The Observatory of Artistic Residencies – ORA – aims to study the phenomenon of artist residencies on a global scale.

ORA’s mission is to inform and communicate on the evolutions, changes, challenges, and trends that are taking place in this cultural sector, which has been expanding rapidly since the year 2000, from less than 1,400 spaces to more than 5,000 in 2021.

Each year, the ORA publishes a detailed report on the international panorama of artistic residencies. To do this, surveys are conducted directly with the residencies and through members in each country. These members update a national database that allows the study of the panorama of the country and which will be added to the global database.

The connection with the different existing networks allows the pooling of resources and knowledge and the sharing of research results during public meetings organized each year.

Also, the Observatory of Artistic Residencies is at the origin of the “Charter of Responsible Residencies” to which spaces that respect a certain number of social, environmental, educational, and economic criteria can adhere. This charter allows artists to know which spaces are committed to the fight against social, ecological, economic, artistic, or cultural inequalities.

Finally, in order to support the mobility of cultural agents, the ORA will eventually offer grants to artists so that they can spend time in a residence whose practices respect the “Charter of Responsible Residencies”. The Observatory of Artist Residencies – ORA – aims to study the phenomenon of artist residencies on a global scale.

Here is the first report realized by the ORA on the Latin American panorama of art residencies !