Residency Re-Sourced
Strengthening Independent Art Spaces Across Africa
Why Residency Matters
Residency spaces play a crucial role in fostering artistic creation and cross-cultural exchange. However, many face challenges related to funding, infrastructure, and long-term sustainability. Through peer-learning, tailored support, and critical dialogue, Residency Re-Sourced aims to develop adaptable models for resilience and growth.The Three Pillars of Residency Re-Sourced
- Online Workshops – Tailored virtual workshops will address critical topics identified during the initial needs assessment. These sessions will provide access to local and international expertise, while encouraging peer-to-peer learning within the cohort.
- Travel & Exchange – Residency Re-Sourced places a strong emphasis on mobility and peer learning. Coordinators from these spaces will travel across the continent, acting as “cultural pollinators”— exchanging innovative ideas, sustainable practices, and creative methodologies. This cross-pollination will foster vibrant collaboration across diverse cultural ecosystems.
- Individual Residency Programs – Each participating space will have the flexibility to design and implement a program that responds directly to their local context and artistic vision. Residency Re-Sourced supports these programs with funding, mentorship, and visibility—partnering with each space to experiment, innovate, and strengthen their role within the creative ecosystem.
Meet the Residency Spaces
Residency Re-Sourced logo | © Finding Etherea (Benin Republic)
Located in Grand Popo, Finding Etherea redefines rest as an essential part of the creative process. This retreat and residency space encourages artists, writers, filmmakers, and designers to pause, reflect, and experiment in a peaceful coastal environment.
With a mini-library, shared kitchen, and a multipurpose studio, residents engage in gardening, meditation, and research while developing projects that explore sustainability, mindfulness, and holistic artistic practice. Learn more about Finding Etherea here.
Residency Re-Sourced logo | © Kuta Arts Foundation (Nigeria)
Based in Abeokuta, Kuta Arts Foundation is a residency space committed to mentorship, public engagement, and creative empowerment. The foundation fosters emerging artists through workshops, exhibitions, and collaborative projects that merge traditional and contemporary art forms.
Through initiatives like the Support Creativity Campaign, Kuta promotes youth engagement and cross-cultural dialogue while partnering with institutions such as the British Council, African Artists Foundation, and Lagos Photo Festival. Learn more about Kuta Arts Foundation here.
Operating between Accra and the fishing village of Busua, Berj Residency offers artists a unique setting that merges urban energy with natural tranquility. The program provides mentorship, research opportunities, and access to Ghana’s leading artists, including El Anatsui, Owusu Ankomah, and Betty Acquah.
With over 1,000 historic artworks in its collection, Berj Residency fosters deep artistic inquiry, culminating in exhibitions at Berj Art Gallery.
Learn more about Berj Residency here.
Located in Kaduna, Open Arts Development Foundation supports emerging and marginalized artists across Northern Nigeria. With a focus on literature, digital media, and contemporary art, the space hosts residencies, poetry salons, portfolio reviews, and silent reading sessions.
As the home of the Hausa International Book & Arts Festival (HIBAF), Open Arts champions interdisciplinary collaboration while integrating digital and virtual reality tools to connect artists beyond geographical borders.
Learn more about Open Arts Development Foundation here.
Based in Porterville, Purple Mountain Arts Residency (PMAR) provides a fully-funded residency for artists working at the intersection of artistic expression, social justice, and queer identity. The space fosters collaborative projects, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary experimentation, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and celebrated.
Learn more about Purple Mountain Arts Residency here.
Based in Abidjan, SOMETHING Art Space is a platform for experimental video art, digital media, and critical theory. As a non-profit organization with free public access, the space fosters intellectual engagement through research, exhibitions, and artist collaborations.
SOMETHING Art Space challenges traditional frameworks by focusing on memory, identity, and the future of immaterial artistic practices in Africa.
Learn more about SOMETHING Art Space here. https://www.instagram.com/something.art.space/
Situated in Saint-Louis, Le Château Cultural Center bridges contemporary art with social and environmental activism. The residency integrates eco-conscious practices into its programming, supporting projects that address climate change, cultural identity, and sustainability.
Through workshops, exhibitions, and collaborative research, Le Château fosters creative solutions for global challenges while engaging deeply with its local community.
Learn more about Le Château Cultural Center here.
Located in the heart of Tunis' historic Medina, Art n Stay is a pioneering residency that merges contemporary artistic practice with African culinary traditions. Developed by Culture Funding Watch (CFW), the space fosters intra-African connections by using food and art as universal languages.
The residency operates within the Ifrîqiyyah Foundation, a three-level cultural hub that includes: residency & culinary Space which hosts artists and chefs, with a fully equipped kitchen for culinary experimentation, workshop & exhibition space which serves as a dynamic venue for exhibitions, workshops, and artist collaborations, and a terrace gastronomy – a rooftop fusion restaurant, where menus created by resident chefs generate revenue to sustain the residency.
Learn more about Art n Stay here.
Oludamilare Kolawole
Programme Manager
Coordinator: Residency Re-Sourced
Project Coordinator, Residency Re-Sourced
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Oludamilare Kolawole
Programme Manager
Coordinator: Residency Re-Sourced
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