Open Call for Applications for the Bom Dia / OASis Residency 2026
Apply by: November 15, 2025
For 2026, one proposal will be selected to join the “Bom Dia” OASis Residency, at Cultivamos Cultura for a period of 7 to 30 days during the month of April.
This call is open to international creators / artists / researchers from various fields and disciplines, as well as practitioners and experts that operate at the intersection of culture and other disciplines.
You must state clearly on your application whether you are applying as a group or an individual. Groups may not exceed 2 persons with the understanding that the conditions and funding remain the same for a pair as for one individual. Selected resident(s) must be physically present at Cultivamos Cultura to create, produce, and implement their project over the approved timeline.
About the residency
The “Bom Dia” resident(s) will be a part of the OASis residency program. Its residency activities can include interaction within the local community (this can be in the form of artist talk, walks, workshops, open studio visits, etc). Our town of São Luís and the county of Odemira has a vibrant and culturally rich community, and we encourage residents to immerse themselves in this dynamic atmosphere. Additionally, the residency fosters collaboration between creators and the community, while also cultivating synergies between different residencies. The resident(s) must produce an output that will be included in the group exhibition of the OASis project in 2027. Documentation of the residency will be presented on webpages and social media of the OASis partners and the project itself. A condition of the residency is that an output will be added to Cultivamos Cultura’s collection. Results and documentation of the residency may be in the format of interactive result-oriented workshops, joint art events, video and audio recordings, performance, installation, etc.
This residency includes:
- A limited budget for travel of up to €500.
- Accommodation in a private room in a shared farmhouse in the center of São Luis, within the property of Cultivamos Cultura.
- Access to a shared kitchen equipped for meal preparation.
- A project fee of €1300.
- Equitable per diem for food.*
- Production/material expenses up to a maximum of €1600.*
- Free access to all spaces and resources of Cultivamos Cultura.
- Access to a workspace/studio for the duration of the residency period.
- The team of Cultivamos Cultura will provide occasional support to the project, but it is expected that the selected resident(s) is (are) reasonably autonomous in executing and producing all phases of the project, which will be evaluated based on their portfolio from recent years.
IMPORTANT — *Food per diem is specific to each host institution. Production and material funding must be approved by Cultivamos Cultura prior to purchasing as the funding is limited. Production funding includes the production of an output that will be part of the collective exhibition. The total amount will be directly transferred to the resident(s) account against an invoice submitted by the resident or their legal representative. The invoice must include Cultivamos Cultura’s VAT number and details.
Deadlines, criteria and application
The open call is available from October 1st to November 15th until 6pm CET. Proposals submitted after the specified deadline will not be considered.
The jury is composed of three members from Cultivamos Cultura, three members from partnering OASis organizations and one local community member. The jury will evaluate the proposals based on their originality, feasibility with respect to the Cultivamos Cultura’s resources and a relevance towards the objectives of the call. We value projects that are inspired by local and/or natural materials, have a strong ecological interest and are rooted in a care for a sustainable future of an expanded and diverse community. Within the OASis project, interaction with the local community and exchange with international artists are valued. Please consider before submitting your application that our local community – within the village of São Luís, mostly only speaks Portuguese. If the resident would want to reach communities beyond the local village, a part of the production fee needs to be used for renting a car as the mobility in this area is very limited.
Results will be announced by January 31st via email to the applicants and through Cultivamos Cultura and OASis’ communication channels.
IMPORTANT – Results will be sent via email; however, due to the high volume of applications and the voluntary nature of the jury members, we do not provide individual feedback for each project.
Proposals must include:
Project description/statement of intention (max. 500 words) with images, drawings, or diagrams. This description should outline your vision for the strategies to engage with the community, while allowing flexibility for the project to evolve throughout the residency period.
- Estimated list of resources and materials
- Signed originality declaration
- Candidate’s portfolio or website
- Summarized Curriculum Vitae (max. 4 pages)
- Project implementation timeline
- Five photographs, drawings, or illustrative images of the project (for communication purposes if selected)
Each of the residency programs will be concluded by creating an artistic output – that will be both: presented to the local audience and to the wide network of OASis (via multiple platforms). The format of the works and their presentations will be decided by the resident(s) and Cultivamos Cultura. Video documentation, photographic documentation and other kinds of documentation will be expected and produced by both the resident(s) and Cultivamos Cultura.
To apply fill the application form.
