AICA-UK and AICA France: Residency Programme October 2026
Art critics find it increasingly challenging to find the time and money needed for extended stays in London and Paris, despite the longstanding links between the art scenes in these two capital cities.
AICA-UK and AICA France are therefore working together for a second year to offer a members’ residency programme that will help one UK-based applicant and one based in France spend approximately three weeks in the other’s capital city.
The scheme aims to support writers pursue a line of enquiry or a research project through seeing exhibitions, making studio visits and meeting other art professionals. Members of the AICA-UK and AICA France Executive Committees, as well as Directors of the host institutions, will help guide the residents in planning their activities.
In London the residency will be hosted by Flat Time House, the former house of artist John Latham; in Paris it will be hosted by MABA, an art centre which is part of the Fondation des Artistes at Nogent-sur-Marne. Bequeathed by Jeanne and Madeleine Smith, this centre combines a retirement home for artists with two complexes of artist studios and a historic library. Both sites offer a well-furnished apartment for the residents.
In Paris the residency is offered for three weeks in the month of October and candidates may wish to plan to be present for Paris Art Basel (23–25 October) with its exciting array of activities. In London, the residency has fixed dates: it starts on 23 October (that is, after the Frieze art fairs) and finishes on 12 November.
Application requirements for UK-based applicants seeking to go to Paris:
- Applications should comprise a letter of intent (no longer than one page) and a CV.
- In the letter please state how you intend to engage with and discover more about the local art scene in Paris.
- Please note that this scheme is open only to AICA-UK members who have fulfilled the requirements of membership. Say how long you have been a member in your application.
- Email your application to the Membership Secretary at membership@aicauk.org by midnight 31 May 2026. If you have any queries before applying, please also send them to the Membership Secretary.
What is provided:
- Free accommodation in Paris for a three-week period in October 2026, offered by MABA
- Return-ticket from home to the residency by train or flight
- A small per diem
In accepting the award, the resident agrees to produce a short report, reviewing their activities and reflecting critically on their experiences for the English or French AICA Executive Committees, within two weeks of the end of their residency.
Additionally, the resident may also be invited to write about their residency for publication on AICA websites or in AICA International e-mag etc. All such articles, for AICA or otherwise, should be discussed in the first instance with the resident’s main point of contact within AICA-UK, and will require engagement with the organisation’s editorial processes. They must also acknowledge the support offered by AICA-UK, AICA France and the host organisations. Finally, the resident may also be asked to provide short statements about their experience for publication on AICA websites to help promote and advertise the scheme.
Members of the Executive Committees of AICA-UK and AICA France, together with the directors of the hosting institutions, will co-select candidates for this residency programme. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of June 2026.
The AICA-UK and AICA France Residency is supported by FLAT Time House in London and MABA, Fondation des Artistes, in Nogent-sur-Marne. This programme is led by Rui G. Cepeda, AICA-UK, Gareth Bell-Jones, AICA-UK, and Mathilde ROMAN, AICA France.
