Argo residencies provide time and space to develop your practice in a social, supportive, and stimulating environment.

A young woman with wavy blonde hair in a blue sleeveless dress standing in front of a large display board covered with photographs, notes, and paper documents, some taped and stapled, in an indoor setting.

All of our residencies take place in Athens, Greece. They are open to artists, writers, performers, musicians, scholars, and any other creative.

Every residency includes accommodation, studio space, research support, and a chance to take part in our creative community.

We offer two types of residency:

Self-directed residencies‍ ‍

Allow you to focus on a project or practice of your own choice. Most self-directed residencies last for 25 days.

Themed residencies

Draw together a group of creatives with similar interests. They take place over a set period (usually 3-5 weeks) and can provide a chance to work collaboratively.

An art studio corner with a work table, surrounded by various paintings and sketches, near a large window with a balcony view.

You’ll work in our large, bright studios …

We have private and shared studios, a store of basic materials, a woodshop, a kitchen, a library for quiet working or reading, and endless Athenian light.

A corner of a room with large windows showing apartment buildings outside. Inside, there is an art easel with a partially painted canvas, a red stool, and a plastic chair. The ceiling has a fluorescent light fixture.

… be part of a creative community …

Person holding a strip of film negatives in front of a window.
People playing foosball inside a cafe or game room, with a glass window showing street scenes outside.

We have up to seven residents at a time, so Argo provides plenty of opportunities for learning new skills from your fellow residents, working collaboratively, or simply hanging out.

Residents regularly share meals, go to art shows together, and many leave the residency with new friends.

A man with curly hair and wearing a gray t-shirt, sitting on a high observation point or cable car, looking out over a cityscape at sunset.
A group of eight people sitting around a table at a restaurant with a large window and outdoor city lights visible in the background, raising glasses in a toast.
A group of six people sitting around a table in a bright room with tall windows and green walls, engaged in conversation.

… get personalized support to develop your practice …

We support residents by providing personalised recommendations for places to go, things to do, and people to meet in Athens.

We can often arrange meetings with local artists, we know where you can source specialised materials, and we’ll help you quickly find your feet, scene, and inspiration in this amazing city.

… with comfortable accommodation a short walk away.

You'll stay in comfortable shared accommodation about 20 minutes walk from the studios, with everything you need to settle in quickly and focus on your practice. Our accommodation has private and shared rooms, some are en-suite, and there is a large, plant-filled balcony for shared meals.

apply here

Open Calls

Self-Directed Residency

Our classic residency - a chance to focus on your practice for four weeks, with as few (or as many) distractions as you like.

Though you’ll work on your own project, you’ll be sharing an apartment and studio space with four or five other artists, so social and artistic inspiration is always available. The Argo team will also do our best to support your research and creative exploration, recommending museums, galleries, artists, and other resources in Athens.

We offer set periods for self-directed residencies - normally around 25 days, though some are shorter. Our upcoming sessions are:

  • Nov 2 - Nov 27, 2026 (25 days)

  • Nov 30 - Dec 18, 2026 (19 days)

  • March 22 - April 16, 2027 (25 days)

  • May 10 - June 4 (25 days)

  • June 21 - July 3 (13 days)

You can find prices for all these sessions on our application page >

apply here

¡DADASØMMER!

July at Argo has a certain kookoo energy, so in 2027 we want to harness our chaos horses to the churning torrents of creative upside-down-ness.

If you’re a surrealist painter, futurist balloonist, vorticist flutist, or committed realist, this is your time.

What, exactly, happens in summer? Why does everyone go mad? Is summer sexy, or sticky? Why is the sun not an orange? Over the course of 4 weeks, we won’t find out.

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Prices and Funding

Every residency offers:

— Accommodation in either a private or shared bedroom. There is a large kitchen and two bathrooms, a large shared space, and two balconies. The apartment is both comfortable and beautiful.

— Studio space for your research and practice. We can often offer a private studio, but it depends on everyone’s needs. Painting, playing music, dancing, and arcane rituals are all allowed.

— Woodshop, tools, and some limited supplies such as paper, paint, scrap fabric, and strange, small pieces of plastic whose purpose has been long forgotten.

— Access to our small but growing lending library.

— Personalized recommendations for research and creative resources: readings, shops, museums, ancient sites, etc.

— Connections with the local art scene.

The price of your residency depends on which type of bedroom you’d like.

We have three types:

  • Our shared rooms have two single beds, so you’ll share with at most one other person.

  • Our private rooms are large, and each has a double bed.

  • Our deluxe room is huge and has a double bed and an en-suite bathroom.

You can see the prices of each type of room for each session on our application page.

Lots of residents apply for funding to cover the cost of their residency. The main sources of funding are Culture Moves Europe and national arts organizations.

Athens-based artists can often participate in our programs for free. If you're one of them, please let us know on your application form.

apply here

FAQs

  • Most residencies at Argo last for around 25 days, because we find this is the perfect amount of time to settle into your practice. Occasionally, we have shorter residencies.

    You can see our current residency sessions on our apply page.

  • “To Spiti” (“The Home”) is our residency accommodation. It’s a very large (180 sq m) family apartment with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge plant-filled balcony for shared meals, and a large and very yellow kitchen.

    The rooms vary in size, but all are quite large and have natural light and balconies. One room has AC, as does the living room.

  • Most residents have their own space in our shared studios, which are large enough that you won’t feel cramped. If you’d like a private studio, though, please let us know and we can normally arrange that.

  • Anyone aged 18-118 with a creative project or practice: artists, writers, thinkers, academics, performers, dancers, directors, etc.

    We welcome both emerging and well-established creative practitioners and scholars.

    If you’re interested in a residency but aren’t sure if you or your project will fit in, just get in touch with us!

  • We offer simple studio set-ups, with tables, easels, lamps, and storage. In terms of media, we can accommodate painting, drawing, writing, research, performance, sculpture, dance, and textile craft.

    You will have access to a wood shop, with tools and safety gear.

    In terms of art supplies, you will need to provide your own materials. There are 6 excellent art supply shops within a short walk from the studios; we will be happy to guide you there.

    There is also some AV equipment available, including TVs, a mic, and an amp. If you are interested in specific performance/dance rehearsal space, let us know, and we can arrange that as well.

    You will also have access to a rotating series of cultural events hosted in our project space: artist talks and lectures by visiting guest artists, group and solo exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, and performances.

  • The cost of a residency at Argo depends on what kind of bedroom you’d like. We have three types: shared rooms, private rooms, and deluxe rooms. You can see the prices for each, per session, on our apply page.

    Athens-based artists, who normally don’t require accommodation, can take part in our programs for free. If that’s you, get in touch!

  • We are working towards making our program as financially accessible as possible, in order to include as diverse a residency community as we can.

    At the moment we cannot provide scholarships or stipends, but please sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media to stay updated on developments in the near future.

  • Athens is a dynamic, politically engaged city, and Exarcheia is one of its liveliest neighborhoods — alongside the trendy boutiques and cozy cafes, there's a strong tradition of political activism and protest. Generally speaking, it's safe, and we live here year-round and feel that way ourselves.

    Occasionally, this energy becomes visible: general strikes or major protests can draw large crowds and sometimes lead to clashes with police, usually downtown (about 30 minutes' walk away) or, more rarely, in Exarcheia itself, typically late at night. These are infrequent and easy to avoid if you'd rather not be near them, but we're happy to answer any questions if you're curious or want more detail.

  • While we would love to be able to accommodate everyone, unfortunately the answer is no.

    The residency accommodation is up one flight of stairs in an old building with no elevator, making it inaccessible for people with certain physical disabilities.

    There is an elevator in the studios building.

    In terms of other forms of accessibility, please get in touch- we are happy to find solutions to make our residencies suitable for your needs.

  • Dog: no.

    Everyone else: probably.

    If you want to do a residency with your partner or friend, please let us know (on your application form). We can generally arrange it so that you are sharing a bedroom and studio with them.

    We don’t generally allow individual residents to share their room with someone who isn’t doing a residency - the accommodation would get very full if we did.

    All this said, if you have any questions about bringing someone with you, please get in touch and we’ll try our best to accommodate you.

    If you are interested in applying as a larger group, please get in touch with us as well- we are happy to discuss a specific residency reserved for your group only.

apply here