Artistic residency at La Cité internationale de la langue française (Villers-Cotterêts, France)
Two-month residency in Villers-Cotterêts, France, at the Cité internationale de la langue française for a visual artist from Quebec.
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/7/5/csm_Future-cite-internationale-de-la-langue-francaise-C-Olivier-Weets_a4b1ee7f8a.png "[Translate to English:]")
Partners
Introduction
Go to Mon dossier CALQ This link will open in a new window and complete your grant application online.
Before submitting an application, artists are advised to read the program over carefully. If you have any questions after reading the program or if there is anything else you would like to clarify, please email or phone the program manager. The manager can also provide information and advice on how to present your project and what to include in your application.
Foreword
To enable encounters between different artistic points of view, promote lasting ties between artists and writers from Québec and France, and contribute to the development of these creators’ artistic efforts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) entered into an agreement for artist and studio-apartment exchanges between Québec and France in the visual arts.
As part of this exchange, an artist from Québec can take part in a two-month residency in Villers-Cotterêts, France, at La Cité internationale de la langue française. In turn, an artist from France will be welcomed in Québec City by the Musée de la civilisation, Engramme and Méduse.
Open to the world with deep roots in its region, La Cité internationale de la langue française is a site for culture and life dedicated to the French language. It links the past, present, and future of the French language and the francophonie around three pillars: culture and creation, education and training, research and innovation. La Cité’s aim is to reveal the French language as a source of creativity and exchange, intellectual and esthetic fulfillment, enjoyment, and a lever for social, economic, and civic integration.
The objectives of the residency are to:
- Reflect on a theme (below) related to the French language or the French language in interaction with other languages related to La Cité’s programming and based on its content (tour of the French language and the francophonie);
- Offer the public contact with the residency through mediation initiatives (encounters, workshops, etc.) and create a connection with the region through a participative effort;
- Draw parallels among points of view and creative efforts across the francophone.
Objectives
Conseil's studio-apartment residency program has five objectives:
- To support and stimulate artists by making available to them a suitable environment and the means to produce and disseminate their works.
- To foster artistic renewal for artists and writers by giving them access to a new and stimulating cultural environment.
- To facilitate exchanges of artistic or literary viewpoints and contribute to the formation of durable ties between artists from Québec and abroad.
- To promote the work and career development of Québec artists internationally.
- To develop new networks for artistic creation, production and dissemination.
Residency characteristics
Discipline concerned
Visual arts
Target applicants
Artists with over two years of artistic practice.
Length of stay and grant amount
The length of stay is eight weeks, between October and December, according to the organization’s availability.
Theme
Metamorphosis
The French language is a contemporary cultural heritage in constant metamorphosis. Its evolution is indissociable from the history and social, economic and political transformations of our world. A source of expression and creativity, it is a living material shaped by its environment and its time, intimately connected to the evolution of humanity. It reveals itself by gaining new meanings and using new words (environmental, technological, etc.) and is embedded in the territories by taking on the local tone. The intellectual or aesthetical vision that we have of it is constantly renewed.
The present residency is an opportunity to question the French language and more particularly its capacity to metamorphose: its continuous transformation leads to revisit, or even explode, the notion of writing and to explore, through the prism of artistic practices in the visual arts, different ways of shaping the language.
Location
La Cité internationale de la langue française
The Centre des Monuments Nationaux (CMN), a French public administrative body under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, preserves, maintains, animates and opens to visitors around a hundred historic monuments owned by the State. After an extensive restoration project, the Cité internationale de la langue française opened its doors at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts in October 2023.
The Cité internationale de la langue française aims to share a living language, reinvented by all those who use it around the world, with as many people as possible. It is a cultural and living space entirely dedicated to the French language, offering a variety of activities: tours, temporary exhibitions, shows, residency workshops for artists, researchers and entrepreneurs, educational activities, learning and training in the French language. The project is developed in partnership with local authorities, cultural, social and institutional players, and with national and international operators in the French-speaking world.
On the second floor of the Logis Royal, the Cité internationale de la langue française houses residency workshops for artists from all disciplines, writers, researchers, entrepreneurs and educationalists who are working on a project, including an economic one, related to the French language or languages in general. The Cité's residency programmes are co-constructed with a wide range of local, national and international partners.
Le Fonds régional d’art contemporain Picardie
Le Fonds régional d’art contemporain (FRAC) Picardie, created in 1983 and established in Amiens in the region of Hauts-de-France, is the only FRAC to have put together a public collection around contemporary design, the largest in France and Europe.
It features over 1,300 works from 250 artists, offering a view of contemporary design in its many expressions, including iconic figures on the French and international arts scene: Pierre Bloch, Marlene Dumas, Agnes Martin, Jean-Michel Alberola, Giuseppe Penone, William Kentridge, Sol Lewitt, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Drawing on the strength of this incredible contemporary heritage, the FRAC Picardie is an engaged actor with many structures and communities to foster encounters between all audiences and contemporary creation by generating new forms of awareness and fostering the dissemination and promotion of this collection and contemporary designed writing in France and abroad.
The year 2021 marked a turning point for FRAC Picardie which, under the auspices of its director Pascal Neveux, is involved in an initial artistic and cultural project entitled “What artists have to say about the world’s transformation,” which revisits all the FRAC’s missions for the next three years. Thinking and writing about an artistic and cultural project today means understanding the social challenges cultural institutions face and resituating the FRAC Picardie in a national and regional landscape close to local residents, artists, and cultural and political actors.
Conditions
During the residency at La Cité internationale de la langue française, under the auspices of the organization, complimentary accommodations and a workspace will be provided to the artist selected.
Eligibility
General criteria
Concerned artistic fields
Visual arts
Discipline
Visual arts
The visual arts encompass painting, sculpture, engraving, photography, drawing, illustration, mixed techniques, installations, comic strips, performance, textile arts or any other form of related expression.
Profiles
Professional artist
To be eligible, you must be a professional artist and have minimal experience in one of the disciplines supported by the CALQ. The CALQ considers professional artists those who:
- declare themselves to be professional artists;
- produce works or practice an art on their own behalf or offer services for payment, as creators or performers, in disciplines within the CALQ’s jurisdiction;
- have been recognized by their peers;
- publicly present or perform works at sites or in a context recognized by their peers.
For the purposes of this program, the term “artist” also includes writers, storytellers, architects and craftspersons.
- Eligible artists include the Inuit and members of Canada's First Nations residing in Québec.
- Artists must be continuously engaged in their artistic practice and must have received recognition from their community or on their territory as practitioners of their art form, whether traditional or contemporary.
- For the purposes of the CALQ's programs, the term "artist" also includes writers, storytellers and artisans/creators.
Status
The applicant must be a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant as contemplated in section 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In both instances they must normally reside in Québec and have resided there for at least the preceding 12 months.
Applicants who have resided outside Québec for two or more years are considered ineligible for the Conseil's programs, unless they have maintained their status as a Québec resident.
In this instance, it is the applicant's responsibility to demonstrate his eligibility by submitting proof of participation in Québec's health insurance plan, as administered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec.
Conditions
These rules govern all CALQ grant programs.
You can submit up to five separate applications and receive a maximum of five grants per CALQ fiscal year, from April 1st to March 31st. All applications submitted, including those deemed ineligible, are counted in the annual maximum.
Applications with a fixed date:
The fiscal year a grant application falls under is indicated under the application date for each program in the ''Presentation of the application'' section. You can only submit one application per registration.
Apply any time:
Travel, Circulation of Works Within Québec, Circulation of Works Outside Québec:
Applications submitted between March 1st and 31st inclusively are counted for the following fiscal year.
Others :
Applications received between February 24 and March 31st inclusively will be recorded in the following fiscal year.
You may not have more than three projects being considered, supported or under way at the same time.
If you have received financial support from one of the CALQ’s grant programs, you must produce a Grant Use Report within three months after the completion of the project. To be eligible to submit a new application, you must have submitted Grant Use Reports for all projects that have reached their end, and these reports must be approved by the CALQ. The official end date for the project is the date you set when applying.
Failure to meet deadlines for the submission of projects will render your application ineligible.
Ineligibility
- Projects carried out under the supervision of an educational program are ineligible.
- A project that has already been rejected by the Conseil is ineligible for this program.
- A group legally constituted as a not-for-profit or profit-making company or general partnership is ineligible for this program.
- Incomplete applications.
Amount of the grant
The grant amount is $6,000.
Expenses covered by the grant
Grants awarded by the Conseil under the Studios and studio-apartments section enable recipients to cover the cost of personal insurance, travel, living expenses, visa fees and costs related to carry out their projects.
The grant recipient is responsible for obtaining all of the documents necessary for his sojourn abroad, including a visa when the host country demands it.
Applicants do not have to submit an itemized budget to support their application.
Financial support is available for artists with disabilities with a view to ensuring access to CALQ's services. Please complete the relevant section of your official form if you would like to submit an application.
Evaluation of applications
Evaluation criteria
- Artistic quality of the work
- Interest and relevance of the project
- Feasibility of the project
Process
All applications are evaluated on their merits, based on the specific objectives and assessment criteria for each of the program components. The selection process takes into account the comparative value of the projects and the available credits.
The applications are evaluated by a jury whose members must appear in the official roster of resource persons (this roster is approved by CALQ's Board of Directors).
For reciprocity-based residency programs and specialized residencies, a jury commissioned by the artistic director of the foreign host organization reviews the applications. Recommendations are submitted to CALQ's Board of Directors for approval. Decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
Three months after their mandate has been completed, CALQ makes public the names of the Quebec-based jury members.
Éthics
Board members, employees and members of juries and committees of the CALQ are subject to Codes of ethics and professional conduct This link will open in a new window. All must act in good faith in performing their duties and refrain from taking part in any discussion concerning a grant application that risks creating a conflict of interest. Confidential or privileged information transmitted to them may not be used for personal reasons.
Decision
The Conseil will inform applicants of its response to the application approximately three months after the application deadline.
An applicant registered for Mon dossier CALQ will receive an email inviting him to consult his online file to find out the result.
If the application is successful, along with the announcement letter the applicant will receive a document describing the terms and conditions governing the use of the grant.
If the application is unsuccessful and the applicant is not registered for Mon dossier CALQ, the Conseil will communicate its decision in writing.
After receiving the results, the applicant may request the jury's or the evaluator's general rankings of the project for each evaluation criterion.
The CALQ wishes to reiterate that its decisions are final and without appeal. No form of verbal abuse, harassment or intimidation towards its team after a decision is rendered, nor at any point in the application process, is tolerated.
Presentation of the application
Registration deadline
May 9, 2024
An artist who wishes to apply for this grant program must fill out the appropriate application form and provide a complete file, making sure to include all the requisite items.
The date of submission online or the postmark is deemed to be the date of receipt of the application. Incomplete applications and those submitted after the application deadline are not accepted.
Choice of host facility
The applicant is invited to present a project for a specific location and must submit a brief justification supporting his choice.
Application form
Important
The CALQ will not be accepting applications by mail. Mon dossier CALQ This link will open in a new window is the favoured channel for transmitting an application and for finding out the status of your file.
If this transmission mode is not available for the present program or if you cannot use it, the CALQ will receive the application file by WeTransfer. Instructions for sending are provided on the Application form – detail project.
Apply online
Mon dossier CALQ- Grant application form - Details of the project for studios and studio-apartments (Word) (64 KB)
- Grant application form - Details of the project for studios and studio-apartments (PDF) (1 MB)
- Grant application form for studios - Personal Information (PDF) (977 KB)
- Grant application form for studios - Personal Information (Word) (64 KB)
Contents of the application file
For some reciprocity-based residency programs and specialized residencies, candidates are advised to attach a two or three-paragraph summary describing the project in the language of the host country.
The required file contents are detailed on the application form.
Any documents or supporting materials received by the Conseil after the application deadline will not be submitted for evaluation.
The Conseil cannot be held responsible for the loss of submitted items or damage sustained by such items during shipping. Applicants are urged to never send the originals of items or supporting materials required for a grant application.
Subject to the provisions of the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, the Conseil respects the confidentiality of the documents and information in its possession and of those sent to it.
Applicants must promptly notify the Conseil of a change of address so that mail can be sent to the new address.
Place of registration
Interested parties should submit an application online (Mon dossier CALQ ) or to CALQ's Montréal office, addressed to:
M. Laurent Rozencwajg
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
1435, rue De Bleury, bureau 300
Montréal (Québec) H3A 2H7
Telephone: 514 864-3350
Toll-free: 1 800 608-3350
Sojourn Abroad
The grant recipient is responsible for obtaining all the documents necessary for his sojourn abroad, including a visa when the host country demands it.
Do not hesitate to contact the cultural team at the Québec delegation, government office or field office responsible for the territory where you will reside to take advantage of the resources that the team can offer you.
Contact information for Québec government delegations, offices and field offices abroad is available on the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie This link will open in a new window.
Obligations and reports
Awarding of grants
- The Conseil determines the amounts awarded taking into consideration the funds available, budgets submitted and eligible expenses.
- The grant will be disbursed in the month following the announcement. However, to proceed with a payment, the Conseil must be informed of the grant recipient's social insurance number. In accordance with tax legislation, a grant recipient is bound to declare the amount of the grant awarded. The Conseil issues a tax slip to each grant recipient and submits the list of grant recipients to the ministère du Revenu.
- For the studio and studio-apartment residency program, the grant will be disbursed two months prior to the beginning of the residency.
- For the studio and studio-apartment residency program, the artist selected undertakes to comply with the applicable conditions and rules, whether communicated by the host organization or the institution overseeing the residency or posted on their website, as the case may be.
For further information…
- The Conseil cannot support the same project more than once. Moreover, the Conseil may not award a grant in respect of the same expenses related to a project already supported under another program of the Conseil or any other organization whatsoever.
- By cashing a grant cheque, the artist enters into a commitment to carry out the project planned and comply with the conditions governing the use of the grant.
- The grant recipient has three years from the application registration date to complete the project supported. The end of this period is the project expiry date. Should the artist fail to comply with this condition, the Conseil may demand repayment of the amount disbursed. Moreover, should the artist die or be disabled prior to completion of the anticipated activity, the Conseil may demand repayment of the grant prorated to the state of advancement of the activity.
Report on the use of a grant
The grant recipient undertakes to submit a detailed report on the use of the grant or the results of the research. This report must be submitted within three months after the end of a project. To be eligible to submit a new application, a grant recipient must have submitted the reports on the use of grants for all projects that have reached their end date, and these reports must be approved by the Conseil. The official project end date is determined by the candidate upon registration.
Visibility and use of the Conseil’s logo
Standards governing visibility
- When the project results in public activities such as exhibitions or publications, the Conseil's logo or a mention of its contribution must appear on any documentation, promotion or advertising materials.
- The grant recipient must comply with Standards governing the use of the Conseil's logo This link will open in a new window.
Further eligibility
Failure to comply with any of the foregoing conditions may jeopardize an artist's eligibility to submit a subsequent application.
Tools and references
Partners
This exchange is made possible through the cooperation of La Cité internationale de la langue française and the FRAC Picardie in France as well as the Musée de la civilisation in Québec City.
Contact info
The contact information for the Québec government offices abroad (delegations, bureaus, and trade offices) can be found on the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie website This link will open in a new window.
Reference documents
Synoptic table (124 KB) of the studios and studio-apartments eligibility per artistic field and professional experience (PDF).
- Frequently Asked Questions This link will open in a new window
- Code of ethics and professional conduct governing jury and committee members and assessors hired by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (65 KB)
- Glossary This link will open in a new window
- Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information This link will open in a new window
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act This link will open in a new window
- Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, film, the recording arts, literature, arts and crafts and the performing arts This link will open in a new window
- Policy governing juries, committees and assessors (365 KB)
The masculine form used in this document is understood to designate men and women equally.