1Shanthiroad’s 10th edition of the NEXT-STEP residency programme, supported by Sher-Gil Sundaram Arts Foundation, will provide a platform for five emerging artists to live at 1Shanthiroad studios for a total of four weeks, with 24/7 access to 1Shanthiroad’s facilities.

Over the years, the Next Step Residency programme has supported over 50 young artists offering an enriching experience filled with sharing, creating, nurturing, and learning together. Participants also have the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussions with the jury members, ensuring a diverse selection process. This commitment to diversity and inclusivity remains at the core of their programme.

For the tenth edition, in addition to visual arts, we also encourage submissions that engage with media arts, including still and moving images, video, sound, and installation.

The residents are expected to produce work individually or collaboratively that culminates into an open studio or final exhibition at the end of the residency. Through peer exchange, mentorship with our in-house staff and artists, and engagement with the local art community through workshops, talks and studio visits, 1Shanthiroad NEXT-STEP 2025 will strive to provide the artists an environment conducive for bridging the gap between the early stages of their education and their career beginnings.

Details of the Residency

• Accommodation at 1Shanthiroad Studios
• Food (Lunch provided every day, groceries for other meals)
• Round-trip transportation (proof required for reimbursement)
• Production stipend for each artist to produce work during the one-month Residency

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants should have completed their BFA or MFA in Visual Arts.
• The residency is open to self-trained artists with a minimum of 2 years of experience in the field.
• Applicable for Indian nationals only
• A portfolio of work from the last two years with a maximum of 10 images. Please provide each work’s title, year, medium, and size. Applicants submitting images documenting installation, performance, and project-based work should include brief descriptions of the work.
• For time-based work (video/ film), files can either be sent in the application itself or as weblinks to external sites (YouTube, Vimeo etc). Applicants should include the title, duration, year and a brief description for all of these works.
• Submit a 500-word statement of purpose describing an idea that you would like to explore during the residency.
• One letter of Recommendation

Send your application to [email protected]

Application Timeline

Announcement of selected artists: July 15, 2025

Residency at 1ShanthiRoad: August 1 –31, 2025

Next Step residency will culminate in an open studio at 1Shanthiroad on August 29-31, 2025

Application Deadline: July 6, 2025 before 12 AM IST

If you have any queries regarding the application write to [email protected]. For more details, click here