Allocation of Funding: Residencies 2025 – Live at Pop-Kultur

Musicboard Berlin announces the 2025 recipients of its residency programme, awarding four domestic and international residencies and four co-creation residencies to Berlin-based pop musicians. The programme strengthens international links within Berlin’s pop scene and fosters long-term co-production networks. For the co-creation residencies, international artists are currently in Berlin collaborating with their residency partners, with results to be presented live on 30 August at the Pop-Kultur Festival.

Musicboard’s residency programme gives Berlin pop musicians the opportunity to work creatively in a new setting, whether in Germany or abroad. With co-creation residencies, Musicboard also welcomes international musicians to stay in Berlin. These residencies serve to further the internationalisation of Berlin’s pop music scene and establish long-term, transnational co-production. In 2025, 163 artists applied for a Musicboard residency. Four domestic and international residencies and four co-creation residencies were awarded. Depending on the location, the residencies take place in 2025 or at a later date.

The residencies are granted on the recommendation of an independent jury of Berlin pop experts, consisting of Aida Baghernejad, Ebru »Ebow« Düzgün, Ji-Hun Kim, Misla Tesfamariam, Peer Steinwald, and Yeşim Duman.

DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCIES

For its residency programme, Musicboard cooperates with long-standing partners and established residency centres such as Villa Aurora in Los Angeles, the Goethe-Institut’s VILA SUL in Salvador de Bahia, the concert venue Le Plan near Paris, HELLERAU in Dresden, and Sternhagen Gut in the Uckermark. Depending on the residency’s profile, the focus of the stay may be on composition and production, live sound, or interdisciplinary exchange. The following artists receive a Musicboard residency:

CO-CREATION RESIDENCIES

The co-creation residencies place a special emphasis on exceptional collaborations and on long-term artistic and cultural exchange between Berlin-based and international musicians. In these two-part residencies, Musicboard not only awards stays abroad to Berlin artists but also invites international musicians to Berlin. This gives the residency partners the opportunity to collaborate over an extended period and in different locations.

For the co-creation residencies, Musicboard cooperates with techno legends Underground Resistance and the Detroit-Berlin Connection, with Nyege Nyege – a label and festival for experimental electronic music in Kampala, with the feminist initiative Black Girls Glow in Accra, and with the club Kuli Alma in Tel Aviv. The selection of international musicians lies with the partner organisations.

The following musicians receive a co-creation residency in 2025:

INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTS IN BERLIN – CO-CREATION LIVE AT POP-KULTUR FESTIVAL

As part of the co-creation residencies, the stays of international residents in Berlin take place each year in August and September. Currently, four international residents (from the 2024 and 2025 programmes) are working in Berlin with their co-creation partners on site. They perform live on 30 August at the Pop-Kultur Festival in the Frannz Garten at the Kulturbrauerei. Admission to the residency concerts is free.

Pop-Kultur, Saturday, 30 August, Frannz Garten (Kulturbrauerei)
6 p.m. Lor & Laura Robles (Co-creation residency Accra – Berlin)
7 p.m. AGAT & Grimsøn (Co-creation residency Tel Aviv – Berlin)
8 p.m. Mahdiya (Co-creation residency Kampala – Berlin)
9 p.m. Blackmoonchild & Ziggy Zeitgeist (Co-creation residency Detroit – Berlin)

Short bios of the artists are available on the Pop-Kultur website. Direct contact can be arranged on request.