The Hertzlab at ZKM in Karlsruhe (UNESCO City of Media Arts) in collaboration with Heidelberg UNESCO City of Literature—represented by the Cultural Office of the City of Heidelberg—cordially invites poets from UNESCO Cities of Literature worldwide to apply for its new residency program.

Residency Overview
Duration: September 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025
Purpose: To foster the intermedial, i.e. literary engagement with ZKM’s distinguished collection of videopoetry and to inspire and/or enable professional artists to experience the rich potential of artistic expression in different media.
Eligibility: poets (or those working professionally and poetically with language) with a clear connection (center of life and/or work) to one of the 53 UNESCO Cities of Literature worldwide (a complete list of all UNESCO Cities of Literature worldwide can be found on their joint website www.citiesoflit.com).

Benefits for the Selected Resident

• Accommodation provided in ZKM’s artist apartment (common areas such as kitchen and bathroom are shared with 2 other artists), conveniently accessible by public tram service.
• A monthly stipend of €1,000 to cover living expenses.
• Financial assistance for travel expenses up to €2,000.
• Exclusive access to a personal office and a workstation within ZKM’s premises for independent creative work.
• Expert guidance for exploring and researching ZKM’s videopoetry collection.
• Full utilization of the Hertzlab’s advanced technical equipment for the production of innovative media art (for capacity reasons, the consulting options for using the technical equipment are limited, i.e. certain prior knowledge is desirable).

Resident’s Obligations
The resident is expected to:

• Participate in a Meet & Greet event with key members of the literary community in Heidelberg
• Conduct a public reading or literary event in Heidelberg (travel costs between Heidelberg and Karlsruhe will be reimbursed)
• Host a concluding public event at ZKM, which may be conducted as a hybrid-format session.
• Optionally lead a workshop at ZKM, subject to prior agreement.

Application Requirements
Eligible poets (with strong connection to a UNESCO City of Literature) are required to submit their applications in English or German and include the following:

• A concise biography suitable for publication, accompanied by a printable portrait image (min. 300 dpi, mentioning the name of the photographer and with permission for its unrestricted publication).
• A detailed description of a proposed project idea, clearly delineating how the engagement with the videopoetry collection would contribute to the creative endeavor. Applicants should provide a brief project outline (max. 3000 characters incl. spaces) supplemented by a work plan and, if applicable, specifications for technical requirements.
• Up to 2 examples of past work, either as a text or via the link provided in the application.
• Please send us the above application documents in one coherent PDF file. The exception is the required portrait photo: This should be attached to the e-mail as an additional jpg.

Language Proficiency
Applicants are expected to have English language skills at a minimum proficiency level of B2.

Deadline for Applications
The application deadline is May 18, 2025, CEST.

Address for Applications
Please send the pdf with all application documents and the portrait picture (jpg) as attachments in an e-mail to: unesco.creative.city@heidelberg.de