General call

Before you begin

We are delighted that you are interested in applying for a residency at Villa Karo, located in Grand-Popo, Benin. Before you begin, please read the call document for this residency, it contains full details on eligibility, terms, and the application process. Once you have reviewed it, complete all relevant sections of this form. We are unfortunately unable to provide personal support to individual applicants regarding their application.

Residencies are open to professional artists, researchers, cultural operators, journalists, and academic professionals from Finland, West Africa, and beyond. Applications are free of charge. Successful applicants will be offered a residency subject to the applicable residency fees.

Please note:

  • All required documents (CV, portfolio, project document) must be in English or French, in PDF format, and accessible without a password.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. We cannot accept additional documents sent later by email.
  • You may apply individually or as a working group (2 people or more).
  • If you apply as a group, the CV of each member must be merged into a single document. The same applies to portfolios/samples of work.
  • You may bring an "avec" (a non-working guest; additional fees apply). They share your bed and room. They must be at least 12 years old. In May–June, a limited number of younger children is also accepted. In the past, around 1–2 children per year have stayed at Villa Karo as "avecs."

We look forward to discovering your profile and workplan!