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Top Artist Residencies in Australia for 2026
The best artist residencies in Australia for 2026 - from Bundanon's UNESCO bushland to Melbourne's Gertrude Contemporary - with stipends, eligibility, and application details for local and international artists.
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Top Artist Residencies in Australia for 2026
Australia's art ecosystem is shaped by its contradictions: ancient country and young institutions, vast isolation and globally connected cities, a small domestic market producing artists with disproportionate international reach. From the Shoalhaven River gorge to the warehouses of Fitzroy, the country hosts a network of residency programmes that reflect this complexity - grounded in place, serious about practice, and increasingly invested in exchange with the rest of the world.
Whether you're an international artist looking to work in the southern hemisphere or an Australian artist seeking the right local environment to push new work, Australia's residencies offer something the bigger art markets rarely do: space, quiet, and time.
This guide covers the most significant programmes for 2026 - in Australia and the Creative Australia international programmes sending Australian artists abroad - with verified details on what's included.
Residencies in Australia
Bundanon (Shoalhaven River, NSW)
Bundanon is the most significant artist residency in Australia by scale - more than 100 artists and collectives in residence each year across a 1,100-hectare UNESCO World Heritage-listed property on the Shoalhaven River, two and a half hours south of Sydney. This was Arthur Boyd's home and studio; it is now a dedicated art centre with a new art museum embedded into the hillside.
What's included:
- Free accommodation (self-contained houses, cabins, studios - up to 10 residents simultaneously)
- Dedicated studio and rehearsal spaces
- No fees or costs to artists
- No monetary stipend for the general programme (select named fellowships include stipends)
Named fellowships attached to Bundanon (with stipends):
- British Council Fellowship - for UK-based artists; 3 weeks; stipend included
- First Nations Fellowship - for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists; 2 weeks
- Fellowship for Artist with Disability - for d/Deaf or disabled artists; 2 weeks
- Dobell Foundation AIR Award - visual artists, NSW focus; 2 weeks
- William Fletcher Foundation Award - mid-career Australian artists; 2 weeks
Application details:
- Duration: 2–5 weeks; year-round
- Eligibility: International and Australian artists welcome; individuals, collectives, companies; all disciplines
- Applications for 2026: Closed (504 applications received from 24 countries; over 100 artists selected)
- Applications for 2027: Will open mid-2026
Note: Bundanon is Australia's answer to a flagship national residency - non-prescriptive, place-driven, and genuinely open to international artists. The landscape is part of the programme; many residents cite the Shoalhaven as central to what they made there.
Gertrude Contemporary - Studio Program (Preston South, Melbourne)
Gertrude Contemporary is one of Australia's most respected artist-run organisations, offering 2-year studio residencies to contemporary visual artists in Melbourne. Founded in 1985, it sits alongside international programmes like Gasworks or Cité in terms of the calibre and ambition of artists it supports.
What's included:
- Dedicated, subsidised studio in Gertrude's Preston South premises
- Mentorship and peer support
- Access to Gertrude's gallery network and programming
- Group and solo exhibition opportunities
- At least one fully subsidised studio reserved annually for a First Nations artist
Application details:
- Duration: 2 years; 8 new artists join each year (16 active simultaneously)
- Eligibility: Primarily Australian artists; contemporary visual arts focus; interdisciplinary practice welcome; First Nations applicants assessed by a First Nations panel
- Applications for 2027: Check gertrude.org.au for opening dates (typically late 2026)
Note: Gertrude doesn't offer an open-door international residency - it's a competitive selection for ongoing studio membership. For international artists, the Norma Redpath Studio (VCA partnership) offers a separate by-invitation programme for visiting international artists and curators.
ANAT Synapse Residency (Australia-wide, Art + Science)
The ANAT Synapse Residency is for artists whose practice sits at the intersection of art and science. Administered by the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT), it embeds artists directly within scientific research organisations - universities, CSIRO, and research institutes - across the country for a full 16-week engagement.
What's included:
- Stipend and living expenses during residency (exact amounts vary by year and host)
- Embedded placement within a scientific research organisation
- Access to laboratories, researchers, and equipment
Application details:
- Duration: 16 weeks full-time (or part-time equivalent); February–October
- Eligibility: Australian artists only; any discipline; practice must engage substantively with science or technology; collaborative disposition essential
- Applications for 2026: Closed (deadline was October 2025; outcomes notified December 2025)
- Applications for 2027: Monitor anat.org.au from mid-2026
Note: ANAT Synapse is one of the most distinctive residency programmes in Australia - no production requirements, no exhibition at the end, just a genuine research partnership. Over 100 artist-scientist pairings since 2004. Recent collaborations have spanned astrophysics, aerosol science, marine biology, and quantum computing.
Australian Tapestry Workshop (South Melbourne, Victoria)
The Australian Tapestry Workshop is the only professional tapestry studio in Australia - a specialist programme for artists working in or with textile techniques. Four residency positions are available each year, including a fully funded international stream supported by the Hancock Fellowship.
What's included (international - Hancock Fellowship):
- Return flights to Melbourne
- 4 weeks accommodation
- Dedicated studio workspace and loom access
- Up to $100 AUD in ATW yarn
- Up to 7 hours training with a professional weaver or dyer
- Solo exhibition at ATW main gallery
Residency streams:
- International (Hancock Fellowship): Fully funded; mid-career international artists
- First Peoples (Irene Davies Scholarship): Travel and accommodation covered; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists
- Regional (Irene Davies Scholarship): Travel and accommodation covered; artists outside capital cities
- Open Call (x2): Australian and international mid-career artists
Application details:
- Duration: 4 weeks (13 July – 9 August 2026 for international); extensible to 8 weeks with own funding
- Eligibility: Mid-career artists working with textiles or textile techniques; programme prioritises First Peoples, culturally diverse, regional, and disabled artists
- Applications for 2026–2027 cycle: Deadline 10 September 2026 at 1pm AEST
Learn more at austapestry.com.au
Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre - Studios (Fremantle, WA)
Fremantle Arts Centre operates a creative campus of nine studios within a colonial-era heritage building in Fremantle, 20 minutes from Perth. Beyond the studios programme, it runs the Incheon International Exchange Residency - a paid three-month exchange with the Incheon Art Platform in South Korea.
Incheon International Exchange Residency:
- Stipend: $7,500 AUD
- Return Perth–Incheon airfare
- Duration: 3 months (June–August 2026)
- Eligibility: Western Australia-based artists only
- 2026 Applications: Closed (deadline November 2025)
Studios Programme:
- 9 working studios; no rental fees (production expenses covered by artist)
- 7-day access, 9am–5pm; all art forms welcome
- Up to 6 months; prioritises First Nations, CALD, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities
- Applications: Closed for current round; check website for next cycle
Note: WFAC's international exchange history also includes a reciprocal programme with IMMA in Dublin. For Western Australian artists, this is one of the only funded international residency pathways administered regionally rather than through Creative Australia.
Canberra Glassworks - Artist in Residence (Kingston, Canberra)
Canberra Glassworks is a specialist programme for artists working with glass - one of the few facilities of its kind in the southern hemisphere, with a full professional hotshop, flameworking, coldshop, kilns, neon, and mould room.
What's included:
- Stipend (amount not publicly disclosed)
- Limited materials allowance
- 24-hour access to all facilities
- Shared accommodation in The Chapel for interstate artists (subject to availability)
Programmes:
- Artist in Residence: Established glass practitioners; 4–6 weeks full-time
- Graduate in Residence: Recent graduates with exceptional skill; 4 weeks
- Art Group International Creative Fellowship: $25,000 AUD; 3 months; mid-career international glass artists (2026 fellow: Josie Gluck, USA, May–July 2026)
Application details for AiR and Graduate residencies:
- Eligibility: Australian citizens, permanent residents, or artists based in Australia 6+ months prior; must work independently and safely
- Applications for 2026: Closed (deadline September 2025)
- Applications for 2027: Monitor canberraglassworks.com from mid-2026
Learn more at canberraglassworks.com
BigCi - Blue Mountains (Bilpin, NSW)
BigCi (Bilpin International Ground for Creative Initiatives) is an artist-run residency on the edge of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park, an hour and a half west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains. It is self-funded rather than stipend-bearing, but it offers something harder to quantify: uninterrupted access to ancient wilderness for practice that needs it.
What's included:
- Accommodation, workspace, shared facilities, kitchen, bathroom
- Internet, electricity, water
- Access to Wollemi National Park and Blue Mountains environment
Costs:
- AUD $300/week for Australian artists
- AUD $350/week for international artists
- No stipend
Application details:
- Duration: Flexible (weeks to months); rolling applications year-round
- Eligibility: Open to international and Australian artists across all disciplines
- Applications: bigci.org - rolling acceptance
Note: Arte Laguna Prize winners receive 4 weeks free. BigCi is best suited to artists with practice connected to landscape, ecology, or place - painters, writers, sound artists, environmental practitioners. The setting is genuinely extraordinary.
Creative Australia - International Programmes
Creative Australia (the federal arts body, formerly Australia Council for the Arts) administers Australia's suite of funded international residency placements. Most programmes operate on the same annual cycle: applications open late June, close early August for the following year's residencies. The next cycle (for 2027 residencies) will open mid-2026. All require Australian citizenship or permanent residency.
Cité internationale des arts (Paris)
Grant: $12,500 AUD | Duration: 3 months | Studio: ~30 sqm in the Marais (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom) Available periods (2026–2027): July–September 2026, January–March 2027, April–June 2027 Eligibility: Individual practitioners; any discipline 3 positions available per year
ISCP - New York
Grant: $35,000 AUD | Duration: 4 months (September–December 2026) | Studio: Private furnished studio in Brooklyn (accommodation not provided - covered by artist from grant) Eligibility: Individual practitioners; any discipline; 1 position per year
Acme Studios - London
Grant: $30,000 AUD | Duration: 12 months | Live/work unit: 50 sqm (32 sqm studio + bedroom, bathroom, kitchen) in Poplar, E14 Includes: Studio critiques, mentor meetings with UK arts professionals Eligibility: Visual artists; individuals; 1 position per year
HIAP - Helsinki
Grant: $12,500 AUD | Duration: 3 months | Location: Suomenlinna island, UNESCO World Heritage Site (15-min ferry from Helsinki) Eligibility: Individual practitioners; any discipline; 2 positions per year
BR Whiting Studio - Rome
Grant: $5,000–$25,000 AUD (varies by duration) | Duration: 1, 3, or 6 months | Studio: Trastevere apartment with 2,000+ book library annexe Eligibility: Writers and poets specifically; individuals only
Mordant Family Fellowship - American Academy in Rome
Grant: USD $8,500 (2 months) or USD $12,500 (3 months) | Includes: Private room, studio, and meals at the Academy | Eligibility: Established visual artists with a significant exhibition record in public institutions; 1 position per year Note: Deadline falls separately - 3 February 2026 for this year's cycle; notifications April 2026.
Major Fellowships & Scholarships
Guildhouse Fellowship (South Australia) - $50,000
The Guildhouse Fellowship is the most generous visual arts fellowship in South Australia: $50,000 AUD (with superannuation) for an 18-month engagement with the Art Gallery of South Australia, culminating in a solo AGSA presentation.
- Eligibility: SA mid-career visual artists, craft practitioners, or designers; must reside in SA for the majority of the fellowship
- Applications for 2026: Open now - closes 30 March 2026 at 5pm
Australian World Heritage Residency - $50,000
Creative Australia offers $50,000 AUD grants for artists to undertake self-directed residencies at Australia's 11 designated World Heritage Sites - Kakadu, the Great Barrier Reef, Gondwana Rainforests, the Sydney Opera House, and others.
- Eligibility: Australian citizens or permanent residents; all disciplines (screen excluded); individuals, groups, or collectives; 18+
- Applications for 2026 cycle: Closed (June 2025); monitor creative.gov.au for the 2027 cycle
Anne & Gordon Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarships - $75,000
The Samstag Scholarships (University of South Australia) are the most generous arts scholarships in Australia for international study: full institutional fees plus a $75,000 AUD tax-free living allowance for one academic year at an institution of the artist's choosing anywhere in the world.
- Eligibility: Australian visual artists; graduates or current students from any tertiary institution; any career stage
- 2026 recipients: Yuriyal Bridgeman (QLD), Teresa Busuttil (SA), EJ Son (NSW)
- Applications for 2027: Will open during 2026
Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship - $50,000
The Brett Whiteley Scholarship is a national competition for emerging Australian artists aged 20–30: $50,000 AUD and a 3-month residency at Cité internationale des arts in Paris for the winner, plus five secondary awards of $10,000 each.
- Eligibility: Australian citizens aged 20–30; minimum 5 of 10 submitted works must be paintings
- Applications: Typically open 30 June and close 30 July each year; check artgallery.nsw.gov.au for 2026 dates
Practical Tips for Australia
Getting Around
Australia's distances are genuinely significant. Sydney to Perth is a six-hour flight; Sydney to Melbourne is one hour. Most residencies are either in or near major cities, or deliberately remote. Build travel time and cost into your planning - interstate travel from a major international hub (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) is usually a domestic flight, not a drive.
Visa Requirements
- Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417/462): Allows up to 12 months for eligible nationalities aged 18–35; permits work and study; broadly useful for self-funded residencies
- Temporary Activity Visa (subclass 408): For sponsored artists; your host organisation acts as sponsor
- Bundanon and BigCi: Confirm visa eligibility directly - both host international artists and can advise on appropriate visa pathways
- Creative Australia international programmes are for Australian citizens and permanent residents only
Cost of Living
- Sydney and Melbourne: Among the most expensive cities globally; accommodation, food, and transport costs are comparable to London or New York
- Canberra: Significantly more affordable than Sydney or Melbourne
- Regional: Considerably cheaper; most regional residencies include free accommodation
- Day-to-day budget: Allow AUD $80–120/day in major cities for food and transport without accommodation costs
Key Application Windows
- Creative Australia international programmes: Apply June–August each year for the following year's residencies
- Bundanon: Applications open mid-year for the following year
- Guildhouse Fellowship: Currently open - closes 30 March 2026
- ANAT Synapse: Annual round, typically closing October
- ATW Artist in Residence: Current deadline September 2026
Finding More Opportunities in Australia
- Creative Australia - National arts body; full list of funded programmes
- NAVA Studio & Residency List - Comprehensive national directory
- ArtsHub - Job board and opportunity listings for Australian arts sector
- Res Artis - International residency network with Australian members
For comprehensive residency listings worldwide, browse our funded residencies guide or visit our opportunities page.