INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCY

2027 OPEN CALL

Applications for next residency period will be opening in the beggining of 2027.

Our International Residency Programme welcomes artists from different disciplines to stay from 1 or 2 months. We will favour artists who have researched and propose projects suitable to the residency and the surrounding environment.

  • More information soon.

Preferred dates are asked on the application form. If you would like to apply for alternative dates please let us know. Your flexibility in dates is greatly appreciated and helps us schedule.

GUIDELINES (PDF)

  • Application is done via an Open Call.

    This is what you will need to apply and begin your preparations:

    • Personal details and contacts

    • Your preferred period and duration of stay

    • Cover letter introducing yourself and your motivation (max. 300 words)

    • Artist statement describing your practice/research and areas of interest (max. 300 words)

    • Project proposal indicating any particular project you would like to propose for the residency (max. 300 words)

    • Optional workshop or other event proposal (max. 200 words)

    • Portfolio (max. 10 pages, 12MB)

    • CV

    • A few sentences about how your project will minimise its impact on the environment

    • A few sentences on why you want to do the residency and your expectations of it.

    As an international residency, artists applying must be comfortable communicating in English and application must be written in English.

APPLICATION FORM (CLOSED)

The cost of the international residency is 1550€ per month. This includes studio, accommodation, access to all facilities at PADA, as well as a comprehensive plan of activities, final group exhibition and professional documentation of the exhibited work. It does not include travel costs. The residency doesn’t provide the artists with meals nor materials.

PADA is a non-profit association and currently receives limited financial support. We encourage selected artists to apply for personal funding to cover all costs involved. We are happy to help all successful applicants with invitation letters. It is important when applying for funding to inform us as soon as possible to allow sufficient time to secure the necessary formalities.

An artist is painting on a large canvas in an art studio, surrounded by colorful abstract paintings, with art supplies on a table nearby.
An artist crouched on the floor of an art studio, working on a large abstract painting on the floor. There are three paintings on the wall behind, with one featuring abstract human figures, another in plain beige, and a third with colorful shapes. Ar
Two people in an art gallery or studio with white walls, hanging metal sculptures, ladders, and a colorful abstract painting on the wall. One person is jumping with arms raised, and the other is looking up at the sculptures.
A group of people attending an art exhibition in a white gallery space with colorful abstract paintings on the walls.
An artist with short dark hair and glasses working on a watercolor painting in a studio, wearing a black shirt and a paint-spattered apron, with various artworks and sketches on the wall behind her.
Person with blonde hair creating abstract art on a table in a colorful, spray-painted studio with bottles of paint and art supplies on a nearby cart.
A woman working on a sewing machine in an art studio with colorful paper, fabric, and art projects around her.
Woman in black jacket and beanie holding paper, standing in an abandoned warehouse with geometric sculptures on the ground behind her, and another person crouching in the background.
People gathered in an art gallery with abstract and modern art on the walls, some standing, one sitting on the floor, and one sitting on the ground with legs crossed.
People viewing and socializing around artwork in an art gallery, with a man in a gray sweater walking past a painting on the floor, a cat sitting nearby, and several groups of people talking in the background.

The residency includes

We believe dialogue is important for a rich studio practice, and the residency programme has been developed with this in mind. By organising monthly activities, artists have the opportunity to engage with each other and develop new contacts.

PADA provides structured opportunities for artistic development through a programme of tours, presentations, critiques, and mentoring.

Programme of Activities and Support

  • Artists are taken to the Industrial Museum, where a local historian will do a brief introduction to the history of Companhia União Fabril (CUF). Artists that would like to work with the archives, can make further meetings.

  • PADA provides a 2h walking tour to the restricted areas of the industrial park (old Sotinco Paint Factory and the North side of the Industrial Park) to introduce artists to the contemporary reality of the area.

  • The curator of the residency prepares and conducts a tour to some galleries, artist-run spaces, artists’ studios and other exhibitions venues or projects in Lisbon. This is aimed to expand the artists network within Lisbon and showcase some of the Portuguese art scene.

  • At the start of the residency, artists give a short, informal 10-minute introduction to their practice. These sessions are led by the residency curator and PADA’s founder, who also outline the programme ahead.

  • Artists receive an in-depth studio visit with the residency curator to discuss goals, ideas, and progress. These meetings support critical reflection and professional exchange. For two-month residencies, two meetings of this kind are planned (early and mid-residency).

  • For 2-month residences only. Mid-residency group critiques are held in the studios, offering artists the chance to present their work-in-progress and receive feedback from peers, the director, and curator.

  • Final critiques are held in the gallery, where each artist presents up to three finished works. The session supports final exhibition planning and culminates in the selection of works for the concluding group show.

  • A visiting curator presents their curatorial practice and meets individually with each artist. They also participate in gallery crits and play a key role in curating the final group exhibition.

  • The Exhibition and Open Studios are held on the last Saturday of the residency. This final exhibition and the corresponding critique and installation act as a focal point to the residency. The exhibition is curated by the guest curator, supported by the PADA team, and will be documented by a professional photographer. Alongside the exhibition are the Open Studios showcasing other works produced during the residency and displaying projects from other programmes at PADA. 

Facilities

  • 36 m2 studio

  • Accommodation in a private double bedroom

  • Access to all PADA Studios facilities, including gallery and workshop

  • Access to the restricted areas of the Industrial Park

Selection Criteria

• Quality of work and commitment

• Applications that take into consideration PADA´s unique location and facilities

• Unique perspective and approach

• Interest and willingness to work and live in a community of artists

• Clarity and focus of proposal

After applying

Artists will be informed about the success of the application by 22nd April 2026.

After receiving the invitation the artist will be asked to pay a 50% deposit to hold their place in the program within 14 days. A two-part agreement between the prospective resident and PADA will be signed. A copy of that agreement can be requested in advance should you have any questions.

Cancellations have to be announced with as much notice as possible. In the case of cancellations within three months of the start date refunds may not be possible.

We encourage artists to apply for individual funding to cover the residency costs. Make sure to inform us as soon as possible when applying for funding. We help all successful applicants with letters of support.

Residencies will begin and end in the indicated dates, so artists should arrange transport to arrive or depart accordingly. The Check-In and Checkout shall happen within PADA’s team working hours (Monday to Friday 11am to 5pm).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

  • Not being in crowded Lisbon - but being in this sort of urban hinterland was just so perfect for me. The open sunlit De-Chirico-esque landscape fed into a de-cluttered mental space - it was like being cut adrift in the best possible way - a sense of freedom and time to explore.

    Matthew Swift

  • I enjoyed every single minute of it!! - The residency at PADA is truly one of the best things I have done. The time, space and freedom the residency provided me enabled me to test and explore new materials and ways of working, to think and consider the properties of the materials I was using and why. I came to PADA with an intention and left with a completely different body of work than what I had intended and my practice is richer and stronger for it.

    Anna Boland

  • The documentation PADA does for us, filming our work and photography is really helpful to my practice. Often people ask for images of me working because my work is very much about the process but often when I'm working, I'm just working and I've photographed my work but not with myself doing the work. Now I have a reference point.

    Stephanie Pau

Art installation consisting of a circular wooden structure with vertical and horizontal supports, a small white cup on top, and various smaller geometric models made of sticks and connectors nearby, all set against a white gallery wall.
A torn pot hemlock netting with yellowish color hanging on a white door frame in a minimalistic, grey and white room.
An art installation featuring a large, abstract sculpture that resembles a head with an extended nose, made from dark, textured material mounted on a wooden stand with wheels. There is a pink and white patterned tote bag hanging on the white wall.
Two ancient, weathered papyrus scrolls with grid patterns, mounted on a black display board with a metal mechanism in the center, against a white wall background.