SWANA x Struer Residency

Open Call for SWANA-region based sound artists, experimental musicians, and/or composers

Art Music Denmark, Klang Festival (Copenhagen, DK), MINU_festival_for_expanded_music (Copenhagen, DK), and Sound Art Lab/Struer Tracks (Struer, DK) are in collaboration with Another Sky Festival (London, UK) thrilled to announce a new residency programme for two solo artists working with sound, experimental music and/or composition, who are based in the SWANA region (South West Asia and North Africa). The residency is designed to provide time, space, and resources to explore, experiment, and develop new works.

Why SWANA?

The project arose from conversations between the Danish festivals about the lack of infrastructure for commissioning artists based outside of Denmark or Europe. To this end, we have created this new residency programme.

To help us disseminate our open call, we are collaborating with Another Sky Festival (who specialise in presenting music from the SWANA region and diaspora) in order to learn from their knowledge and networks.

About the Residency

Two selected artists will each be invited for a paid three-month residency at Sound Art Lab in Struer, Denmark, with access to state-of-the-art facilities for working with sound. The purpose of the residency is for the two selected artists to create new works and/or performances. Each artist will return to Denmark at a later date to present their new work at another festival in the network.

The residency periods will be mutually agreed with the selected artists, but provisionally:

• Artist 1 – in residency from June-August 2025
• Artist 2 – in residency from August-October 2025 Both artists will present work (an existing or new piece) at Struer Tracks festival in August 2025, as part of their residencies.

Additionally, one artist will present/perform their new work at
MINU_festival_for_expanded_music in November 2025.
The other will present their new work at Klang Festival in June 2026.

Who Can Apply?

We are open to all forms of media and artistic practices as long as sound and/or composition is a central element of the work. We encourage applications from diverse practices, including (but not limited to): sound art, experimental music, conceptual art, installation, performance, multimedia projects, workshops, and artistic activism.

You must be based in a SWANA-region country to qualify for this residency.

Selection of Artists

Artists will be selected by the curators of Klang Festival, MINU_festival_for_expanded_music and Struer Tracks, in collaboration with Another Sky Festival (London).

What We Offer

• A residency fee of 8000 EUR for the three-month period.
• All accommodation covered as part of the residency in Struer, Denmark.
• A fee for the presentation at Klang or MINU_festival_for_expanded_music of minimum 1.000 EUR (please note that the presentation at Struer Tracks is covered by the residency fee)
• Travel and visa costs covered and assistance provided with logistics.
• Full access to Sound Art Lab’s facilities and technical support (within SAL’s capacities) during your stay.

Application Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be based in the SWANA region
• Demonstrate an artistic practice with a strong connection to sound, composition, and/or experimental music
• Be available for a three-month residency in Denmark and for one of the two later festival dates

Please be aware that the working language for this residency is English.

Accessibility

Artists will have private sleeping quarters at Sound Art Lab, with shared living facilities. There are stairs leading up to the facilities, therefore, we regret that Sound Art Lab and accommodation are unsuitable for wheelchair users.

We are committed to supporting all access needs and requests that we can.

If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact info@soundartlab.org