Here you can find our up to date Open Calls for workshops and residencies.
In a joint project SAVVAĻA and MAAJAAM are inviting arts professionals to participate in a group residency camps designed to learn new skills through hands-on practice. Apply by 26 May. These residency camps aims to strengthen regional artistic communities, particularly from Vidzeme (outside Riga), Kurzeme, and Southern Estonia. Therefore, we especially welcome applications from individuals living or working in these regions. Please note that the primary working language will be English.
Dates: July 8 – 13 & August 10 – 17, 2025
Location: Art space in the wild SAVVAĻA
Apply by: May 26, 2025 (included)
Results: June 2, 2025
Confirm your place: by June 4, 2025
Participants: 6 from Vidzeme/Kurzeme regions in Latvia, 6 from Southern Estonia
Mentors: Marta Prēdele, Eike Eplik, Linda Zelta, Aleksejs Beļeckis
Applying:
DESCRIPTION
We invite art professionals to join a two-week group residency camp focused on hands-on learning and the pit-firing ceramics technique. This ancient method uses natural materials like wood, leaves, and salts to create unpredictable surface patterns and earthy tones.
In the first week, participants will create ceramic works using grogged clay and prepare terra sigillata while living communally at SAVVAĻA. Ceramic artist Marta Prēdele, known for her work with form and material, will lead the sessions alongside Eike Eplik who will give a workshop session.
The second week will center on two pit-firing sessions at SAVVAĻA’s open-air kiln, led by Linda Zelta and Marta Prēdele. The residency will conclude with a one-day pop-up exhibition mentored by artist Aleksejs Beļeckis.
We particularly encourage applications from artists based in Vidzeme (outside Riga), Kurzeme, and Southern Estonia. Participation in both weeks (summer 2025) is required. The working language is English.
MENTORS
Marta Prēdele is a Latvian contemporary ceramic artist and cultural project manager. Her artistic practice explores the human body, its spatial presence, and the expression of internal psychological processes. Marta’s art projects and conceptual design collections seamlessly blend form and explore tactile materiality, sculptural plasticity, and experimental shaping and firing techniques. She regularly participates in national and international exhibitions. Beyond her studio practice, she leads workshops, manages cultural events, and organizes ceramic firing performances.
Eike Eplik is a sculptor and installation artist who is deeply fascinated by biodiversity and its complicated relationship with humankind. She creates sensitive and imaginative works full of personal mythology through different visual expressions and materials such as clay, plaster, metal, wood and ready-made. Echoing philosopher Astrida Neimanis’s idea of water-connected worlds, the artist takes a humble approach to all living things, and in her art, strictly defined categories and hierarchies do not exist.
Linda Zelta is a ceramist, environmental enthusiast and creator of the brand “Vidusmeži Keramika”. She explores geology, raw clays and other natural materials of the Salaca river valley, experiments with different wood-firing technologies, seeks a harmonious symbiosis between natural materials and art creating smaller and larger hand-built pieces from clay and stoneware.
Aleksejs Beļeckis is an artist whose practice centers on spatial approaches to art-making, experimental exhibition formats, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Aleksejs work explores how curatorial and scenographic strategies can reframe the experience of art and space. Often blurring the boundaries between disciplines, Aleksejs has developed and realized exhibitions and other projects in both institutional and independent settings from biennales and museums to small-scale formats.
SCHEDULE / TIMELINE
Pit-firing ceramics residency camp at SAVVAĻA unfolds over two sessions in July and August 2025.
Session 1: July 7 – 13, 2025
Session 2: August 11 – 17, 2025
GENERAL INFORMATION
Living conditions: “Savvaļa” offers a range of accommodations, including individual and group spaces under roofed structures, some of which are small, cozy units within the compound, while others are separate spaces in the territory. Amenities include toilets; showers; a sauna; and ponds suitable for swimming. Residents can gather at various spots, such as the fireplace; “Safety nets”, “Wind Cube”. Camping on-site is also possible.
Accessibility: Unfortunately, our facilities are not wheelchair accessible, and our sanitary facilities are very basic. Given the nature of our residency, we will be spending most of our time outdoors, with sleeping spaces providing roofs and walls, but minimal additional amenities. If this is still acceptable, let's have a chat; we’ll do our best to accommodate any necessary adjustments!
Travel: Travel costs from the Baltics will be reimbursed.
Meals: Meals will be organised, and we encourage residents to participate in communal work to help with meal preparation, facility maintenance, and dishwashing.
Who can apply: This project primarily targets professional artists and architects; however, applications are also accepted from artists and architects who are still in the process of completing their studies or pursuing a degree in the arts. While formal education is not a requirement, applicants must demonstrate active engagement in the arts – either through prior artistic experience or by obtaining professional education in the field.
Am I eligible to apply as a student: Yes. Art students can also apply. Please read the previous question for a more detailed explanation of the target group.
RuralArtConnect is a program initiated by technological art farm Maajaam and art space in the wild SAVVAĻA to develop art communities in rural areas through skills development residency camps, interdisciplinary artists and creative professionals in Southern Estonia and Vidzeme/Kurzeme region in Latvia. Over the course of 2025, in total 4 residency camps and workshops – each with different focus, will take place in both Latvia and Estonia. Each residency and workshop will take place in two sessions – one of them being a phase for introducing new skills and the second one, implementing new skills. For every theme of the residency, there will be a new open call to find new participants in the region. In addition, one joint event will be organised for all the participants during the year and one joint event after the completion of the program.
Main organisers
This project is organised by Maajaam (EE) and SAVVAĻA (LV).
Maajaam is situated in an old farmhouse, but is nonetheless operated as a media art experimentation residency. It lies on the frontier of these overlapping normalities, extending an invitation to contemplate, question and explore the aspects of a technological society, its influence on our behaviour, perception and thinking as well as on our surrounding environments.
SAVVAĻA: an art space in the wild holds art exhibitions in the forests and meadows, music and poetry events in a close-to-nature situations as well as diverse residencies for creatives. It has become a place for merging art, ideas, experiments and friendships. “For life to be liveable and for art to be meaningful,” is one of the main statements kept in mind while creating Savvaļa. Whereas its main principle is seeing it all as a miracle.
Full information about RuralArtConnect can be found here: https://savvala.lv/en/supporters
In a joint project SAVVAĻA and MAAJAAM are inviting arts professionals to participate in a group residency camps designed to learn new skills through hands-on practice. Apply by 26 May. These residency camps aims to strengthen regional artistic communities, particularly from Vidzeme (outside Riga), Kurzeme, and Southern Estonia. Therefore, we especially welcome applications from individuals living or working in these regions. Please note that the primary working language will be English.
Dates: June 25 – July 8
Location: Art space in the wild SAVVAĻA
Apply by: May 26, 2025 (included)
Results: June 2, 2025
Confirm your place: by June 4, 2025
Participants: 6 from Vidzeme/Kurzeme region in Latvia, 6 from Southern Estonia
Mentors: Kaarel Kuusk and Maria Helena Luiga (kuidas.works)
Facilitator: Andris Eglītis
Applying:
DESCRIPTION
This camp focuses on the rammed earth building technique, ideal for arts professionals looking to explore sustainable building methods by using locally sourced materials.
Rammed earth is an ancient technique that uses compacted earth to create durable, sustainable structures. This natural, infinitely recyclable, clay based load-bearing material requires minimal specialized technology, allowing for aesthetically interesting experiments.
During this two-week residency camp, we will work on building a simple hut-like structure with rammed earth walls using materials sourced around SAVVAĻA. This experimental workshop will push boundaries of traditional rammed earth use in the Baltics, where it’s typically used for interiors.
The workshops will be led by experienced rammed earth practitioners Kaarel Kuusk and Maria Luiga (kuidas.works) from Estonia, and facilitated by artist Andris Eglītis, who will oversee the construction process.
MENTORS
kuidas.works is a research-led design and architecture studio based in Tallinn, Estonia, founded in 2021. Specializing in site-specific, earth-based building solutions, the studio explores how excavated, left-over earth can be transformed into sustainable materials—from rammed earth and compressed earth blocks to plasters and paints. kuidas.works, represented by Maria Helena Luiga is one of the 2024 featured fellows of the LINA community, European Architecture platform that connects creatives with established institutions to collaborate, develop and take part in the activities and events of the LINA architecture programme.
Maria Helena Luiga is an architect and designer based in Tallinn, Estonia. Her practice focuses on place-specific design, sustainable materials, and bioregional approaches to architecture. Through a recent residency at the LUMA Arles biolab research center, she has been exploring the development of bioregional material alternatives to conventional construction methods.
Kaarel Kuusk is a clay construction specialist, designer, and wood craftsman based in Tallinn, Estonia. His work is rooted in craftsmanship and driven by a hands-on approach, with a focus on the material and symbolic potential of clay. Beyond architecture, he dedicates much of his time to playing music.
Andris Eglītis is a Latvian artist known for his work in painting, sculpture, and architectural installations. His practice explores the relationship between humans and nature, often incorporating natural materials like wood, soil, and clay sourced directly from natural habitats. He is also a co-founder of the open-air art space Savvaļa, fostering collaborative and site-specific art practices.
SCHEDULE / TIMELINE
Rammed earth construction residency camp at SAVVAĻA unfolds over two continuous sessions in June and July 2025.
Session 1: June 25 – 30, 2025
Session 2: July 1 – 8, 2025
August: Public event in collaboration with the upcoming Art Academy of Latvia New Architecture School event series’ SALONS. SALONS x SAVVAĻA episode #8 organised in cooperation with the Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture, Art Academy of Latvia and ĒTER.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Living conditions: “Savvaļa” offers a range of accommodations, including individual and group spaces under roofed structures, some of which are small, cozy units within the compound, while others are separate spaces in the territory. Amenities include toilets; showers; a sauna; and ponds suitable for swimming. Residents can gather at various spots, such as the fireplace; “Safety nets”, “Wind Cube”. Camping on-site is also possible.
Accessibility: Unfortunately, our facilities are not wheelchair accessible, and our sanitary facilities are very basic. Given the nature of our residency, we will be spending most of our time outdoors, with sleeping spaces providing roofs and walls, but minimal additional amenities. If this is still acceptable, let's have a chat; we’ll do our best to accommodate any necessary adjustments!
Travel: Travel costs from the Baltics will be reimbursed.
Meals: Meals will be organised, and we encourage residents to participate in communal work to help with meal preparation, facility maintenance, and dishwashing.
Who can apply: This project primarily targets professional artists and architects; however, applications are also accepted from artists and architects who are still in the process of completing their studies or pursuing a degree in the arts. While formal education is not a requirement, applicants must demonstrate active engagement in the arts – either through prior artistic experience or by obtaining professional education in the field.
Am I eligible to apply as a student: Yes. Art students can also apply. Please read the previous question for a more detailed explanation of the target group.
RuralArtConnect is a program initiated by technological art farm Maajaam and art space in the wild SAVVAĻA to develop art communities in rural areas through skills development residency camps, interdisciplinary artists and creative professionals in Southern Estonia and Vidzeme/Kurzeme region in Latvia. Over the course of 2025, in total 4 residency camps and workshops – each with different focus, will take place in both Latvia and Estonia. Each residency and workshop will take place in two sessions – one of them being a phase for introducing new skills and the second one, implementing new skills. For every theme of the residency, there will be a new open call to find new participants in the region. In addition, one joint event will be organised for all the participants during the year and one joint event after the completion of the program.
Main organisers
This project is organised by Maajaam (EE) and SAVVAĻA (LV).
Maajaam is situated in an old farmhouse, but is nonetheless operated as a media art experimentation residency. It lies on the frontier of these overlapping normalities, extending an invitation to contemplate, question and explore the aspects of a technological society, its influence on our behaviour, perception and thinking as well as on our surrounding environments.
SAVVAĻA: an art space in the wild holds art exhibitions in the forests and meadows, music and poetry events in a close-to-nature situations as well as diverse residencies for creatives. It has become a place for merging art, ideas, experiments and friendships. “For life to be liveable and for art to be meaningful,” is one of the main statements kept in mind while creating Savvaļa. Whereas its main principle is seeing it all as a miracle.
Full information about RuralArtConnect can be found here: https://savvala.lv/en/supporters
UNDOING is your long-awaited assignment to do nothing. An artist-run recovery bootcamp. A silent communion. A post-critical practice. A concept of fugitivity. We’re calling in those who are tired and overwhelmed—those craving boredom but caught in the loop of constant doing. If you’re an artist, curator, or cultural worker, over 18, and not afraid of wild nature, maybe this is for you?
WHERE
UNDOING takes place in SAVVAĻA: an art space in the wild that holds art exhibitions in the forests and meadows, music and poetry events in a close-to-nature situations as well as diverse residencies for creatives. It has become a place for merging art, ideas, experiments and friendships. “For life to be liveable and for art to be meaningful,” is one of the main statements kept in mind while creating Savvaļa. However, its main principle is seeing it all as a miracle.
HOW
We take refuge in UNDOING for six days—half of the time devoted to individual unravelling, the other half to collective practice.
In silence.
Yes, you’ll be silent most of the time. That’s how we make space—outside the usual social roles (they need rest too). We’ll listen. We’ll wait—for things to emerge, for your desire to regenerate.
You’ll have your own hut (or room) in the wilderness.
There will be a detox diet and a gentle holding structure—a rhythm of body and mind practices.
Some somatics. Some dreamwork. A twist of Latvian herbalism.
WHY
Sad but true: many of us are running on high-functioning anxiety while side-eyeing neo-colonial wellness culture. Is rest a privilege or is it our basic right?
How can we think in radically new ways when we’re constantly compressed?
As Bayo Akomolafe says, “The times are urgent, so we need to slow down.”
UNDOING is about carving out an opening for new meanings to emerge, and for you to remember what you’re here for.
We’re informed by Black queer feminist thought, post-critique, and posthumanist approaches.
We believe in embodiment. Our practices draw from contemporary somatics, experiential anatomy, and the lineage of contemporary dance.
ACCESS
We strive to be a safe and inclusive space—respecting different identities, sensitivities, and energy levels—and we expect the same from you. However, to be transparent: Our site is not wheelchair accessible. Sanitary facilities are basic, and the walking paths are uneven. We’ll be living mostly outdoors. If that still feels okay, let’s talk. We’ll do our best to accommodate different needs with care and creativity.
TO APPLY
Please send us:
A free-form motivation e-mail to savvala.izstade@gmail.com: why do you think this is for you?
Please add your CV with your contact information to the e-mail
Apply by 23.05. (included). We will reply by 02.06. If selected, you will be asked to confirm your place by 04.06.
We will be a small group of 16 participants, our criteria will be – diversity in terms of gender, geography and practice. We will prioritize first-time applications from Eastern and North Europe.
PRACTICAL
We provide accommodation and vegetarian meals.
You will have to pay for your own travel. The closest big transport hub is Riga. Tallinn is not too far but public transport connections are not the best.
We can offer an invitation letter if you have a chance to apply for mobility grants.
SUPPORTERS
This residency is funded by the European Union as part of the project “SPACE: Sustainable Production for Artistic Communities in Europe”. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Residency program SAVVAĻAS SKITI announces Open Call for COLLECTIVE PRACTICE: Artistic Research Residency.
Facilitated by Anna Majewska & Sylwia Mieczkowska
Organized by Artūrs Čukurs & Ada Ruszkiewicz
Dates: 12.–17.06.2025.
Application deadline: 14.05.2025
Results: 21.05.2025
Application form: >>COLLECTIVE PRACTICE<<
In case of questions: savvala.izstade@gmail.com
Description: In the neoliberal Western art world, artists are increasingly alienated from one another, pressured to compete for funding and visibility as their work becomes rapidly commodified. This makes it all the more urgent to experiment with alternative ways of thinking and creating—ones rooted in cooperation and solidarity. Through this residency, we aim to cultivate a space for such alternative practices, fostering collective art-making. At the same time, we wish to initiate and strengthen the relationship between artists and cultural practitioners based in Latvia and Poland—two countries relatively close geographically and historically, yet with a connection that still offers space for further explorations.
During a 6-day group residency, we will invite participants to explore collaborative exercises and practices that experiment with different methods of working collectively in the creative process.
Rather than focusing on a finalized outcome, the emphasis will be placed on the creative process itself and the relational dynamics that develop within it. The residency will explore the performativity of art-making, highlighting openness to unpredictable trajectories that emerge during the process.
How will we work? The group process will be facilitated by Anna Majewska and Sylwia Mieczkowska, who will create a space for knowledge sharing while encouraging participants to actively shape the direction of the collective work. Instead of imposing predefined models of cooperation, the facilitators will offer tools for co-thinking, enabling participants to develop their own situated strategies for working together.
Theories of collective work will be explored from different perspectives—not as fixed models, but as prompts for critical exploration. Knowledge will be approached as something embodied—generated through movement, interaction, and shared experience—rather than as something abstract or detached.
What would we expect from you?
- to have sufficient knowledge of English in order to communicate and participate in the residency activities;
- to be fully available within the residency time frame;
Who can apply? COLLECTIVE PRACTICE is open to all those working in the performing arts (artists, researchers, curators, etc.) who are interested in a cooperative approach to creating and thinking.
We will give preference to applications from artists from (or based in) Latvia and Poland, but applications from other countries in Eastern and Northern Europe will also be considered. We will select 10 participants, ensuring the group’s diversity.
Travel and costs Participation in the residency is free of charge. We will provide shared and non-shared accommodation and local, vegetarian food. Transportation will be organized from Riga to Savvaļa (and back). For those traveling from outside of Latvia, travel costs will be reimbursed up to 100 EUR. If accepted, we can provide an invitation letter from SAVVAĻA for mobility grant applications.
Anna Majewska is a performing arts researcher, cultural anthropologist, facilitator, and curator of artistic research projects. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Warsaw. Her research focuses on speculative studies, the performativity of body and matter in the context of the ecological crisis, and collaborative practices of knowledge creation at the intersection of art and science. She is currently curating the project “Współmyślenia” and the feminist educational initiative “Schools of Care”. She’s the co-author of “Look Around” (Theatre Institute, 2023).
Sylwia Mieczkowska is a PhD candidate at the Doctoral School in the Humanities at Jagiellonian University, affiliated with the Department of Performance Studies. She has published her work in “Theatrical Memoir”, “Culture & Society”, and “Tekstualia”. She has collaborated with artists and researchers in Poland. Her research interests include (eco)posthumanism, feminist new materialisms, speculative realism, and collective methods of knowledge co-production.
General info
SAVVAĻAS SKITI provides conditions in which professionals who have cultivated and accumulated knowledge in different fields and want to develop both personal and professional growth through newly acquired thoughts, knowledge, and contacts with representatives of other fields meet for both physical and intellectual creative processes.
Living conditions: “Savvaļa” offers individual accommodations under the roof (some of them are small structures in the “Savvaļa”, some are separate rooms in the base); shower; toilet; sauna; ponds suitable for swimming; as well as a number of places for residents to gather (fireplace; “Safety nets”, “wind cube”, etc.). One of the characteristic features of “Savvaļa” is site discovery – often for the needs of each event, a new place is searched for and created as an essential part of the process (poetry and concert venues in the forest; an amphitheater in an apple orchard; Grey Cube, White Cube, Wind Cube; Earth Amphitheater, etc.)
Accessibility: Unfortunately, we are not wheelchair accessible, and our sanitary facilities are very basic. Additionally, we will mostly live outdoors—sleeping spaces have roofs and walls, but that’s about it. If this is still acceptable, let's have a chat; we’ll do our best to accommodate any necessary adjustments!
This project is financed by State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF)
More Effort, Some Function workshop/residency in Maajaam
RuralArtConnect is a program initiated by technological art farm Maajaam and Latvian art space Savvaļa to develop art communities in rural areas through skills development residency camps, interdisciplinary artists and an art network for artists in Southern Estonia and Vidzeme/Kurzeme region in Latvia. Over the course of 2025, in total 4 residency camps and workshops – each with different focus, will take place in both Latvia and Estonia.
Each residency and workshop will take place in two sessions – one of them being a phase for introducing new skills and the second one, implementing new skills. For every theme of the residency, there will be a new open call to find new participants in the region. In addition, one joint event will be organised for all the participants during the year and one joint event after completing the program.
Interactive installation workshop & residency “More Effort, Some Function”
Participants: 3 artist from Southern Estonia, 3 artist from Vidzeme/Kurzeme regions in Latvia
Residency dates: 7-13 April & 7-13 May, 2025
Residency location: Estonia, Maajaam
Application deadline: 17th of March 2025 (included)
With this open call, we are looking for 6 participants for the first residency camp “More Effort, Some Function”: 3 from Southern Estonia, 3 from Vidzeme, Kurzeme region in Latvia.
Workshop and residency
In this workshop you will have the chance to create an interactive installation or object. Embrace humour, channel the unexpected and play until you discover something you would never otherwise make.
In the “More Effort, Some Function” workshop at Maajaam, participants have access to a diverse array of tools and equipment to craft interactive installations or objects. This well-equipped environment encourages experimentation and the creation of unique, humorous, and unexpected artworks. The workshop is in English.
Mentor
The workshop is mentored by Leopold Inkapööl, a Swedish designer, artist and musician. His art practice revolves around large scale sound installations that are meant to be interacted with, encouraging curiosity and play. As a designer he primarily works with creating unique playgrounds, with a strong emphasis on interactivity, space, detail and storytelling.
Schedule
The “More Effort, Some Function” workshop at Maajaam unfolds over two sessions in April and May 2025.
Session 1: 7th–13th of April 2025
Introduction to the workshop theme
Lectures and discussions
Hands-on exploration of new tools and techniques
Concept development and experimentation
Session 2: 7th–13th of May 2025
Implementation of acquired skills
Development and refinement of artworks
Creation of interactive installations or objects using light, sound, or movement
Travel and accommodation
Travel costs are reimbursed. Accommodation is organised by the host. Participants are staying in twin rooms. Lunch and dinner is organised by the host.
Applying
Please fill out the form and submit your application by 17th of March following this link:
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Main organisers
This project is organised by Maajaam (EE) and Savvaļa (LV).
Maajaam is a farm for art and tech located in South of Estonia. Maajaam is situated in an old farmhouse, but is nonetheless operated as a media art experimentation residency. It lies on the frontier of these overlapping normalities, extending an invitation to contemplate, question and explore the aspects of a technological society, its influence on our behaviour, perception and thinking as well as on our surrounding environments.
Open-air art space Savvaļa in North Latvia is a place, an art exhibition in forests and meadows, a music and poetry events in a close-to-nature situations as long as diverse residencies for creatives. It has become a place for merging art, ideas, experiments and friendships.
Funding
This project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (Interreg) through the Interreg VI-A Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027 (EST-LAT). The project falls under the priority ‘More cooperating cross-border regions and development of joint services,’ with a specific focus on ‘Building up mutual trust, in particular by encouraging people-to-people actions’. Project partners: Maajaam (Wild Bits MTÜ) and Savvaļa (Biedrība “SAVĀ VAĻĀ”).
Read more about the project here.
Additional co-funder of the project is Estonian Cultural Endowment.
Savvaļa announces Open Call for UNDOING 01 by artist Agnese Krivade
Think participatory performance, immersive theatre, rest research, nature residency, recovery bootcamp… We do our own form here. We are looking for people for collective research of rest, as essential part of creative practice. If you are an artist or work in arts or culture, are over 18, and fed up with the constant over-functioning, and not afraid of wild nature, maybe this is for you?
To apply please send us short motivation: why do you think you could benefit from this, and why are you reacting to this invitation, and biography/ CV with your contact information. Please apply by 26.05. We will reply by 29.05. In case of selection, you will be asked to confirm your place by 3.06. We can host around around 12 participants, our criteria will be - gender, geography and represented field balance. We will give preference to applications from Eastern and Northern Europe. You can find a detailed information about UNDOING 01 and open call by downloading this PDF file.
Design: Monika Grūzīte
This event is part of program SPACE co-funded by the European Union program Creative Europe. Additionally co-funded by The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF).
Project "SPACE: Sustainable Production for Artistic Communities in Europe" is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
