CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – KULT XL STUDIOS – 2025
The municipality of Ixelles is launching a call for applications from Monday, March 31 to Monday, April 28, 2025, to allocate the following municipal artist studios from the KULT XL Ateliers network to visual artists:
- 7 long-term studios (1 year, renewable once) located at Rue Wiertz 21a, 1050 Ixelles, available from 01/10/2025;
- 1 long-term studio (1 year, renewable once) located at Rue du Trône 95, 1050 Ixelles, available from 01/10/2025;
- 1 long-term studio (1 year, renewable once) located at Rue de l’Automne 44, 1050 Ixelles, available from 01/10/2025.
This type of studio is exclusively intended for visual artists residing in the Brussels-Capital Region, regardless of nationality.
Eligibility Criteria
The call is open to visual artists who:
- Reside in the Brussels-Capital Region, regardless of nationality;
- Are at least 18 years old at the time of the call;
- Are not enrolled in a university, academy, or art school that grants professional bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees;
- Have a professional artistic practice:
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- Meaning their artistic practice constitutes their primary professional activity.
Each candidate may submit only one application.
Collective applications are also accepted, provided that each member of the collective meets the eligibility criteria. Members of a collective may not submit an individual application for the same call.
Artists who have previously been allocated a municipal artist studio through a past call are not eligible to reapply.
What Do the Selected Artists Receive?
The selected artists will benefit from:
- The allocation of a municipal artist studio for one year, renewable only once;
- Access to the exhibition space at Rue Wiertz 23, 1050 Ixelles, for organizing exhibitions and events during their residency, subject to availability and in coordination with the Culture Department;
- A communication platform: presentation of the artists on the cultural website, in Info XL, and on the social media platforms of the municipality of Ixelles, as well as promotion of their events;
- A program of workshops and networking opportunities with cultural sector professionals;
- If needed, technical support for setting up and dismantling an exhibition or activity in the exhibition space at Rue Wiertz 23, 1050 Ixelles (up to 2 days for setup and 2 days for dismantling);
- If needed, the organization of an opening event (vernissage).
Obligations of the Selected Artists
Once they accept the grant, the selected artists commit to:
- Opening their studio to the public at least once a year on a date agreed upon with the Culture Department;
- Obtaining fire, water damage, and liability insurance for personal belongings, work materials, and artworks stored in their municipal studio;
- Paying a deposit of €1,000 to cover potential damages caused during the studio occupancy. This amount will be refunded at the end of the residency;
- Covering the costs of using their studio (water, gas, electricity, heating) as described in the studio occupancy agreement.
Compliance with these conditions is essential to fully benefit from the allocated municipal studio.
Required Application Documents
The application must include the following documents to be considered valid:
- The completed application form (see appendix) in French or Dutch;
- A brief portfolio with around ten photographic reproductions of the artist’s works and/or exhibitions;
- Optionally, a document with up to five links to video and/or performance works by the artist;
- A curriculum vitae of the artist;
- If applicable, a curriculum vitae for each member of a collective submitting a joint application.
If any of the required documents are missing, the application will be considered incomplete and immediately excluded.
Evaluation Criteria
- Artistic quality (50/100): The quality of the candidate’s work as assessed by the jury.
- Relevance to cultural policy (30/100): The artistic vision and practice of the candidate must align with at least two pillars of the cultural policy plan “CO” 2020-2025 and the General Policy Declaration of the municipality of Ixelles in effect at the time of the call.
- Methodological quality (20/100): The thoughtful and realistic approach to the use of the studios.
Who Evaluates the Applications?
A pre-selection jury composed of five members from the municipal administration will review all applications. This jury consists of the Visual Arts Project Manager, the Head of the Culture Department, the Head of the Education, Culture, and Sports Department, the Director of the École des Arts of Ixelles, and the Curator of the Ixelles Museum. Candidates who pass the pre-selection will be invited for an interview with the selection jury in June 2025.
A selection jury of seven members will evaluate the pre-selected candidates before making recommendations to the College of Mayor and Aldermen. This jury consists of the Director of the École des Arts of Ixelles, the Curator of the Ixelles Museum, a representative of the academic sector, a visual artist, a journalist, a curator, and a citizen representative. The selected artists will be announced in September 2025.
How to Submit an Application?
Applications must be submitted in French or Dutch.
The complete application file must be submitted by Monday, April 28, 2025, at 12:00 PM (noon) via the website.
Alternatively, the application can be submitted:
- By mail or registered letter to the College of Mayor and Aldermen, c/o the Culture Department, Chaussée d’Ixelles 168, 1050 Ixelles. The postmark serves as proof of submission.
- By personal delivery to the Culture Department (Rue Mercelis 19, 1050 Ixelles), where a receipt will be provided.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
More Information
Two information sessions will be organised online on Thursday 10 April 2025 at 5pm and on Thursday 17 April 2025 at 2pm. Please email the Culture Department (cultuur@elsene.brussels) to register and be sent a link for the meeting.
An FAQ is available on the website www.cultuur.elsene.be where answers to the most frequently asked questions can be found.
Contact person for this call
Sara Vanhegen, Visual Arts Project Manager, sara.vanhegen@ixelles.brussels – 02 515 64 09
