Artist-in-Residence Program

This open call is for the first 2 residency periods of 2027.
The Spring Residency will take place 15 February – 9 May 2027.
The Summer Residency will take place 14 June – 5 September 2027.

Applications close: Sunday 13 December 2026, 23:59 CET, or when 60 applications have been submitted.

Since early 2025, Flora Filmtheater and Café Restaurant Flora have been open 7 days a week at a semi-permanent location on the 6th floor of De Constant Rebecquestraat 55 in The Hague. It is named after the first sex cinema in The Hague, ‘Flora’ on the Wagenstraat which closed in 1976. There are two intimate screening rooms and an atmospheric restaurant: it is a place where the magic of film, good food and drink, and meeting people go hand-in-hand, including an amazing view of the city.

Flora is a young initiative started out of love for the city of The Hague; the residency is therefore also focused on fostering The Hague’s artistic community.

Flora has limited time to inhabit the iconic, expansive monument building in which we are located. Never short of inspiration, the site hosts panoramic views over the city, industrial architectural features, and abundant rooms that provoke intrigue, exploration, and questions. The building is also an important point of discussion: why is it mostly vacant when we have such an enormous need for housing and creative workspaces? Our building epitomises Holland’s contradictions of having limited affordable space, yet so many buildings standing empty. It prompted us to think of ways we can open up and share our space, while also supporting emerging art and culture in The Hague.

With this in mind, we invite artists to inhabit and activate the premises in distinctive ways. We are looking for ambitious and experimental proposals that interact with the unique setting of Flora’s building, not only conceptually but also spatially. This can include material research, moving image, performance, installation, and anything else that makes use of the building’s large scope. There is no limitation on medium or artistic discipline.

We ask you to use these Keywords* as a starting point:
Abandon, Belonging, Haunted, Hospitality, In/Accessible, Monument(al)

*We urge you to consider how these keywords can fit into your practice, rather than shaping your proposal around them.

Flora *AiR is open to early- to mid-career visual artists living in The Hague. Unfortunately this means that we do not accept applications from people outside of The Hague.

We welcome artists working across all disciplines.

We prioritise artists who can demonstrate need for space, whether for a specific project, medium, or because of a lack of regular studio access.

*Collectives & duos may also apply, but we cannot provide additional budget for fees.

*The residency is not open to students.

Submissions are assessed by a small committee made up of Flora *AiR team members and an external curator.

The artist must produce a public event to conclude the residency (this can be an exhibition, workshop, screening, performance, open studio, or presentation, etc). This will occur within the 12-week residency period. During their work period, residents may choose to program further public moments on their own initiative, in discussion with us.

Space:
For 12 weeks, the artist-in-residence will have access to part of the 4th floor of our building for their work. This includes a large atelier* space of approximately 50 m2 with a double-height ceiling and glass walls that look out into the building’s stairwell, as well as a smaller, enclosed ‘office’ room with an additional working area of approximately 30 m2.

Additionally, the artist has access to:

• Basic kitchen setup in the studio
• Elevator from street level
• Larger industrial spaces in the building for the presentation/exhibition

Residents are required to work from Flora at least 3 days per week (including weekends).

*The artist can expect some curious onlookers from Flora guests and staff. While we encourage being open to this aspect of the residency, the smaller office space can provide the artist with privacy whenever they should want it.

Funding:

• Artist fee of €1500 per month
• Material/production budget of €1000

We are happy to provide letters of intent for your own external funding applications.

Curatorial and constructive feedback:

• 2 studio visits with external guests in the culture sector
• Regular check-ins with the residency coordinator

Cultural context & community:

• Proximity to lively restaurant & filmtheater*
• Unlimited access to watch films at Flora’s cinema
• Proximity to cultural venues such as Nest, DCR, Zaal 3, and Stroom**

*Flora boasts a large, international, friendly team working daily at the cinema and restaurant. You can find artists, cooks, writers, students, hospitality & film enthusiasts among us. There is always someone to talk to and a large community to get to know, providing a warm, social and generous atmosphere for your residency period.

**The residency coordinator is available to facilitate introductions to artists and organisations in the city, if needed.

Visibility & Publicity:

• Public presentation in the form of an exhibition, workshop, performance or open studio
• Promotion via Flora’s physical location and social media channels
• Possibility to schedule interim presentation moments such as try-outs and tests

• Accommodation or somewhere to sleep
• Running water in the atelier
• 24h access to the atelier. The resident can be present at Flora during opening hours, approximately 10:00 – 23:00
• Specialised workshops or technical facilities on site

*We expect residents to be self-led and work independently, source and transport their own materials, as well as handle their own artistic production.

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Postal address
• Phone number
• E-mail
• Website
• KVK number
• A letter of motivation (max. 1500 characters)
• A project proposal (max. 3000 characters)
• A short bio/artist statement (max. 1500 characters)
• Documentation of relevant work (PDF, max. 10 slides; include links in slides to time-based or audio works)
• Recent CV (PDF, max. 2 pages)
• Indication of which residency period you are available: Spring or Summer

We will only consider submissions that are complete and follow these guidelines.

Submit to: Google Form
Deadline: Sunday 13 December 2026 by 23:59 CET *(or when 60 applications have been submitted)
Notification by: Week of 18 January 2027

Submissions are assessed by a small committee made up of Flora *AiR team members and an external curator. Due to our small team and limited capacity, we regret that we cannot accept unlimited applications. That is why we cap applications once 60 have been submitted.

For questions about Flora *AiR please email air@florafilmtheater.nl.
Coordinator contact: Annemarie Wadlow

Flora *AiR is initiated by Marijn Veltman and Bo Maerten, who founded and run Flora Filmtheater, and funded by Café Restaurant Flora. A new small team dedicated to Flora *AiR is setting up and coordinating the residency, comprising Annemarie Wadlow and Milo Sharafeddine.

• The Autumn Residency will be 12 weeks and take place September – December 2027.
• The Winter Residency will be 12 weeks and take place January – April 2028.

A second open call for artists for these two periods will be announced around May 2027.

• A filmmaker who needs space to create large sets, or for shooting itself.
• An artist who wants to create a large site-specific installation.
• A painter who wants to make a large mural.
• A performance artist who needs to rehearse and test with multiple people.
• A collective who needs space to commune and create.

*The list could go on… these are just a few examples.

You are welcome to come and go at your own pace and depending on your schedule, but you must be present for at least 3 days a week for the entire course of the work period. You cannot share the space with others unless you have applied as a duo or collective. Of course, you are welcome to host visitors as you please.