Mediterranean Futures Residency 2026 in Tunisia | Fully Funded International Residency for Artists, Designers & Creative Technologists

The Mediterranean Futures Residency 2026 is now officially open for applications, offering an exceptional fully funded international residency opportunity for artists, designers, architects, researchers, and creative technologists interested in exploring the intersection of cultural heritage, contemporary art, memory, and emerging technologies.

Organized by EL SPACE in Tunisia, this prestigious two-month residency will take place from October 1 to November 30, 2026, in the culturally significant regions of Tunis, Sidi Bou Said, and Carthage. The residency is designed to support experimental artistic research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and critical inquiry into how technology is reshaping the understanding, preservation, and future of heritage.

A select cohort of only five international residents will be chosen through a competitive global open call.

About the Mediterranean Futures Residency 2026

The Mediterranean Futures Residency is an ambitious international initiative that brings together practitioners from across disciplines to investigate how heritage evolves in an age shaped by digital transformation, artificial intelligence, technological mediation, and changing cultural narratives.

Rather than treating heritage as a static archive of the past, the residency encourages participants to examine heritage as an evolving, contested, and future-oriented field of cultural production.

Residents will engage with:

• Cultural memory
• Architecture and archaeology
• Archives and counter-archives
• Oral histories and storytelling
• Artificial intelligence and heritage
• Digital fabrication
• Contemporary artistic practice
• Sound, image, and technological experimentation
• Climate and environmental impacts on cultural identity
• Decolonial narratives and networked culture

The program prioritizes experimentation, dialogue, speculative thinking, and process-driven research over polished exhibition-ready outputs.

Residency Location: Tunisia’s Historic and Cultural Landscape

The residency is situated within one of the Mediterranean region’s most historically rich environments.

Participants will be based in Tunis and work extensively in:

• Sidi Bou Said
• Carthage
• Ennejma Ezzahra Palace
• EL FABSPACE Lac
• EL SPACE Creative Hub

Residents will have opportunities to immerse themselves in Tunisia’s layered Mediterranean, African, and Arab cultural histories while gaining access to contemporary digital fabrication tools and innovation infrastructure.

The residency creates a unique bridge between historical knowledge systems and emerging technologies.

Curatorial Focus of the Residency

The curatorial framework centers on the idea that heritage is not simply inherited from the past but actively constructed, interpreted, and transformed through contemporary culture and technological shifts.

Participants are encouraged to critically explore questions such as:

• How do digital technologies reshape collective memory?
• What happens when AI interacts with archives and historical narratives?
• How can artists reinterpret architecture, craft traditions, and material culture?
• What role does technology play in preserving or challenging heritage?
• How can artistic practice create new relationships between history and future societies?

The residency strongly supports transdisciplinary and experimental approaches.

Areas of Interest

Applications may focus on a broad range of themes, including but not limited to:

Cultural & Historical Inquiry

• Cultural memory and collective identity
• Oral histories and storytelling
• Public space and contested histories
• Decolonial historical narratives
• Archives and counter-archives

Art, Architecture & Spatial Practice

• Architecture and spatial heritage
• Urbanism and heritage preservation
• Material culture and craftsmanship
• Contemporary artistic interpretations of heritage

Technology & Innovation

• Artificial intelligence and memory
• Digital heritage and preservation
• Interactive and digital works
• Digital fabrication and prototyping
• Technological mediation through sound and image

Environmental & Future-Oriented Research

• Climate change impacts on local cultures
• Speculative futures of heritage
• Networked culture and emerging technologies

Who Can Apply?

The Mediterranean Futures Residency welcomes both emerging and established practitioners from diverse disciplines.

Eligible applicants include:

• Visual artists
• Photographers
• Video artists
• Sound artists
• Designers
• Architects
• Digital and new media artists
• Creative technologists
• Independent researchers
• Scholars
• Hybrid and interdisciplinary practitioners

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A strong artistic or research practice
• Conceptual clarity
• Critical engagement with heritage and technology
• A compelling project proposal
• Interest in interdisciplinary collaboration

What the Residency Covers

Selected residents will receive a comprehensive support package, including:

Fully Funded Accommodation

Participants will receive full accommodation throughout the two-month residency in Tunis.

Travel Support

The program provides travel assistance to and from Tunisia.

Meal Support

Residents will receive meal support during the residency period.

Production & Fabrication Support

Participants will gain access to advanced digital fabrication facilities, including:

• 3D printing
• Laser cutting
• Digital fabrication equipment
• Prototyping resources

Mentorship & Research Guidance

Residents will receive curatorial support and mentorship from invited specialists, researchers, and practitioners.

Institutional & Archival Access

Participants will have opportunities to engage with:

• Cultural institutions
• Heritage archives
• Historical collections
• Creative communities

International Cohort Experience

Residents will collaborate within a highly selective international interdisciplinary cohort.

Public Presentation Opportunities

The residency culminates in public presentations, exhibitions, conversations, and critical dialogues.

Residency Philosophy

The Mediterranean Futures Residency is grounded in the belief that artistic practice is a unique form of knowledge production capable of generating new understandings of culture, history, and collective life.

The residency emphasizes:

• Research-based artistic inquiry
• Intellectual experimentation
• Speculative thinking
• Process-oriented work
• Interdisciplinary exchange
• Creative risk-taking

Participants are encouraged to pursue ambitious and unresolved ideas rather than finalized commercial projects.

Possible Residency Outcomes

Projects developed during the residency may include:

• Video and moving-image works
• Sound installations and compositions
• Digital and interactive artworks
• Experimental archives
• Fabricated objects and prototypes
• Hybrid artistic formats
• Research-based installations

Public Program & International Exchange

Throughout the residency, participants will contribute to:

• Studio visits
• Public talks
• Artist presentations
• Informal exchanges
• Critical discussions
• Collaborative workshops

The residency will also host invited curators, theorists, architects, and cultural practitioners from across the Mediterranean region and beyond.

Selection Process

Only five residents will be selected through an international review process conducted by an Advisory Committee.

Applications will be evaluated based on:

1. Artistic excellence
2. Conceptual originality
3. Relevance to the curatorial framework
4. Research quality
5. Feasibility of the proposed project
6. Potential contribution to the cohort
7. Engagement with Tunisia’s cultural context

Shortlisted applicants may be invited for an interview or conversation before final selection.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit all materials in English or French.

Required documents include:

1. Curriculum Vitae (maximum 3 pages)
2. Artist Biography (maximum 300 words)
3. Statement of Practice (maximum 500 words)
4. Project Proposal (maximum 1,000 words)
5. Portfolio (up to 10 works)
6. Preliminary Production & Resources Plan
7. Optional links to websites, videos, or online work

All application materials must be submitted as PDF files.

Application Deadline

Application Deadline: July 19, 2026 (12 PM Tunis Time)

Residency Dates

• Notification of Results: July 30, 2026
• Residency Period: October 1 – November 30, 2026

About EL SPACE

EL SPACE is Tunisia’s first social innovation hub dedicated to empowering communities through creativity, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Founded in 2015 following Tunisia’s democratic transition, EL SPACE has grown into one of North Africa’s most dynamic creative ecosystems.

Its network includes:

EL SPACE Lafayette

A coworking and civic innovation hub in downtown Tunis.

EL FABSPACE Lac

A digital fabrication laboratory equipped with:

• 3D printers
• Laser cutters
• PCB milling machines
• 3D scanners

Creative Hub Sidi Bou Said

A cultural innovation space located within the historic Ennejma Ezzahra Palace dedicated to art, craftsmanship, and design.

The Mediterranean Futures Residency combines all these spaces into a singular environment where historical heritage meets future-oriented artistic experimentation.

Applicants interested in contemporary art, digital culture, heritage research, speculative design, and interdisciplinary collaboration are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via email to: aslema@elspace.co

Click HERE to learn more about the Mediterranean Futures Residency 2026 in Tunisia.

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