Each year, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici organizes an international competition to select fellows who will be hosted at the Villa Medici in Rome for a 12-month residency in creation, experimentation and research (residency begins in September, ends in August).
The competition is open to established French-speaking artists, authors and researchers, regardless of nationality. Applications are accepted from all disciplines of literary and artistic creation, arts and crafts, as well as art history and theory, or the restoration of works of art or monuments.
The Fellows
Each year, sixteen fellows are selected through a competition involving nearly 900 applicants to complete a twelve-month creative, experimental and research residency at Villa Medici, from September to August. Candidates are selected on the basis of their applications, which may be followed by an audition before a panel of qualified experts, where appropriate. The competition is open to established artists, writers and researchers of any nationality and age. The only condition is that the participant must be a francophone. Applications are accepted from all artistic disciplines, including music, literature, architecture, design, plastic and visual arts, choreography, theater directing, arts and crafts, as well as art historical research and restoration.
During their stay at the Academy, fellows are encouraged to participate in community life and cultural programming, and are regularly invited to meet art professionals from all backgrounds.