OPEN CALL 2026
AiR PROGRAMME
Tilal Utique welcomes artists from across the Global Majority to participate in its multidisciplinary residency programme in northern Tunisia.
Situated between Tunis and Bizerte, and designed by Francis Kéré, Tilal Utique sits within a landscape shaped by Mediterranean ecology, layered histories, and long traditions of cultural exchange.
The residency invites artists working across visual arts, performance, literature and expanded practices to spend three weeks at Tilal Utique developing research, reflecting their practice, and entering into dialogue with other artists and thinkers.
Tilal is a place for attention, encounter, and intellectual exchange.
Artists come here not only to make work, but to think with place.
The Programme
The residency was initiated by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation and forms part of a wider ecosystem that includes B7L9 Art Centre, the Jaou Biennial, and Ibraaz.
Together these platforms support artistic and intellectual practices emerging across Africa, the Arab world, Asia and the wider Global Majority.
In partnership with the Community Arts Lab (CAL) of the Porticus Foundation, Tilal Utique Artist in Residency Programme offers time and space for research, experimentation and exchange within a community of artists whose practices are shaped by diverse geographies, histories and forms of knowledge.
Residency Sessions (2026)
Each residency lasts three weeks.
July 3 – July 24
September 9 – September 30
October 21 – November 11
November 25 – December 16
Up to eight artists participate in each session.
What the Residency Offers
Studio Space: Shared studios and workspaces within the Tilal Utique site (Shared studios with basic amenities (internet, printer, paper, pens, etc.). Art materials are provided upon request.
Accommodation: Private rooms within the residency complex.
Meals: Full board throughout the residency.
Travel Support: Flight support provided upon request. A shuttle service is provided to and from the airport. Any additional transportation needed should be requested in advance.
Per Diem: A stipend to support daily personal expenses.
Encounters and Visits: The programme includes visits to nearby cultural sites such as Tunis, Carthage, the Medina, Sidi Bou Said and the Bardo Museum, as well as meetings with artists and cultural practitioners.
Public Moments
Residencies conclude with a shared moment of presentation, which may take the form of a conversation, open studio, or informal gathering.
The programme privileges research, dialogue, and process rather than finished production.
A Place That Remembers
Tilal Utique is conceived as a place where each residency leaves a trace.
Artists are invited to contribute to the evolving memory of the site, whether through a gesture, a text, a planting, a drawing, or another form of presence that enriches the experience of future residents.
Eligibility
The programme is open to artists working across:
Visual arts
Performance
Literature
Design and applied practices
Applicants must be available for the full duration of the residency.
Application deadline: 19 April 2026
Selected artists announced: early May 2026