Funded Residency in Morocco: Open Call

Funded Residency in Morocco: Open Call Associated Residency Program Nawat Fes OrganizationNawat Fes Nawat Fes offers fully funded residencies in the eighth-century medina of Fes, Morocco to U.S. and international creators in multiple disciplines. The initiative engages art to cultivate understanding among multifaceted cultures through the exchange of ideas. Hosted by the American Language Center Fes / Arabic Language Institute in Fez, a member of the American Cultural Association, Nawat Fes is a new program that hosted its first residencies in 2022. Residencies are free, and artists receive a living stipend. Artist residents live and work in the ancient medina of Fes, which is considered one of the most extensive and best conserved historic cities of the Arab-Muslim world. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Fes medina is one of the world’s largest pedestrian zones, containing narrow alleyways leading to ancient architectural treasures, traditional houses, artisan workshops and open-air markets. Within this unique setting, Nawat Fes provides a supportive environment for research, reflection and artistic practice, allowing artists from around the world to experience and learn from Moroccan culture, and to contribute to the local cultural conversation. Deadline January 7, 2027 Url/web link to application https://nawatfes.org/ Residency Eligibility Residency Length8 weeks - 8 weeks Languages English Average Number of Artists in Residence at a Time 2 Collaborative Residency May apply as a team Discipline Animation Augmented Reality Book Arts Ceramics/Clay Arts/Pottery Digital Media Documentary Drawing Fiction Film Installation Arts Interdisciplinary Arts Landscape Architecture Literary Nonfiction Literature Mixed Media Moving Image Multimedia Arts Music New Genres Nonfiction Painting Paper Arts Performance Art Photography Playwriting Poetry Printmaking Public Art Screenwriting Sculpture Social Practice Sound Art Storytelling Textile & Fiber Arts/Weaving Translation Virtual Reality Visual Arts Writing Companions Pets are not allowed Family Friendly N/A Stage of Career Any stage of career Additional Expectations/Opportunities Participate in public programming Lead workshop for the public Residency Experience Summary Accessible Housing N/A Meals Provided Residents have access to shared kitchen Food stipend provided Studios/Special Equipment Private Studios Studios/Facilities Accessibility N/A Type of Housing Private housing off campus (individual apartment/cabin/house) Application Information Additional Eligibility Information Eligibility & Artistic Media Supported Nawat Fes welcomes both established and emerging artists, including writers (fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting/screenwriting, and literary translation), filmmakers, visual artists, conceptual and performance artists, musicians, composers and sound artists. Artist collectives of up to three people are accepted and should submit a single application. Because a major aim of the program is to bring new international voices to the Fes community, preference will be given to applications from artists who are not already residing in Morocco. Nawat Fes will accept residency applications only from artists holding passports eligible for a Moroccan tourist visa of at least two months (in other words, those listed as “exempted from entry visa into Morocco”) It is not possible for artist residents to be accompanied by spouses or partners unless the spouse/partner applies and has been individually accepted to the program, even if a partner secures their own lodging in Fes. If spouse/family plans to visit, we request that the artist arrange this to occur after their residency. We cannot accommodate filmmakers or artists whose projects require filming in public places The program cannot accommodate children. Our initial facilities have some limitations for visual artists and artists working in sound. Please see website for details. Application and Notification The application deadline for Nawat Fes residencies starting from October 2027 is January 7, 2027 at 11:59 pm Casablanca time. The application will be available at nawatfes.org by early December 2026. Notification of artist selections will be in late April 2027. To be notified when the application opens, please go to Nawat Fes website directly and add your name to our email list. We do not accept applications by email. Selection Criteria Artists will be selected by a jury. We value diversity highly within our community of artist residents. Residencies are awarded based on the quality of work submitted, diversity of cohort, the proposal for intended new work, and the fit of the artist within Morocco and the Fes medina. A high value is placed on linguistic exchange between the artists and the Moroccan community in Fes, which participates in American Language Center programs in English, so artist applicants must have good conversation skills in English. Arabic and French are helpful but not required. Accepted artists must hold passports from countries whose passport holders can receive a 2-month visa for Morocco. Additional information on this criterion will be provided at the time the application opens. Residency Periods Nawat Fes offers residencies of roughly two months each. Artists are expected to arrive at the beginning of each residency period and to stay through the end of the residency period. Please see website for updated residency periods. Artist Inquiries For artist inquiries about a residency or the application process, please contact us at