what we offer

  • 4 residency slots:
    1. 15 MARCH – 18 APRIL 2027
    2. 17 MAY – 20 JUNE 2027
    3. 10 OCT – 12 NOV 2027
    4. 22 NOV – 24 DEC 2027
  • 2 workspaces
    • A technically-equipped studio space of approx. 18m x 17m
    • A medium sized atelier space with limited technical equipment, also adapted to physical practices of approx. 4m x 13m
  • Shared accommodation for max. 6 people per residency slot.
  • A financial contribution of €5.000 excl. VAT per collective; we expect the budget to be managed by the collective.
  • Beyond the workspace, accommodation and financial contribution, wpZimmer opens up its community as well as its knowledge. We value a reciprocal way of working between the artists and our team.

selection process & deadline

The deadline for the open call is September 20th 2026 at 23:59h (CET, Central European Time). You can expect an answer about your application in November 2026.

The jury consists of 3 artists/artworkers, Felipe Ferreira, Sezen Atmaca and Katinka de Jonge who will be accompanied by a member of our artistic team. After a shortlist is made by the external jury, the wpZimmer team will make a final decision together with the external jury.

If you have any questions prior to the deadline, please contact wpZimmer at info@wpzimmer.be.

wpZimmer is structurally supported by the Flemish Government. Open Call residencies are realized in partnership with C-TAKT.

extra info

On July 7th from 15h-16:30 we organize an online infosession regarding the open call.

*You’ll be able to find the link to the registration form on this page as well as through Instagram , Facebook and Mastodon on June 19th 2026.

FAQ

How many people in the collective need to be based in Belgium?
At least one person needs to be living or working in Belgium.

Is 6 people the maximum of people that can be in this collective?
No, there are sleeping spots for 6 people in the wpZimmer building. So, if you have a big collective but not everyone needs a place to sleep that’s totally fine.

What do black the box approach and white cube setting mean?
They refer to a classical theatre setting (black box) and exhibition approach (white cube).

What does a ‘process-oriented approach’ mean?
It is rooted in a practice that extends beyond the physical activities of making artistic products and that can include influences, ideas, materials as well as tools and skills.

Can I work with international artists (ex. Invite them during my residency)?
Definitely! But beware of your budget, wpZimmer will not be accountable for travel costs, insurance etc.

What do you mean with ‘artworkers’?
Artworkers can be anyone who works in a creative field.

What if I don’t have a collective yet, but want to build one during the residency?
That is definitely possible, you can dedicate your residency to building a collective. ‘Building a collective’ can for example be the focus of your artistic practice.

Will we have to clean up the studio spaces after we leave every day?
No, during these 5 weeks the rooms are your playground. Ofcourse the communal spaces are expected to be kept tidy, but your atelier/bedroom is yours to work in (day, night, weekends).

Do we need to be present every day of the 5 weeks at wpZimmer?
No, you decide when you’ll want to work at wpZimmer and how you’ll fill in your days. On Tuesdays we have a communal lunch where we have an informal conversation between the team and the collective, but if for example you have a job on Tuesdays there’s no pressure to adjust your schedule.

Can wpZimmer provide an audience if I want to share something?
If you want a big audience to come and see your work, you’ll need to activate the neighborhood yourself. If you’d need external communication we can add it to our newsletter and socials but can’t promise a big turn-out. 

How many applications will be selected?
4 collectives will get a residency at wpZimmer.

criteria

  • You are an already existing, new or temporary collective of artists/artworkers based in Belgium with the desire to further develop your collective practice.
  • Your collective consists of min. 3 artists or art workers.
  • You are looking for a space to experiment with collectivity and collective practices;
  • You have a process-oriented approach; in other words, you are not focused on a single project, but rather an emerging practice and/or methodology;
  • Your practice does not rely on one discipline or medium; it moves freely between contexts/themes;
  • Your practice aims to bring people together in non-traditional or innovative ways; it is not based on the classic black box setting or white cube approach.
  • You are interested in nurturing a reciprocal relationship with wpZimmer.

how to apply

On June 19th 2026 we will open a registration form for submissions. The open call will be closed on September 20th 2026 at 23:59h (CET, Central European Time). We will allow a maximum of 100 applications, and will share an update when the registration form reaches the 50% threshold. Please use the form to submit your application on our website. Applying can be done in English or Dutch.

Applications that are sent by e-mail will not be taken into consideration. We advise you to prepare your application in advance, as the content of the form cannot be saved before submission. Please note that all applications who do not comply with the basic criteria (number of artists in your collective and one of you is living or working in Belgium) will not be considered by the jury.

You’ll be asked to submit/share the following:

  • Name of your collective;
  • Names (and pronouns if possible) of everyone in the collective;
  • Email address contact person;
  • Is at least one person from your collective living or working in Belgium? Explain what their link is in max. 50 words;
  • A text (max. 600 words) that describes your practice through the criteria listed above. The jury will assess the applications based on these criteria. For the sake of accessibility, below you find a set of guiding questions that might help you to reflect on these criteria. You are not obliged to address all the guiding questions, they are only there to provide another way of understanding the criteria above.

guiding questions

  • Tell us about your collective and the people involved.
  • At this stage of your collective’s development, what are you hoping to explore, strengthen or learn through collective practice? / What kind of collective experiments or inquiries would you like to pursue during your time at wpZimmer?
  • In what methodologies, tools, disciplines and/or media do you wan to engage?
  • How does your practice bring people together, what kinds of encounters are you interested in creating?
  • How do you imagine engaging with wpZimmer, and what forms of exchange are meaningful to you?