EC(H)OES OF ETNA – RESIDENCY

       1- 21 July 2026
📍 Ecomuseo del Castagno dell’Etna& Casa di Paglia Felce Rossa, Milo - Catania

The residency is dedicated to visual artists and performers working with eco-embodied practices and research-based approaches.It takes place in Milo, a village at the foot of Etna Volcano from 1st July to 21 July 2026. Located between Etna’s volcanic landscape and the Mediterranean coast—just 20 minutes from the sea—the residency offers an immersive environment for artistic research and experimentation. Artists are encouraged to engage directly with Sicily’s natural and cultural landscape, using the territory as a living site of inquiry. The programme focuses on exchange and collaboration. Residents share methodologies, references, and working processes while developing their individual practices and creating their personal artwork. Selected residents (18+) are offered guided walks in the volcanic landscape and nearby villages, workshops and webinars related to eco-embodied and visual arts practices.They are also challenged to co-create an interactive outdoor performance among the Sciare (ancient lava flows) of the chestnut forest of Milo village. Public performances, workshops, and installations are an integral part of the residency, conceived as moments of encounter and dialogue with local communities and external visitors. 

SELECTION PROCESS

Residents are selected from among the artists who have already applied to Meeting Your Land, the international photo and video collective exhibition organised as part of La Poesia dell'Essere - International Eco-Embodied Visual Arts Gathering. The residency open call — EC(H)OES OF ETNA is therefore open exclusively to artists who have submitted an application for that exhibition. If no suitable applicants are identified, the host may invite artists directly. One place is reserved for an artist with fewer opportunities.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications will be assessed by the artistic committee based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to eco-embodied practices

• Artistic quality and originality of previous work

• Originality and potential of the draft performance proposal

• Collaborative potential and openness to experimentation

• Motivation and commitment to the residency context

FUNDING & APPLICATION

• Only 3 artists receive full funding through Creative Europe** .

• Other additional artists can join the residency at their own expense, subject to availability and can stay for a shorter period ( minimum 1 week ).

• Artists can indicate their interest in the residency in the application form for the collective exhibition "Meeting Your Land" or contact us separately.
  
  

**   Artists who have legal residencein in one of this following Countries are eligible for EU fundings:

Albania, Austria, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Ukraine. OR Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) and Outermost Regions (ORs): Greenland (Denmark);  French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion Island, Saint Barthelemy, Saint-Martin, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna Islands (France); Azores, Madeira (Portugal); Canary Islands (Spain); Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius (Netherlands).

Please note:

• The funded residency is subject to confirmation of Creative Europe funding. Final confirmation is due in June 2026
  
  

What the funded residency includes (for the 3 funded artists)

• Accommodation

• Studio facilities

• Mentorship and curatorial support

• Exchange and collaboration with other artists

• €30 daily allowance

• Travel expenses

• Additional visa and access costs, if required

ACCOMODATION

The provided accommodation - La Casa di Paglia Felcerossa - is an eco-sustainable rural estate, located very close to the Ecomuseo, ensuring easy access to the residency’s main site and resources. Artists stay in eco-built spaces with shared common areas and a kitchen. Outdoor gardens and natural surroundings offer informal spaces for research and creative work. The residence is also near the outdoor working sites, including the Sciare lava flows and chestnut forests. If special needs are requested, priority is given to proximity, sustainability, in line with the residency’s ecological objectives.

RESIDENCY AT YOUR OWN EXPENSES

If your legal residence is based in Italy or outside a Creative Europe Country,  you can still join the Artistic Residency at your own expenses. 

Minimum stay is 1 week choosing one of the following weeks: 1 -7 July | 8-14 July | 15-21 July.

(160€/week for Accommodation. Food is not included).