Arts and crafts

Medici Residency

with the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation

© Thibaut de Rohan

Each year, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici offers a residency program lasting one month for professionals working in the field of arts and crafts, taking place between January and December 2026. This initiative is part of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” program, launched in 2022 with the support of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, which aims to redevelop all the spaces of the Villa Medici while showcasing the excellence of French and Italian craftsmanship.


The residence

Reception conditions

  • 1-month residency at Villa Medici (Rome, Italy)
  • Provision of a room in shared accommodation
  • If required, access to a shared workshop
  • Access to work tools available to the residents of Villa Medici
  • Assistance in establishing contacts with local production partners (prior to the residency), artists and companies
  • The residency at Villa Medici may in particular lead to the creation of one or more works specially conceived in resonance with Villa Medici’s environment. The production phase is naturally envisaged as a second step, following the residency
  • As part of the residency, Villa Medici may request that one or more copies of the objects/works created during the residency remain at Villa Medici, in order to be incorporated into the redevelopment projects of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” program

 

Financial terms and conditions

  • Villa Medici will cover transportation costs up to a maximum of €1,000 return.
  • Residence grant: €2,500
  • A production grant may be made available on the basis of a budget submitted as part of the application (including, where applicable, a description of the production tools required for the project). Maximum budget: €5,000. In cases where the work is intended specifically for Villa Medici, to be integrated into the redevelopment projects of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” program, additional resources may be allocated for its production, along with the possibility of a second residency

Applications

For whom?

  • The call for applications is addressed to professionals in the arts and crafts sector.
  • Applicants must submit a detailed creative project, specifying how it was conceived and, where applicable, identifying production partners in Italy, technical specifications, a production budget and a timetable for completion.

 

How?

  • The application must include the application form duly completed on the online platform
  • A photocopy of both sides of an identity document
  • A detailed presentation of the residency project (5 pages maximum): research, technical requirements, production schedule and, if applicable, a production budget
  • CV (max. 2 pages)
  • A portfolio presenting a selection of past creations (10 pages max.)

Texts must be written in French. All documents must be submitted to the platform in PDF format.
Submission of an application constitutes a firm commitment to take part in the residency if the application is accepted.

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