Montpellier 2028 – Terres de culture and the Communauté de communes Vallée de l’Hérault invite applications for the ‘A Living Valley: A Sensitive Evocation of the Hérault Valley’ artistic research and creation residency, taking place at the former Aniane Abbey and across the Hérault Valley, France.
The eight-week residency (which may be non-consecutive) will take place between January and April 2027. The first public presentation must take place before the end of the 2026–2027 school year, with a further presentation planned for autumn 2027 as part of Event 27.
The residency is part of L’Abbaye des Possibles, a cultural and artistic project exploring the former Aniane Abbey as a place for contemporary creation and exchange. The Hérault Valley is approached as a living being, shaped by voices, silences, movements, emotions, memories and transformations.
The opportunity supports an artistic duo bringing together visual arts and musical and sound creation, or two complementary artistic research projects. Artists are invited to develop a sensitive portrait of the valley through encounters with local inhabitants, collecting stories and sounds, workshops and artistic experimentation. The research may draw on local landscapes, villages, heritage, archives and cultural resources.
The call is open to artists with no age limit or geographical restrictions. Applications may be submitted individually or by an already established duo. Selected artists must work across visual arts and musical and sound creation.
Each artist will receive a grant of 6,000 EUR, covering remuneration, daily allowances and return travel costs to Aniane. Accommodation will be provided. Artists will also have access to spaces within the former abbey for rehearsals, recording, experimentation and workshops, as well as support with local travel.
