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Kunstfort Vijfhuizen & the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux 

Open Call for Residency 2026

Thank you for your interest in the Zoöp Connections residency. This form is your application for a residency at Kunstfort Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands, taking place mid-September to mid-October. Exact dates will be agreed with the selected resident. 

Before completing this form, please read the full open call here.

Application deadline: Thursday, 7 May 2026, 23:59 (CET). An online interview will be part of the selection process at the end of May.

Applications should include: A motivational statement (max. 500 words or a 3–5 minute video), a CV, and a portfolio.

The selection will be made by a jury of representatives from Kunstfort Vijfhuizen and the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, as well as relevant members of the Kunstfort community. All applicants will be notified of the outcome within one month of the deadline.

If you have access needs or questions about the suitability of the residency, please get in touch before applying.


For questions related to accessibility or safer spaces, please contact Melodi van Zelst at melodi@kunstfort.nl. 

For general inquiries about the open call or application process, please contact Caroline Bakker at caroline@kunstfort.nl.
Please be advised that the submission form has a total file size limit of 10 MB per document.
All information submitted through this form will be held in strict confidence in line with GDPR guidelines and used solely for the purpose of evaluating applications for the Zoöp Connections residency. Application materials will not be processed through large language models (LLMs) or other AI tools. All applications will be read and assessed solely by the selection jury. Your personal data will not be shared with third parties outside the selection jury without your explicit consent.

Basic Information

Name (first name, last name)

Pronouns

Email address

Residential address

Phone number (including country code)

I confirm that I am

I confirm that I am

Professional information

Website or other platforms

Do you have full working proficiency in English?

Do you have full working proficiency in English?
A
B

Motivation and Approach

Motivation Statement (max. 500 words)

Prompt questions:

Who you are and what does your practice explore?

Why are you interested in this residency, and how does it connect to or develop your practice?

How does your practice engage with ecology, interspecies relationships, or more-than-human perspectives and what you would like to explore, research, or make during your time at Kunstfort Vijfhuizen?

How do you approach site-responsive and collaborative work, and what are you hoping to learn or share?

OR video Submission (max 5 minutes)

If you choose to do your motivational letter as a video instead of text, use the file upload, or link to an online video if the video is larger than 10 MB. We recommend using YouTube or Vimeo. Include any access passwords if needed.

Please indicate if you anticipate needing specific materials, tools or resources

If you have previously participated in other international site-specific residencies, please include the name of the residency, as well as a link to it here

Portfolio

Upload your portfolio (max. 3 projects)

The portfolio should provide insight into the your research (for example visualisation of previous/upcoming projects), processes, and/or approaches/methodologies. We would love to see examples of how you have connected to human and/or non-human communities.

Please submit your work samples as a single PDF (max. 10MB), including max 3 projects. Descriptions of each project should have a max word limit of 300 words. Highlight projects relevant to ecological, collaborative, or site-based practice.

* For images: at least 1-2 images per project.

* For videos: provide a link to excerpts (max. 3 minutes per work). We use YouTube or Vimeo; include any access passwords in the PDF.

CV

Upload your CV (max 3 pages)

Upload your CV as a single PDF, max. 3 pages, no larger than 1MB. A photo is not necessary but greatly appreciated.

Residency Logistics

Availability for the residency in Vijfhuizen: mid September – mid October 2026

Availability for the residency in Vijfhuizen: mid September – mid October 2026
A
B
C

Preferred travel method and/or travel limitations

International and long-distance travel to and from the residency is reimbursed, with a strong preference for land-based travel wherever possible. Train, bus and multi-day accommodation en route are covered. Note if you would be willing to travel by land to the Netherlands. Please note any also if you have any special travel circumstances that need to be observed.

Accessibility, Inclusion & Privacy

Accessibility needs or support requirements

E.g., mobility, dietary, safer spaces, etc.

We are committed to making this residency as accessible as possible. Please note that not all parts of the fort are easily accessible with a wheel chair. The residency does not currently include additional funding for external caretakers or childcare; short self-funded partner visits might be possible. This residency operates under The Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux’s Safer Spaces principles.

If you have access needs, questions about the suitability of the residency space, or questions about what support may be available, we encourage you to reach out before applying to Kunstfort’s volunteers and reception coordinator Melodi van Zelst at melodi@kunstfort.nl.

Should your application not be selected for this residency but deemed relevant for other future opportunities, may we keep your proposal and personal information?

Should your application not be selected for this residency but deemed relevant for other future opportunities, may we keep your proposal and personal information?
A
B

Additional Information

How did you hear about this call?

How did you hear about this call?

Would you like to receive the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux’s newsletter?

Would you like to receive the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux’s newsletter?
A
B

Would you like to be on the Kunstfort mailing list?

Would you like to be on the Kunstfort mailing list?
A
B

Additional comments

By submitting your application, you authorise the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux and Kunstfort Vijfhuizen to contact you directly in relation to this open call. For questions about how your data is handled, contact info@kunstfort.nl.
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