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.