Arts and crafts

Medici Residency
with the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation

In 2022, the Académie de France à Rome – Villa Médicis and the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller have created a residency program for professionals working in the field of fine crafts.

The residence

Reception conditions

1-month residency at Villa Médicis (Rome, Italy)
Provision of a room in shared accommodation
If required, access to a shared workshop
Access to work tools available to Villa residents
Assistance in establishing contacts with local production partners (prior to the residency), artists and companies
A stay at Villa Medici may lead to the production of one or more objects specially designed to resonate with the site. The production phase can be considered at a later stage, after the residency. The resident will also have the opportunity to leave an existing or specially created object at Villa Medici, to be displayed in the reception areas.

Financial terms and conditions

Villa Medici will cover transportation costs up to a maximum of €1,000 return.
Residence grant: €2,500
A production grant may be awarded on the basis of a budget submitted as part of the application (including, where applicable, a description of the production tools required for the project). Maximum budget: €5,000. The craftsman must undertake to leave the manufactured object at the Villa Medici.

Applications

For whom?

The call for applications is addressed to professionals in the art and craft sector.
Applicants must submit a detailed creative project, specifying how it was conceived and, where applicable, identifying production partners in Italy, technical specifications, a production budget and a timetable for completion.

How?

The application must include the application form duly completed on the Villa Medici online platform.
A photocopy of both sides of an identity document
A detailed presentation of the residency project (5 pages maximum): research, technical requirements, production schedule and, if applicable, a production budget.
CV (max. 2 pages)
A portfolio presenting a selection of past creations (10 pages max.)

Texts must be written in French. All documents must be submitted to the platform in PDF format.
Submission of an application constitutes a firm commitment to take part in the residency if the application is accepted.

The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation

The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation is both a family foundation and, since its creation in 1987, has been recognized as a public utility. Bettencourt Schueller Foundation aims to “give wings to talent” in order to contribute to France’s success and influence. To this end, it seeks out, selects, supports and promotes men and women who are today imagining the world of tomorrow, in three fields that contribute concretely to the common good: life sciences, the arts and solidarity. In a spirit of philanthropy, the foundation acts through prizes, donations, personalized support, communication and co-constructed initiatives. Since its creation, the Foundation has awarded 634 prizes and supported over 1,000 projects led by talented individuals, teams, associations and organizations. The Foundation has been involved in the arts and crafts sector for over 20 years. It was one of the first to promote the contemporary dimension of these crafts through the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Intelligence of the Hand®. It identifies these skills as an asset of international appeal that needs to be promoted abroad. It has contributed to the recognition of arts and crafts as an artistic practice eligible for international residencies. In this context, it has been a patron of Villa Kujoyama since 2014, of Villa Albertine since 2021 and now also of Villa Médicis.