Nawat Fes

Eligibility

Passport must be visa-exempt for Morocco (60+ days); good conversational English required; collectives up to three.

Nawat Fes Deadline: 07 Jan 2027 Country: Morocco Nawat Fes offers funded residencies in the eighth-century medina of Fes, Morocco to U.S. and international creators in multiple disciplines. The initiative engages art to cultivate understanding among multifaceted cultures through the exchange of ideas. Hosted by the American Language Center Fes / Arabic Language Institute in Fez, a member of the American Cultural Association, Nawat Fes is a new program that hosted its first residencies in 2022. Through the American Language Center and its Arabic Language Institute in Fez (ALC-ALIF), Nawat Fes artists have access to multilingual staff support and opportunities for engagement with the wider community of Fes. The ALC’s main facility in Fes’ New City includes a large garden with a café, library and bookstore, where Moroccans and students of Arabic from around the world congregate to share ideas and participate in the ALC’s range of public programs. The ALIF Riad, a spacious traditional house built around a courtyard garden of orange trees, offers an additional space in the medina available for exhibitions and public programs. Two artist residents at one time live and work in a traditional house in the ancient medina of Fes, which is considered one of the most extensive and best conserved historic cities of the Arab-Muslim world. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Fes medina is one of the world’s largest pedestrian zones, containing narrow alleyways leading to ancient architectural treasures, traditional houses, artisan workshops and open-air markets. Within this unique setting, Nawat Fes provides a supportive environment for research, reflection and artistic practice, allowing artists from around the world to experience and learn from Moroccan culture, and to contribute to the local cultural conversation. Duration of residency 8 weeks Residency Periods: Nawat Fes offers four residency periods each year of roughly two months each. Artists are expected to arrive at the beginning of each residency period and to stay through the end of the residency period. Accommodation Two artist residents at one time live and work in Dar Bennis, a traditional house in the ancient medina of Fes. Images of the house are available on the Nawat Fes website. Disciplines, work equipment and assistance Nawat Fes welcomes both established and emerging artists, including writers (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screenwriting/playwriting, and literary translation), filmmakers, visual artists, conceptual and performance artists, musicians, composers and soundStudio / Workspace Each artist has a small private studio in the residency house. There is a work table and chair in each studio, but no special equipment or tools. Most things are available somewhere in the medina, and our team can help you find them.Fees and support Residencies are supported by the American Language Center Fes, which provides housing at no cost to artist residents, along with a 200-dirham/day living allowance for days they are present in Fes (depending on the exchange rate, this normally ranges from 16-20 USD/day), from which artists will provide their own food. Half of the stipend is provided on arrival, and half at the midpoint of the residency. We can recommend some excellent local cooks who can come to Dar Bennis to prepare a variety of meals, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options, as well as traditional Moroccan dishes. Artists can use their stipend to pay for this service. The ALC will host occasional community meals including other members of the Fes community. ALC-ALIF staff and volunteers will be available on a limited basis to help artists engage with the local community. Artists will also be offered the option of a complimentary 10-hour course in beginning Moroccan Arabic. Artists support the cost of their own travel, travel medical insurance, artist materials, any cost for mailing finished work out of Morocco, and all other costs. Expectations towards the artist Nawat Fes artist residents are expected to offer two opportunities for our community to engage with their work. These could be public programs such as a talk, performance, reading, lecture, workshop or concert, or an exhibition of their work during the residency. These programs are intended for local students of English and/or international students of Arabic, as well as the local community. Artists should be prepared to engage with our community in English or Arabic. There will be optional opportunities for Nawat Fes artist residents to engage in further public programming for the Moroccan community at American Language Centers in 11 other cities around Morocco, during or after their residency. Application information Eligibility: Artistic Media Supported: Nawat Fes welcomes both established and emerging artists, including writers (fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting/screenwriting, and literary translation), filmmakers, visual artists, conceptual and performance artists, musicians, composers and sound artists. We do not host dance. Artist collectives of up to three people are accepted and should submit a single application. Because a major aim of the program is to bring new international voices to the Moroccan community, preference will be given to applications from artists who are not already residing in Morocco. It is not possible for artist residents to be accompanied by spouses or partners unless the spouse/partner applies and has been individually accepted to the program. If spouses plan to visit, we request that they stay elsewhere. The program cannot accommodate children. Our initial facilities have some limitations for visual artists and artists working in sound. Please see website for details. Application and Notification: The application deadline for Nawat Fes residencies is January 7, 2026 at 11:59 pm Morocco time. See nawatfes.org. Notification of artist selections will be in late April 2026. To be notified when the application opens, please go to Nawat Fes website directly and add your name to our email list. Selection Criteria: Artists are evaluated by a jury. We value diversity highly within our community of artist residents. Residencies are awarded based on the quality of work submitted, diversity of cohort, the proposal for intended new work, and the fit of the artist within Morocco and the Fes medina. A high value is placed on linguistic exchange between the artists and the Moroccan community in Fes, which participates in American Language Center programs in English, so artist applicants must have good conversation skills in English. Arabic and French are helpful but not required. Nawat Fes will accept residency applications only from artists holding passports eligible for visa-free entry with a minimum stay of 60 days (in other words, those listed as “exempted from entry visa into Morocco”—artists who have to submit an application for a visa are not eligible.) Check the website of the Moroccan embassy or consulate in your country. This unfortunate rule is based on past experience of Nawat Fes artists. Artist Inquiries: please contact us at [email protected].

What to submit

Work samples, Other

How to apply

Apply via the Nawat Fes website; join the email list to be notified when applications open.