Solitude fellowship

Akademie Schloss Solitude supports young artists, scholars, scientists, as well as cultural and economic professionals via residential fellowships only.
Are you interested in applying for a residential fellowship? You will find all information on conditions, benefits and the selection procedure on this page.

The candidates should not be older than 40 or have completed a university degree within the past five years. Applications from students enrolled in degree programs will not be considered; PhD students may submit applications. A very limited number of fellowships can be awarded regardless of the applicants’ age. Application rounds for Solitude fellowships are held every two years. The jury awards a maximum of 65 fellows. 45 live/work studios and three guest studios are available.

Scholarships are usually awarded for a period of six, nine or twelve months.

Applications of artist groups are possible. In this case, please choose »group profile« in the section »Profile data« and follow the instructions. Each member has to be listed with personal data but we need only one contact information. Please choose ONE sphere of practice and upload ONE PDF with work samples valid for the whole group.

Double applications to the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg gGmbH (Arts Foundation Baden-Württemberg) and the AkademieSchloss Solitude are not permitted.

Applicants whose applications are refused during the current selection procedure may send in applications during two other rounds (maximum). Former fellows of the Akademie Schloss Solitude are not eligible.

Knowledge of either German and/or English and/or French is a prerequisite for application.

The Solitude fellowship is a residential fellowship. Fellows are obliged to spend at least two thirds of their fellowships at the Akademie. All fellows must have their permanent residence in Stuttgart for the fellowship’s duration (obligation to register residence).

The Spheres of Practice in detail
International artists, scientists, scholars, and business representatives are invited to apply for fellowships in the spheres listed here:

VISUAL – Visual arts and media
Including painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, film, video, printing, ceramics, textiles, performance

AURAL & PHYSICAL – Music and performing arts
Including music, music interpretation and composition, sound installation, sound performance, dance, choreography, drama, theater, music theater, dramaturgy, directing

DIGITAL – Digital Solitude
Including digital art, gaming, hacking, computing, programming, web-based video production and installation, digital journalism, digital publishing

SPATIAL – Architecture and design
Including architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, applied arts, design, stage design, fashion design, costume design, product design, furniture design

TEXTUAL – Literature and language
Including German-language and international literature in all written forms (dramatic texts, lyric poetry, prose, essay, and translation)

SOCIETAL/COMMUNAL-BASED WORK – Education, mediation, theory
Including art criticism, critical theory, curation, art education, socially engaged art

SCIENTIFIC – art, science & business/Humanities, social, natural and economic sciences
Including philosophy, anthropology, biology, botany, physics, mathematics, computer science, cultural studies, ecology, gender studies, history, law, public policy, medicine, political science and political theory, psychology, sociology, economics, and finance

Benefits

The fellowship includes the following benefits:

  • A free, furnished living/working studio including electricity, water and heating,
  • A monthly fellowship grant of € 1,200,
  • Travel expenses for arrival and departure (on a one-time basis).

The Akademie also offers optional additional benefits which are adjustable in accordance with the current budget situation:

  • Transport expenses subsidy for the carriage of materials, tools, instruments and books to Stuttgart and from Stuttgart to the fellow’s home town,
  • Project funding and one-off materials subsidy,
  • Health insurance in the case of non-EU fellowship candidates.

Fellows may use the Akademie’s carpentry and metal workshops under the supervision of the resident managers. They also have access to a digital film editing studio, a printing and copying room, two small libraries and several computer workstations.

The Akademie maintains 42 living and working studios, and three guest studios. These studios are usually only equipped for one person due to their size and the buildings’ historic design. The Akademie does its best to accommodate families/partners. Please note that this is not always possible in the case of families/partners from abroad, because entry and residence regulations must be observed.

Selection procedure

New jurors are appointed every 24 months.

The international first-rate jury guarantees that the chosen fellows are of a high artistic and scientific level.

The jurors base their decisions on the qualitative aspects of work samples submitted by the applicants.

There is no legal entitlement to the allocation of a fellowship. The applicant will be informed of the jury’s decision in writing, but no reasons will be given. Individuals embarking on fellowships receive a foundation contract and a set of house rules. Fellowships are deemed legally effective after the foundation contract has been signed.

Jurors for the call for fellowships in 2022–2024

JURY CORE GROUP:  Marie-Hélène Gutberlet, Fotini Lazaridou-Hatzigoga,
Neo Muyanga
VISUAL: Bani Abidi, Zuzanna Janin, Misal Adnan Yildiz
AURAL & PHYSICAL: Neo Muyanga, Melanie Mohren, Bernhard Herbordt
SPATIAL: Fotini Lazaridou-Hatzigoga, Stephan Trüby
SCIENTIFIC:  Premesh Lalu, Tomislav Medek
DIGITAL: Ayodele Arigbabu, Femke Snelting
SOCIETAL: Marie-Hélène Gutberlet, Rangoato Hlasane
TEXTUAL: Chandrahas Choudhoury (international literature), Deniz Utlu (German literature)