A summary of everything you need to know:

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Grant opportunities: 

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We are working on obtaining grant opportunities and when such are available, we will publish information about them on our main IMAGO page. We have also researched some grants where you as an artist and creative can apply independently - freely download a PDF with links by clicking HERE!

 

The residency is directed to:

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• Visual artists (painting, photography, light sculpture, installations, video art, textile artists) with focus on contemporary art.

• Photographers, movie makers, new media and other creatives.

• Curators, musicians, researchers, creative solitude seekers.
   

• NOTE: IMAGO is a self-directed residency. You choose the topic you'd like to work on. The realization of your projects and the experiences within the residency are a matter of self-initiative while we will always be there for professional and logistical support.

 

One month residency: 870 Euro

 

Included (covered in the residency fee):
 

• Private room (around 15m2) in an artists' house with a total of three rooms and a maximum of three to four residents per month. The house has shared living room with small kitchen and bathroom. In case of a need, there is a second kitchen and bathroom in the staff's house. Wi-fi is available as part of the accommodation.

• Private or shared studio, depending on your choice. There is a backyard studio (40m2) and one frontyard studio (25m2). When required, the backyard studio could be separated in two and it becomes a shared studio with two independent entrances. 

• Plenty of natural space - front yard and huge backyard - you can use them anyway you find appropriate.

• Pop-up exhibition with your works in Sofia / Plovdiv - in collaboration with the other residents for the month. Sometimes, when the circumstances are right, the days before the final pop-up exhibition we organize open studio day in the village for the locals.

• Connections with curators, artists, galleries; professional assistance with your work/concept/research (to the extent you need it).

• Introduction into the Bulgarian art and culture scene as well as specific introduction into the Bulgarian modern and contemporary art scene.

• Application approval letter and / or recommendation in case you apply for funding to cover the residency cost.​

• Transport from the airport to Tsarimir.

• Welcome dinner with traditional food and drinks.

• Suggestions, full practical help and tips for everything related to your stay and work, travelling and exploration of the area.

• A map of the must see and must experience events and places.

• Plenty of optional side activities (when additional fees apply, they are covered by the residents) - from experiencing local habits and traditions to riding a horse, fishing, shooting. flying with a motodeltaplan and much more.

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Not included (covered by the residents):

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• ​Expenses for working materials are covered by the residents.

• Works shipping and transportation expenses, as well as insurance, are covered by the residents.

• Travelling expenses are covered by the residents.

• Food expenses are covered by the residents.

• Side program fee expenses are covered by the residents.

• Accomodation in Sofia during the final exhibition is covered by the residents. (In case the final exhibition is in Sofia, you should consider spending 1-3 nights, depending on the date of the exhibition and the date of your flight. Most residents take this as an opportunity to explore Sofia and we take it as an opportunity to invite at the pop-up exhibition and meet you with the most meaningful crowd of professionals and art lovers).

• IMAGO International Artist Residency offers full support and information regarding the best and the most cost efficient choices related to both working materials and food as well as travelling, shipping, insurance.

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Additional conditions:

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• The maximum number of residents for each month is 4 people. If you'd like to come with your partner and/or a child, it is possible, yet we should discuss it separately. Usually the maximum time period allowed for partners who are not participating as atistic duos is one week and the additional cost for them is 15 euro / day.

• The residency is not pets friendly, because we have a few lovely yard cats jelaous of their territory and sometimes there are dogs roaming around the streets which are friendly to people, but might be dangerous to other non-local dogs.

• Spoken and working language is English. We can also support artists speaking predominantly German and Russian.

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Answers to the most common questions:​

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• Usually the residency fee is paid as follows: 200 euro in 10 days after your application is approved. The rest is paid a month or two before the start of the residency, depending on your dates. In case you need another method, we can discuss that. We accept PayPal and direct bank transfers.

• We are going to be personally present at the residency during the first and the last 7-10 days of your stay. Obviously we’ll have to travel, lecture and spend time on commitments outside of the residency area, but during these periods there will always be at least one person at the staff’s house who will be there to support your needs. When not present, we’ll always be available via mobile, viber, whatsApp and all other communication channels.

• Our team consists of our closest people. Dedicated part of the team are Rado's parents. Lovely people who're looking after all residents as if they are their own children. Through them you will experience the hospitality of the local culture in it's purest form. 

• There is a bus between Tsarimir and Plovdiv a few times per day and it costs 1.40 Euro in one direction. That means you can travel freely and independently as often as you feel. The bus from Plovdiv to Sofia costs 5 - 7 euro in one direction.

• The average food expenses in the village for somebody with standard eating habits is 6-8 euro per day (meaning three meals per day). You can definitely go below that or spend more.

• Spending a night in Plovdiv (a hostel or a basic airbnb) would cost you an average of 15-20 euro. There are plenty of different food and drinks options. The museums and the galleries are usually quite cheap. The same applies to Sofia.

• The Spa & Wine complex in Starosel costs 10-15 euro per day and for this amount the experience is unbelievably good! You'd have to spend additional 5-7 euro for transport as there is no direct line from Tsarimir. The horse riding camp in Zhitnitsa is also brilliant as just for 15 euro you can have your first lesson in horse riding while the spa center there which is smaller than the one in Starosel costs about 7 euro per person (with gym included).