Villa Albertine has officially launched its call for projects for a jazz residency in New Orleans in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the Philharmonie de Paris. Created by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and supported by the French Ministry of Culture, Villa Albertine is a new French institution for arts and ideas in the United States that builds on the bold and innovative programs that have been the hallmark of the French cultural network abroad for more than a century. Anchored in 10 cities across the United States, Villa Albertine proposes a new kind of artists’ residency program—one where residents no longer must adapt to the Villa, but instead, the Villa adapts to them.

This call is open to musicians strongly involved in the French jazz scene. Applications will be accepted until April 24 (11:59 pm French time) for an exploratory residency of 1-3 months to take place in 2023 in New Orleans.

These exploratory residencies are not intended as work behind closed doors but to act as probing field work that inspires and creates new bonds. The project can be either a new proposal conceived for Villa Albertine or research the resident has been conducting before they arrive in the US. In both cases, the raison d’être of the project is its relation to the place where it takes place. Although it involves presenting something, in any form, its outcome should not be centered on the production of a specific work or format, as a production residency would.

Villa Albertine is looking for creators, researchers, and culture professionals with an original research project requiring an immersive stay in the United States, which can be supplemented by prospecting activities for business purposes. The residency gives the selected musician access to organizations and key players in the sector in New Orleans and the United States. The project proposed by the candidates should open up active dialogue with local actors. The first resident welcomed as part of this jazz residency will be bass player Sélène Saint-Aimé, who will come to carry out research on the Caribbean roots of jazz. To learn more about her upcoming residency click here.

The support provided by Villa Albertine and its partners allow the resident to be immersed from the outset in an ecosystem conducive to meetings and discoveries. A schedule of meetups, visits, and events will be produced for each resident, in accordance with their project and needs. The New Orleans Jazz Museum will make its resources available to the resident, including archives, the studio, etc.

Villa Albertine will also support the resident in their analysis of material and logistical requirements for the project to be carried out properly. The organization will organize the resident’s arrival and stay and will provide them with knowledge of the local artistic and cultural scene and its network.

To learn more about eligibility requirements, visit the Villa Albertine website.