We invite artists living and working in Klaipėda to take part in the Book Art Festival residency programme Klaipėda–Malmö!
The Klaipėda Culture Communication Centre (KCCC) has organised the Book Art Festival since 2022. Its aim is to popularise book art in society, drawing attention to book design and encouraging people to see the book as a value. During the festival we invite you to notice the artistic design of a book, its structure and its illustrations; to see the artist’s work in it and to appreciate the illustrations they created and the book’s design — the layout, the typefaces and the other elements of book art. And also to pay attention to the paper, the different methods of binding, the printing techniques, the handwork. Every year the festival features book art exhibitions, creative workshops for amateurs and professionals, lectures and book launches.
This year’s festival programme includes an artist exchange programme between the KCCC and KKV Grafik (Malmö, Sweden). Two artists each will be selected from Klaipėda and from Malmö to be hosted by the partner organisation. We invite you to apply for the selection!
The Book Art Festival residency programme is dedicated to creating an illustrated story.
Conditions:
The 2026 Book Art Festival is dedicated to the theme of illustration — as a form of storytelling that lets artists create stories, characters and whole new worlds. An illustration can accompany a text, complement it or expand it, but it can also work on its own — without words.
By illustrating books, creating comics and sometimes working entirely without words — that is, making wordless books — artists open the way to different possibilities of storytelling and to different forms of visual language.
We invite residents to create an original illustrated story of up to 6 A4 pages in whichever form is closer to them — a comic (in English) or a wordless visual story. The stories of all participating artists will come together in a joint publication representing what the residents created during the exchange.
The trip to Malmö, Sweden, is planned for August, lasting 7–14 days (travel costs covered);
Accommodation in Malmö is provided;
Access to workshops, equipment and materials in Malmö is provided;
A grant of EUR 300 is provided.
Requirements for participants:
- Have an artistic education and documents confirming it (have graduated from an art school or art studies, or be a student of an art study programme);
- Have English or Swedish at level B1 or above;
- Have been engaged in personal creative work for at least 1 year.
To take part in the selection, candidates must send:
- a CV in English
- a portfolio of works
- a motivation letter in English (up to 500 words)
- a short description of what you intend to create during the residency
Applications will be assessed by 2 representatives of KKV Grafik and 2 representatives of the KCCC. Send all documents by 4 May to gabija.savickaite@kkkc.lt, with “Rezidencija” in the subject line.
