For information on digital arts / new media residencies, see the New Media and Digital section in Exhibition Venues.

For a first working trip to France, a residency is an ideal opportunity to suss out the scene, make contacts and lay the groundwork for future projects. It is often possible to do a residency without actually mastering French and of course, it is an ideal way to brush up on the language at the same time.

In a difficult economic climate, obtaining a studio is often a major preoccupation for any artist and a residency abroad can be a temporary solution to the problem.

The increase in residence opportunities available also corresponds to the conditions necessary for the development of artistic research today. The current European buzzwords as regards the creative sector and future funding are 'mobility' and 'networks'. These intermediary places / spaces in urban or rural contexts are an important part of the international infrastructure of exchanges and participate in the current development of the artistic scene.

By moving away from home territory, an artist experiences new situations and is confronted with an often stimulating and different context of contemporary art. It can be an opportunity to take time for a pause or time for research, an opportunity to confront a new social space and present ones work to a new audience.

The word residency is used in many situations in France. Ideally, a residency provides a place for one or several artists to carry out a period of research or production, without any obligations attached; creativity is facilitated with a space to live and work, financial and technical resources and human contact. This does not necessarily correspond to the reality of the residencies on offer which are all different as regards the support and help offered and it is vital to have as much information as possible before embarking on an adventure of this sort.

As regards the multitude of residencies available, some are informal and have no specific application requirements. Where a grant or production budget is involved, a formal application and portfolio will have to be sent, with various time limits implied in the selection process.

France does not have one comprehensive listing for residencies though there is a good chapter on the Ministère de la Culture's official visual arts web site. There is no English version however.

There is also a list of  artists' residencies at Cultures France.  Cultures France is the cultural department of the Ministry of foreign affairs and similar to the British Council. As regards residencies specifically in France, it simply has a link to the CNAP web site we have just mentioned.

There are two important international organisations specialising in residencies for artists which have web sites in English:

Res Artis in Amsterdam is a major organisation which has a member's scheme of arts organisations which offer residency opportunities or production facilities for artists. The database is accessible to all.

Trans Artists is an independent foundation also based in Holland and correspondent for Res artist mentioned above, that provides information about international artist-in-residence programmes and other concrete opportunities for artists to stay and work abroad.

For another list of residencies in France and around the world, see Artquest International Residencies section.