Main goals of the project

• Building capacity: Improving the skills and standards of organizations and individuals who organize residencies.
• Sharing experiences: Connecting local contexts with the broader European framework through mutual learning.
• Developing sustainable models: Testing transferable residency formats that prioritize care, relationship building, regeneration, and balance between the center and the periphery.
• Decentralizing culture: Supporting residency infrastructure outside major metropolitan areas, helping to level the playing field in regionally disadvantaged areas.

Key activities and outputs

The project is scheduled to run for 48 months and consists of five key work packages:

• 12 pilot residencies: Testing new residency models (e.g., community, ecological, or research) in six European countries.
• Digital infrastructure: Creation of Slovak and Hungarian versions of the Czech platform artinres.cz and launch of a new European hub btair.eu, which will serve as a central library of methodologies, open calls, and good practices.
• Methodologies and education: Creation of open manuals, case studies, and mentoring frameworks for existing and emerging residency centers.
• International symposium and workshops: Professional events focused on networking, fair conditions in culture, and planning future cooperation.
• Strategic impact: Development of a policy brief offering recommendations for supporting residential infrastructure at the national and European levels.

International partnership

The project is led by the Czech organization Nová síť in cooperation with partners from six countries:

• Slovakia: Anténa – sieť pre nezávislú kultúru
• Italy: IDRA Teatro
• Spain: Teatro de lo Inestable
• Germany: Schloss Bröllin
• Hungary: METTRIN Arts Center (Swing Jazz Cultural Foundation)

The project is also supported by strategic partners such as the Czech Centers and the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 project.

Value Framework

BtAIR responds to current social challenges such as pressure to perform, time poverty, social polarization, and the climate crisis. It promotes the principles of deceleration, inclusion, equality, and environmental responsibility within the cultural sector.

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With the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Prague City Hall.

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 [name of the granting authority]. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.