The programme was built on the key artistic values of learning, sharing, inclusion, connection, impact, and change, as outlined in the CYCLE UP! artistic vision, with sustainability central to every aspect of the residency; production, exhibition, mobility, project management, and the networks we built. Our residencies took place across five countries: Estonia (Tartu), Poland (Katowice), and Czechia (Broumov and České Budějovice), Germany (Berlin) and Slovakia (Bratislava). Each residency hosted one individual artist who developed and implemented their artistic project in response to the cycling challenges of their host city, with project proposals addressing local bicycle culture and exploring potential for improvement in sustainable communities. Artistic outcomes were guided by local contexts and developed in cooperation with residency partners, the CYCLE UP! curatorial board, community partners and local decision makers, with each artist presenting their final work to the local public through dedicated events.

The programme was designed to minimise environmental impacts across all aspects of operation through sustainable travel (encouraging artists to choose sustainable transport options with plane travel restricted for journeys under 600km except in cases of disability, island locations, or force majeure circumstances), sustainable materials (prioritising artists who planned to reuse, share or rent equipment, supported by networks advising on sustainable artistic practice), and sustainable networks (connecting artists with communities and decision makers before their residency began, fostering relationships designed to extend beyond the programme period). Through this holistic approach, the CYCLE UP! residency programme demonstrated how artistic practice can contribute meaningfully to sustainable urban transformation while building lasting connections between creativity, community, and environmental responsibility.