Residency Application

Gate 27 residency program welcomes artists, researchers, and professionals in visual arts, curation, literature, music, architecture, and design. In this way, we aim to create and maintain new collaborations by bringing together our guests working in different disciplines and strengthening their creative perspectives. 

Artists residing outside of Istanbul and Turkey are invited to Gate 27’s premises in Istanbul. This initiative aims to introduce artists to Istanbul’s cultural and artistic environment and connect them with a new network. Additionally, the Istanbul location provides better opportunities for art production.

At the Ayvalık campus of Gate 27, we invite artists who either live in Istanbul or have strong connections with cultural and art communities in Istanbul. The unique and secluded environment of Ayvalık allows our residents to concentrate on their projects. As a coastal city, Ayvalık offers limited opportunities for art production and networking. We expect the projects of the invited residents to have a connection with the region.

The facilities provided by Gate 27 vary according to Gate 27’s premises. 

In Yeniköy: 

• Spacious and communal working areas intertwined with nature, 
• Production workshop with basic materials and tools (circular saw, table saw, drill, sander, angle grinder, hand tools), 
• Private room and bathroom, 
• A fully equipped communal kitchen where residents can cook their meals, 
• Supplying essential food shopping needs weekly, 
• Public transportation support every week, 
• Opportunity to communicate with Istanbul culture and art environment, 
• Opportunity to benefit from the art workshops, science laboratories, and library of Sabancı University, which is among the corporate collaborators of Gate 27, 
• Event opportunity that focuses on art professionals, institutions, and artists. 

  In Ayvalık: 

• A quiet and isolated work and accommodation area intertwined with nature, 
• Private room and bathroom, 
• The working area within the accommodation area, 
• Daily meals, 
• Round-trip, transportation support to Ayvalık and Cunda once a day,
• Opportunity to meet and interact with Ayvalık’s contemporary art scene, 
• Opportunity to connect with artists, curators, art professionals, and other cultural and art venues working in Ayvalık. 

Applications are opened annually in the fall and are accepted for one month. Projects submitted outside the application period are not evaluated. 

The application process is announced via our website, social media accounts, and e-newsletter. 

Application for the 2025 program will open on September 2.

Gate 27 team pre-evaluates the applications under the guidance of Gate 27’s Advisory Board in line with Gate 27’s mission and vision. 

Then, an independent evaluation jury is invited to assess the applications in the light of the following criteria and creates a short list: 

• Compliance with the goals indicated by United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically with articles 11, 12, 13, and 16. 
• Cooperation with Gate 27’s corporate collaborators, corporate and individual network, and benefiting from production opportunities, 
• Reaching an interdisciplinary output by bringing together different disciplines and production techniques, 
• The social, environmental, economic, and creative impact of the project output, 
• Developing new professional opportunities at the end of the residency period for both the resident and Gate 27,  

Gate 27 team examines the project’s purpose, needs, and portfolio of the applicants, then organizes interviews with the shortlisted applicants. The team checks the provided references. 

The duration of the residency is agreed upon with the applicant according to the needs of the project and the current schedule of Gate 27. 

The principle of equality is applied throughout the evaluation process.

Gate 27’s residency program duration varies according to its locations. Applicants can apply for a 4-12 week residency program for our Yeniköy premises. Those who want to join Gate 27’s residency program in Ayvalık can apply only for 4 weeks.  

We decide the allocated time for the applicant’s project according to their needs after conducting interviews with the applicants, and we notify the applicants. 

Please remember that national holidays may last long due to extending the before and after dates. Also, summertime in Istanbul is a low season for arts and culture. These factors may make it difficult to reach out to people for networking. Please choose your dates according to the needs of your project.

National holidays for 2024:

January 1 – New year
April 9-12 – Ramadan fest/Eid el- fitr
April 23 – National Sovereignty and Children’s Day
May 1 – Worker’s Day
May 19 – Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day
June 15-19 – Sacrifice Holiday/Eid al-Adha
July 15 – Democracy and National Unity Day
August 30 – Victory Day
October 29 – Republic Day

Gate 27 does not charge any fees for the application and accommodation. In addition, it provides 300 TL per week for the in-city public transportation card for residents in Istanbul and one round-trip city transportation support per day in Ayvalık, free of charge.

While essential food shopping is carried out in Istanbul per week, three meals are offered free in Ayvalık every day.

In addition, Gate 27 supports the promotion of the residents and their projects by offering public and media relations plans, both printed and digital. Only the essential goods determined by Gate 27 are provided for weekly food needs. 

Guests are responsible for all their expenses, except for the financial and non-financial supports mentioned above. 

Gate 27 does not provide any financial support for the artwork production or project expenses. However, it ensures that the resident is brought together with the relevant stakeholders to realize the related production. In this context, residents can benefit from Sabancı University’s art workshops and scientific laboratories free of charge, subject to availability. 

Gate 27 does not support any visa application fee, flight tickets, or similar international or intercity transportation; in-city airport transfer, taxi, or chauffeured vehicle support. 

Residents are expected to actively work on the projects they have applied for the program, to be open to communication with local cultural and artistic actors and artists, to participate in the process documentation video organized by Gate 27 at the end of their residency to convey their residency process. 

 In addition, guests are encouraged to contribute to the Gate 27 Collection by donating a work (such as a draft, drawing, artwork, text, or a report) that best describes/represents the process they had at Gate 27. 

We value that your time at Gate 27 is filled with discovery, and we are here to support you with our network and resources. We are pleased to witness the evolution and change in direction of your project during the residency.

However, since the projects invited to the residency are selected by the evaluation jury, we expect you to complete your residency with the project you were accepted with. If you wish to pursue a different project from the one you applied with after starting your time at Gate 27, please note that you will not be able to continue the residency.

In honor of the centennial of James Baldwin’s birthday, Gate 27 is proud to collaborate with La Maison Baldwin (LMB) to empower Black writers through a unique residency program. This collaboration will provide two Black writers with a one-month residency at Gate 27’s Istanbul premises, offering resources and support to foster their creative work. 

Only Black writers can apply to this program.

Please visit the program’s page for the details.

Applications for 2025 residency program has ended. 

Applications for 2026 program will open toward the fall of 2025.