Open Calls

WilderHaven
2026 Artist Residency Program

WilderHaven Artist Residency (WHAR) enters a new chapter in Fall 2026 with its residency program based in southern Yunnan Province, China. Located within a heritage landscape near Xishuangbanna, the new site situates artists and researchers in a region known for its extraordinary ecological diversity, layered cultural histories, and long-standing traditions of communal knowledge and land-based practice.

Surrounded by subtropical forests, tea landscapes, and living cultural lineages, the Yunnan residency offers an expansive environment for place-based inquiry, slow research, and relational artistic processes. The area is home to multiple ethnic communities and oral traditions, where everyday rhythms, seasonal cycles, and material practices continue to shape contemporary life. This setting invites artists to engage with questions of collectivity, ecology, craft, migration, and cultural continuity through attentive presence and dialogue.

At WilderHaven, we remain committed to cultivating an inclusive and non-hierarchical space where artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners from diverse backgrounds can come together to share knowledge, experiment, and learn from the land and its communities. The Fall 2026 residency will continue to prioritize research-driven practices, embodied observation, and community-responsive approaches over fixed outcomes.

The Open Call for the Fall 2026 residency will open in late March 2026, with further details about the site, program structure, and application guidelines to be announced soon.

We look forward to welcoming artists into this new landscape and to growing WilderHaven as a living, evolving platform where contemporary practice meets ancestral knowledge and ecological awareness.

A video related to the culture: History of Tea

Applications will be will open in late March 2026

Application Deadline: TBA

Notifications: TBA

Residency Dates: August - November 2026

Duration: 4 or 6 weeks ( more than 6 weeks are determined case by case)

Who Can Apply
Artists (21+ year-old) working in any medium are welcome. International artists are welcome. All accepted residents receive a dedicated workspace tailored to their practice.

Special Opportunities

Writers & Musicians: Collaborate with local Yi and Lisú communities on storytelling, music-making, and cross-cultural exchange.
Dancers & Performers: Choose between our indoor studio or the surrounding natural garden for rehearsals and presentations.

Housing

Shared double rooms (2-bed, private bathroom)
Private suites (private bathroom)

Studios & Workspaces

Shared Open Studio: Accommodates 3–4 artists—ideal for big size projects.

Support & Resources

24/7 access to your studio
Shared snack bar and fully equipped kitchen with ingredients
Curated cultural excursions to Yi and Lisú villages
On-site assistant for sourcing materials

Language: Mandarin and English.

Participate fee

WilderHaven Award
To support access and creative momentum, WilderHaven offers an award, a merit-based stipend that automatically reduces the residency fee for selected artists.

No extra application needed—all applicants are considered based on the strength of their portfolio and proposal.

Note: Artists receiving the award will be notified alongside their acceptance. WilderHaven operates as a self-funded program, it’s free to apply, with residency fees directly sustaining our facilities and local partnerships. While we strive to keep costs accessible, we strongly encourage participants to seek supplementary funding through grants, sponsorships, or crowdfunding initiatives.