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A Living Space for Art, Culture, and Connection in Cape Verde

ART-EMBASSY | Ilha Criativa

What is ART-RESIDENCE | Ilha Criativa?

ILHA CRIATIVA views the island as both place and process. The residency invites artists to slow down, listen, and observe — allowing Santo Antão to shape their practice rather than imposing a fixed concept. Through lived experience, human connection, and attentive presence, artists become storytellers of the island, translating landscape, memory, and daily life into contemporary artistic language. ILHA CRIATIVA believes that cultural exchange and shared creativity can nurture both artistic growth and community resilience.

Who is it for? What do we offer?

Visual Artists
Writers
Musicians
Designers
• Accommodation in Ribeira Grande, Santo Antão
• Local coordination and cultural mediation by the ILHA CRIATIVA team
• Access to local communities, youth groups, and cultural initiatives
• Opportunity to present work in a final exhibition
• Time and space for artistic research and creation Travel to São Vicente (Cesária Évora International Airport) is covered by the participants. Local transport to Santo Antão will be coordinated by the residency team.

Apply to Join

ILHA CRIATIVA Art Residency

Santo Antão, Cabo Verde | Feb.-Jul.2027

ILHA CRIATIVA Art Residency invites international artists and cultural practitioners to spend
four weeks on the island of Santo Antão, one of the most diverse and poetic landscapes of the
Atlantic.

Rooted in presence, observation, and exchange, the residency offers artists time and space to
experience the island slowly — through its mountains and valleys, towns and villages, daily
rhythms, voices, and silences. The core theme of the residency is to tell the story of Santo
Antão through one’s own artistic perception, translating lived experience into artistic form.

ILHA CRIATIVA is a socially engaged residency that views art as a tool for dialogue, cultural
continuity, and community empowerment. Alongside individual artistic research, residents are
encouraged to share their practices, ideas, and creative processes with the local community,
particularly young people and emerging creatives, contributing to the growth of cultural life on
the island.

There is no expectation of a predefined outcome. The residency values process over product,
intuition over planning, and meaningful human connection as an essential part of artistic work.

Accommodation & Location

Artists are hosted in the very center of Ribeira Grande, the cultural and social heart of Santo
Antão.

The residency space includes:

Private single rooms with en-suite bathrooms (shower & WC)
A dedicated exhibition space for presenting residents’ works
An open inner courtyard for gatherings, talks, and informal encounters

From this base, residents will embark on inspiring journeys across the island, exploring
landscapes, communities, and cultural sites as part of their artistic research.

What the residency offers

Accommodation in Ribeira Grande, Santo Antão
Local coordination and cultural mediation by the ILHA CRIATIVA team
Access to local communities, youth groups, and cultural initiatives
Opportunity to present work in a final exhibition
Time and space for artistic research and creation

✈ Travel to São Vicente (Cesária Évora International Airport) is covered by the participants.
Local transport to Santo Antão will be coordinated by the residency team.

Application requirements

Applicants are asked to submit:

A motivation letter, explaining interest in the residency and the island context
CV and portfolio (PDF or links)

Applications must be submitted in English.

Apply here

Contacts:
artembassy@post.cz

The Island as Studio

Our residency is based on a serene island in Cape Verde — a place of sun, wind, rhythm, and soul.
The natural landscape, the vibrant colors, the music of daily life — everything invites reflection and expression.
We are currently renovating our space, blending traditional architecture with contemporary
simplicity.