. The largest city in the Baltic States, Riga offers plenty of tradition and historical charm, while its urban neighbourhoods still bear witness to post-Soviet reality. There is an active art and culture scene with plenty to discover; the countryside with beautiful forests and beaches can be easily reached by public transport. 

 

Since the start of our Riga Residency in summer 2018, we hosted over 100 artists from different corners of Europe and some from further away in the world. You can get an insight into some of the work created in Riga in the galleries below.  



Contacts
In case of questions, contact us at residencies@issp.lv 

In the period July 2021 - December 2023 the Residency was supported by the Nordic Culture Point (project "United Riga Residency for photographers and illustrators").