Selection
Seven council-funded places, one company-sponsored place and up to two self-funded places are planned. The relevant open calls will set out how each selection process works.
International artist residency · Kyoto · October 2027
JAPÓN CREA
Seven local councils. Seven artist grants.
One company-funded place. Up to ten artists.
AN EIGAKAN FILMS INITIATIVEOCTOBER 2027 · 10 DAYS IN TOTAL, INCLUDING TRAVEL
7MUNICIPAL GRANTS
ONE ARTIST PER MUNICIPALITY
ONE ARTIST PER MUNICIPALITY
10ARTISTS · MAXIMUM CAPACITY
7 MUNICIPAL + 1 SPONSORED + UP TO 2 SELF-FUNDED
7 MUNICIPAL + 1 SPONSORED + UP TO 2 SELF-FUNDED
7WORKING DAYS IN KYOTO
18–24 OCT · 10 DAYS TOTAL INCLUDING TRAVEL
18–24 OCT · 10 DAYS TOTAL INCLUDING TRAVEL
01 / The proposal
Space to create.
A community to grow with.
A change of setting. A fresh perspective on your practice. JAPÓN CREA brings artists together in Kyoto to develop their own projects and engage with the city's culture. The October 2027 programme is planned for up to ten residents: seven supported by local council grants, one by a company-sponsored grant and up to two funding their own participation. Artists from different disciplines will live, work and exchange ideas together.
Artists retain the rights to their work and the freedom to shape their projects. Everyone takes part in the same programme, with the same participation rights and artistic commitments, regardless of funding. After the residency, a group exhibition is planned to tour the seven participating municipalities. Artists receiving a council grant will also present their project in the municipality that selected them.
Our aims
- Support emerging talent and contemporary artistic research.
- Build cultural connections between Spain and Japan through everyday encounters, shared living and learning from one another.
- Bring the work back to local communities through public presentations and a touring group exhibition.
PaintingIllustrationPhotographyWritingFilmMusicOther practices
02 / The residency · October 2027
Ten days away.
Seven days to create and connect.
The programme spans ten days, including travel to and from Japan. Seven of those days—18 to 24 October 2027—are dedicated to making work and living alongside other artists in Kyoto. Eigakan Films brings together studio time, exchange across disciplines and guided cultural visits, with local support from Kyoto Tours en Español.
Preparation
Planning projects, travel arrangements, paperwork and practical requirements together. The terms will be confirmed in the programme rules and agreements.
7 working days
Time to develop your project, stay in shared accommodation and experience Kyoto's culture. The accommodation arrangements and number of nights will be confirmed around flights and bookings. The full ten days include travel; the working programme in Kyoto lasts seven days.
Sharing with local communities
Council-funded artists will present their work in their own municipalities. A group exhibition featuring all residents will also tour the seven participating municipalities.
See the provisional daily schedule · 18–24 October
Welcome and first meeting
Arrival, project introductions and getting to know one another.
Heritage and temples
Guided visits to Kyoto's historic heritage and temples.
Discovering tea culture
Explore how tea is made and experience the tea ceremony, alongside time for your own project.
Time to create
Artistic work and possible cultural encounters.
Kyoto traditions
Explore historic neighbourhoods and learn about Kyoto's geiko and maiko traditions through authorised activities.
Shaping the results
Develop your work and prepare to share it with the group.
Share and conclude
Share work within the group, reflect on the experience and bring the residency to a close.
This is an outline programme, subject to accommodation, bookings, permissions, practical arrangements and the group's interests. Visits to gardens, shrines, craft workshops and creative spaces are planned. Private meetings with practitioners of traditional arts require confirmed bookings and cannot be guaranteed in advance.
See the 2027 timeline
- January–March
- Introduce the project to institutions, agree municipal partnerships and develop the programme rules.
- April–May
- Municipal and complementary calls: seven municipal grants, one sponsored grant and up to two self-funded places.
- June
- Selection and acceptance of places.
- July–September
- Make bookings, coordinate practical arrangements, prepare documents and develop project plans.
- 18–24 October
- Residency in Kyoto on the planned dates.
- November–December
- Local presentations, the start of the exhibition tour and a report on the programme's outcomes. The exhibition may continue touring in 2028.
Provisional calendar, subject to formalisation. The full experience lasts ten days including return travel; the seven working days in Kyoto run from 18 to 24 October.
03 / Places and access
Three ways to join.
One shared experience.
Seven council-funded places, one company-sponsored place and up to two self-funded places. Whichever route you join through, you take part in the same activities and have the same rights and artistic commitments.
The programme is aimed primarily at artists aged 18–35. Each open call will set its assessment criteria, including artistic quality, feasibility, cultural relevance and plans for sharing the work with the public.
Express my interest ↗7 council-funded places
One artist will be selected by each participating municipality through a public open call, under the agreed programme rules.
Company-sponsored grant
A company committed to arts and education will cover one artist's participation through a sponsored grant. This is one of the programme's ten places, not an additional place.
Up to 2 self-funded places
An additional open call coordinated by Eigakan Films, with selection based on the proposed artistic project. These residents fund their own participation; their costs are kept separate from the municipal grants.
Self-funded places do not replace the seven council-funded places. They will only open if accommodation capacity, services and the approved programme rules allow. The open call will explain the terms of participation.
Planning your stay
Before you apply.
Your questions, answered.
What is an artist residency in Japan?
An artist residency gives you time and space to explore a project, exchange ideas with other artists and engage with the place you are visiting. JAPÓN CREA plans to offer that experience in Kyoto in October 2027, for artists working in painting, photography, illustration, writing, film, music and related practices.
Is there funding, and what will I learn?
Learning happens through making work, exchanging ideas across disciplines and taking part in cultural experiences. The programme does not lead to an academic qualification. Seven council-funded places, one company-sponsored place and up to two self-funded places are planned. Eligibility and conditions will be set out in the relevant open calls. Find out how to submit your artistic project.
Are there seven or ten places?
Up to ten artists in total: seven with council grants, one with a company-sponsored grant and up to two self-funded. The sponsored place is one of the three places outside municipal funding, so it does not bring the total to eleven. Additional places depend on capacity, services and approved programme rules.
How do I apply for each funding route?
Each municipality will run a public open call to select one artist. Eigakan Films will coordinate the other places, including the company-sponsored grant. The form on this website lets you register your interest; it does not replace an open-call application or confirm a place.
What dates are planned?
Allow ten days in total, including travel to and from Japan. Seven days—18 to 24 October 2027—will be spent living and making work in Kyoto. Flight dates and times, accommodation nights and services will be confirmed as bookings are made.
Who is the residency for?
The programme is primarily for artists aged 18–35 working in painting, illustration, photography, writing, film, music or another practice suited to the residency. You will be asked about your project, background or portfolio, and motivation. Eligibility and selection criteria will be set out in each open call.
Do activities differ depending on funding?
No. All residents share the same activities, rights and artistic commitments. The difference is how their place is funded: through a council grant, a company-sponsored grant or their own resources.
What happens after returning?
All residents will contribute to a group exhibition touring the seven municipalities. Council-funded artists will also present their project in the municipality that selected them. Exhibition formats and the tour schedule will be agreed with the participating organisations.
What does the cultural programme include?
Alongside time for your own work and exchange with other residents, the programme includes guided visits to heritage sites, temples, gardens, shrines, craft workshops and creative spaces. Tea culture and authorised opportunities to learn about geiko and maiko traditions are planned. Activities depend on bookings, permissions and practical arrangements; private meetings are not guaranteed without confirmed reservations.
What is still to be confirmed?
The responsibilities of Eigakan Films, municipalities, collaborators and participants will be formalised. Rules and agreements will cover selection, reserves, withdrawals, commitments, services, payments, cancellations, safety, travel insurance, healthcare and entry requirements for Japan, as well as intellectual property, images, documentation, results, the touring exhibition and personal data. Agreements and services remain subject to confirmation.
How will agreements with local councils be arranged?
The legal form of municipal contributions and service contracts will be reviewed before calls open. Public funding and its justification will follow each institution's applicable procedures. Eigakan Films coordinates common conditions, while each municipality defines its call and criteria.
An Eigakan Films project
Up to ten artists.
One shared creative journey.
Tell us about your practice, the project you would like to develop and why you want to spend this creative time in Kyoto.
Apply ↗Let us know whether you are interested in a municipal grant, a sponsored grant or a self-funded place.
Ten days including return travel. Artistic work and shared living in Kyoto: 18–24 October 2027. Rules, agreements, flights and services are awaiting formalisation.