The French Insti­tute in India and the French Embassy in India have announced the launch of the fourth edi­tion of Villa Swagatam. This cross-res­id­ency pro­gramme encour­ages long-term artistic and lit­er­ary exchange between France and South Asia. Launched in 2023, Villa Swagatam has grown into a plat­form con­nect­ing artists, writers, trans­lat­ors, design­ers, research­ers, and craft prac­ti­tion­ers through immers­ive res­id­en­cies last­ing between one and three months. The pro­gramme focuses on lit­er­at­ure, arts, and crafts, encour­aging par­ti­cipants to engage with new cul­tural spaces and col­lab­or­at­ive prac­tices.

Over the past three edi­tions, the ini­ti­at­ive has sup­por­ted nearly 100 res­id­ents and helped cre­ate col­lab­or­a­tions across lit­er­at­ure, visual arts, design, trans­la­tion, and craft tra­di­tions. Many par­ti­cipants have con­tin­ued work­ing together even after their res­id­en­cies, lead­ing to exhib­i­tions, pub­lic­a­tions, trans­la­tions, and long-term cre­at­ive part­ner­ships.

“The cre­at­ors who join the Villa Swagatam fam­ily are true pas­seurs: they build bridges between places, prac­tices, and per­spect­ives, whether encoun­ter­ing the eco­sys­tem for the first time or return­ing to it with a fresh vis­ion,” HE Thi­erry Mathou, Ambas­sador of France in India, said. He added that each edi­tion brings together a wide range of projects shaped through these cul­tural exchanges.

More details about the res­id­en­cies are avail­able on the offi­cial Villa Swagatam web­site. Applic­a­tions for the 2026-27 res­id­en­cies are open till May 31 for both French and Indian applic­ants.