Overview

Since 2021, Villa Albertine has brought to life exploratory residencies throughout the United States. These residencies are designed as research-focused experiences, which aim to inspire and foster connections with local experts and stakeholders. These connections inspire new works, exhibitions, and collaborations that deepen reflection and enrich the relationship between French and American societies. Ahead of its fifth anniversary, the residency program has welcomed more than 370 artists and intellectuals from 15 disciplines in 60 cities and regions of the United States.

In 2027, Villa Albertine will welcome a new cohort of artists and thinkers who will develop projects that can only take shape with a stay in the United States. In total, around fifty residencies in all disciplines will be supported across the U.S. Lasting between one and three months, most residencies will be based in a single city, while a few will take place in several locations.

Each applicant is invited to imagine a creative project that engages with the dynamics and specific characteristics of the territory they wish to explore. Projects developed during the residency may be entirely new initiatives conceived specifically for Villa Albertine, or the continuation of an existing body of research.

Villa Albertine is an institution of the French Embassy in the United States, supported by the French government and Albertine Foundation. Its mission is to strengthen connections between the United States, France, and the wider French-speaking world through culture and education. Villa Albertine operates in ten cities across the U.S.

Program Objectives & Applicant Profiles

Villa Albertine is looking for creators, researchers, and culture professionals with an original research project they wish to pursue in the field of arts or ideas that requires an immersive stay in the United States. The project should relate to the challenges of the territory explored and should initiate active dialogue with local actors. Villa Albertine particularly values projects that cover contemporary global issues and the transatlantic relationship as well as projects that may lead to lasting cooperation between France and the United States.

Residency Location

• Applicants are invited to propose a residency anchored in a city or a region in the United States. They can choose one of the ten cities where Villa Albertine has a permanent office (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco and Washington DC), or another city or  territory.
• Applicants may also propose a traveling residency, which is a multi-city residency in different regions or cities of the United States. It should be noted, however, that a very limited number of itinerant projects will be selected.
• Candidates are asked to select a residency in a territory that corresponds to the themes they wish to explore. They will be supported by the Villa Albertine office that manages the jurisdiction in which the residency takes place. For example, a residency in Seattle would be assigned to Villa Albertine’s office in San Francisco.

Support

Villa Albertine will also support residents in their analysis of material and logistical requirements to best conduct the projects. It will manage the residents’ arrival and stay and will cover related travel costs and living expenses. This includes:

• Residency allowance covering everyday expenses (meals, local transport, etc.). Example: this allowance amounts to $100 per diem in Washington D.C.
• International and domestic travel costs
• Accommodations
• Car rental (if the nature of the city or project requires a car)
• Health, public liability, and repatriation insurance
• Villa Albertine cannot commit to covering expenses other than the aforementioned travel costs and living expenses. If the applicant identifies specific needs (technical, material, workspace, etc.), they should present solutions to demonstrate the project’s viability (partnerships, extra financial support, etc.).

Selection Criteria

Eligible candidates should possess the following:

• Professional experience in their field of artistic or intellectual creation, demonstrated through a CV or file (less than ten pages long) that presents their career and work.
• Fluency in English, proven by sending a short, three-minute (max) introductory video of their career and project. The video is not expected to be edited but rather should be a simple video shot in front of the camera in which the candidate does not read from a prepared text.
• The support of a French partner associated with the residency project, which can be any public or private French entity (a cultural institution, an organization, a publishing house, a firm in the creative and cultural industry, etc.). The chosen organization should inform Villa Albertine of their interest in supporting the applicant with a letter addressed to Mr. Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France and Director of Villa Albertine.
• The candidate must be at least 21 years old before their planned date of departure for the residency.

Application Process

Applications should be submitted by January 29, 2026 at 11 :59pm, French Time (UTC +1), by completing the form here.

It is strongly recommended not to wait until the deadline to avoid possible traffic or technical difficulties on the platform.

An applicant may only submit one application per season.

Applications can be revised at any time before the closing date of the call for applications. Once submitted, the application cannot be further edited.

For applications that require the participation of two people, only one application must be submitted. Each participant must present themselves in the same form.

Since the applications are also examined by English-speaking experts, the candidate must answer any questions in English that require a written response.

The candidate should mention the territory and the desired duration of the residency (one, two, or three months). Villa Albertine reserves the right to propose a shorter residency period than initially indicated by the candidate, or even to adapt the itinerant residency to make the project more feasible.

Any incomplete or noncompliant application will be deemed inadmissible. Any intentionally false declaration will automatically render the application void.

DEADLINE: January 29, 2026 at 11 :59pm, French Time (UTC +1)