OPEN CALL — The School of Artivism

A European residency exploring art, activism, climate and social justice

Palermo, Sicily — April 17–23, 2025

Across Europe and beyond, a new generation of young artists and activists are searching for ways to face climate and social crises with imagination and collective power.

The School of Artivism is a residency designed for them – for you – to explore how creative practices can become tools for political action, community transformation, and ecological justice.

For one week in Palermo, a group of young artivists from across Europe will gather to learn, reflect, train, and build the foundations of future creative actions to fight for climate and social justice.

🌍 Who Can Apply?

We welcome young people aged 20–25 residing in the EU who are already active in artistic and/or activist communities, who use (or wish to use) creativity as part of their political or ecological engagement.

We aim for a balanced and diverse group, with a strong representation of participants living in Italy and Sicily – including some based in Palermo – while also welcoming a significant number of young people from across the rest of Europe.

We also welcome participation from local groups, and we will create bridges between incoming participants and the workshops/activities of the Palermo-based festival Earth Day Med.

✨ What the residency is about

Training young artists and activists in the principles of artivism to help them form a group, explore core practices, understand political & ecological contexts, and prepare to develop their own actions once they return home.

But what is Artivism?

Artivism is the intentional use of creative practices for political and social action.
It combines creativity, strategy, symbolism, and collective intelligence to influence culture, challenge power structures, and make democratic struggles visible.

During the residency, participants will explore these principles through:

• A local case study linked to Palermo’s ecological and cultural context,

• Workshops on the roots and methods of artivism,

• Collective learning inspired by the festival’s program and roundtables,

• Deep reflection on climate and biodiversity issues through artistic and political lenses.

📝 The Programme  

💻 Before the Residency — 4 Webinars

Four online sessions will prepare the group and provide a shared foundation on different topics.

🫂 During the Residency

• Workshops, guided reflections, and situational exercises

• Exploration of Palermo’s local ecological and cultural context

• Participant exchanges & building a transnational community of artivists

• Integration of festival content (e.g., watching a panel, then working with the ideas)

• Final day: “Apply it to your local context” — turning learning into a first project vision

💚 Connection to the Palermo Festival

The residency will interact with the Earth Day Med Palermo festival produced and curated by Fondazione Studio Rizoma:

• Attending festival programmations (discussions, screenings, workshops, etc)

• Reflecting collectively on themes such as climate, biodiversity, democracy, migration, or Mediterranean ecologies

• Integrating festival insights into the training path

This is a training-only program: Participants will not carry out a public action during the residency, but will prepare the ground to implement one once they return to their local context.

Buddy System: Each participant is paired with another to support reflection, learning, and integration. Participants may invite friends or collaborators to the follow-up coaching sessions after the residency.

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Logistics

• Residency dates: April 17–23, 2025 (Travel days included)

• Accommodation in a youth hostel in central Palermo

• Travel reimbursement up to €170 per participant (balancing distances fairly)

• Lunches will be offered during the sessions, but no per diem is envisioned 

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• How to Apply

Applications are to be made through the following online form.

We will select participants based on:

🔻Motivations

🔻Diversity of profiles and backgrounds

🔻Balance between Italy/Sicily, Palermo, and the rest of Europe

🔻Travel-cost feasibility

🔻Desire to contribute to a collective learning community

🔻Proven motivation to utilise artivism in future local actions.

Deadline to apply: 1st February 2026

Do you have any questions?  Please write to: info@studiorizoma.org 

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❓Who is behind the residency?

The School of Artivism is collaborative program by Le Brui Qui Court, Fondazione Studio Rizoma and European Alternatives, co-financed by the European Union. 

All three organisations share a belief in the power of the arts in bringing social change, each bringing their own experiences and skill sets. 

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