Epic Residencies

Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe

he project Epic Residencies was born out of a cooperation between three residency centres: the Gunnar Gunnarson Institute in Iceland, the Tou Scene in Norway and the programme Literary residencies Košice in Slovakia.

The aim of Epic Residencies is to bring the literary worlds of Iceland, Norway and Slovakia closer together through exchange and to offer space for concentrated work to writers and translators from Iceland, Norway and Slovakia. In 2022 and 2023, a total of eight residencies for writers or translators from Iceland and Norway (four from Iceland and four from Norway) will take place in Košice, Slovakia. During the same period, eight residencies for writers from Slovakia will take place in Iceland and Norway (four in each of the countries). The cooperation between the three residency centres was made possible by the financial support of the EEA grant scheme. The Epic Residencies project is open to authors working in a wide range of literary genres (prose, poetry, literary essay, experimental work, script writing, etc) and to translators of literature. The project is built upon the values of intercultural exchange, gender equality, the importance of minority experiences and a diversity of voices in literature. The cooperation between the residency centres is financially supported by the EEA grant scheme.

Applicants from Slovakia can apply for residencies in the following locations: the Tou Scene, Stavanger, Norway and The Institute of Gunnar Gunnarsson, Egilsstadir, Iceland. Applicants from Norway and Iceland can apply for residencies in Košice. The residency program is open to authors of a wide range of literary genres (poetry, prose, literary essays, experimental work, screenwriting, etc.) and translators* of literature. The Epic Residencies project is built on the values of cross-cultural exchange, gender equality, the importance of minority experience, and the diversity of voices in literature.

The project Epic Residencies benefits from a 150 000 € grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants. The project has been co-financed from the State Budget of the Slovak Republic in the amount of 22 000 €. The aim of the project is to bring the literary worlds of Iceland, Norway and Slovakia closer together through exchange and to offer space for concentrated work to writers and translators from Iceland, Norway and Slovakia. To find out more about EEA Grants funded programmes and projects in Slovakia, please visit www.eeagrants.sk. Read more information about the project in the published project contract: 1522/2021 | Register of projects (gov.sk)

The EEA Grants represent Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway’s contribution to a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. They have two main objectives: reducing economic and social disparities in Europe, and strengthening mutual relations between the contributing countries and the 15 EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltics. The three contributing countries cooperate closely with the EU through the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement. As donors, they have successively provided €3.3 billion through grant schemes between 1994 and 2014.

The EEA grants for the period 2014-2021 amount to €1.55 billion. The priorities for this period are:

#1 Innovation, research, education and competitiveness

#2 Social inclusion, youth employment and poverty eradication

#3 Environment, energy, climate change and low carbon economy

#4 Culture, civil society, good governance and fundamental rights

#5 Justice and Home Affairs EEA grants are jointly funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway according to their GDP.

Eligibility for these grants reflects the criteria set for the EU’s Cohesion Fund, which is intended for Member States with a gross national product (GNP) per capita below 90% of the EU average. All projects are co-financed by the State budget of the Slovak Republic at a rate of 15%.

#SPOLOCNEforGoodIdeas #EEAgrants #EPICRESIDENCIES

Residency centers

Tou is a contemporary arts and culture centre in Stavanger, Norway.

Tou are based in an old beer brewery, and it was once the largest company in Stavanger, employing thousands of people. Tou is first and foremost a meeting place between art and people. Tou knows that art is created where and when people meet other people, and facilitates thereafter. Tou are a venue for concerts, performing arts and exhibitions, but essentially also a production facility. In 2019 Tou hosted over 450 events, but out of 13000sqm, over 9000sqm is reserved for artistic production. Over 200 tenants rent a space and work at Tou on a daily basis.We work with contemporary art as our main activity, and have become the largest independent art and culture centre in Norway, and are continually gaining recognition nationally, as well as in an European context. Tou provides a simple apartment suitable for one person or a couple in walking distance to Tou. It includes wifi, basic kitchenware and washing machine. The working facilities consists of a private desk and access to other projectspaces if needed. Tou offers a vivid atmosphere as part of the existing interdisciplinary environment.

More information: touofficial.com

The Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute, Skriduklaustur (Iceland)

Klaustrid (the Monastery) is a residence for artists, writers and scholars, Icelandic or foreign. The residence is managed by The Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute. It includes a small apartment in the unique mansion, Skriduklaustur, which was built in 1939 by the famous Icelandic writer Gunnar Gunnarsson and now houses a cultural center with exhibitions and activities. The living/working facilities consist of a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and a living room with a desk for working. Wi-Fi internet connection and a piano in place. The apartment is only for one person or a couple. Skriduklaustur is located in the Fljotsdalur valley in East Iceland. There are 40 km to the nearest town, Egilsstadir, where there is also an airport connecting the region with the Reykjavik capital by domestic flights. To drive from Reykjavik or the international airport KEF, takes at least 8 hours (690 km).

More information: https://skriduklaustur.is/en/

Literary Residencies Košice (Slovakia)

Literary residencies Košice is a new residency programme based in a cultural heritage building from the 18th century in the historical center of the city that also houses the Sándor Márai Museum dedicated to the work of the Hungarian writer and his brother, the film director Géza Radványi, whose family had rebuilt the house in 1913 as the family’s residence. The literary residency programme was established by the National Minorities Club, which has its headquarters in the building, and a collective of young writers and cultural professionals who curate the literary programme in the nearby art house cinema Kino Úsmev. The programme co-operates with the national Slovak Literary Centre (LIC) as well as with a number of small cutting-edge cultural initiatives in the city and the country. The programme works with both established writers and translators and up-and-coming and experimental authors.