Co-Creation Residency: Accra / Berlin

Two artists, one collaboration: The Accra / Berlin co-creation residency enables artistic partnerships and transcultural exchange across almost 8,000 km and two continents. Sounds good? Then keep on reading!

In cooperation with Black Girls Glow. and ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics, Musicboard is granting an international, two-part co-creation residency to solo musicians living in Berlin and Accra, Ghana who identify as women, intersex or non-binary. It is aimed at artists from all genres of pop music, meaning all music genres and styles that cannot be clearly designated as classical, new music or jazz. This includes all forms of cross-genre and experimental pop music.

Berlin musicians can apply via Musicboard for a stay of six weeks in Accra. Through Black Girls Glow, a musician from Accra is selected for a stay of up to two months in Berlin. Both musicians will be consulted about the selection of the respective artistic partner.

The aim of the co-creation residency is to foster exceptional collaborations and long-term artistic and cultural exchange between musicians living in Accra and those living in Berlin. In addition to the intended artistic collaboration, the residencies serve as a point of reference and contact for their partners, connecting them with the respective local creative scenes and artistic networks. With the co-creation residency, Musicboard is actively addressing the heritage of colonialism and its effects. Dr. Natasha A. Kelly – founding director of Germany’s first Institute for Black Arts and Culture and guest professor at Universität der Künste Berlin – provided content support for the development of the project.

The Musicboard residency programme intends to be accessible to everyone and as inclusive as possible. If you have questions about the accessibility of this residency and if it can be taken up accompanied by family, please contact us before applying: residencies@musicboard.berlin.de.

We also want our residencies to be a safer space for all artists. However, some aspects are beyond our control. We would like to advise potential applicants from the LGBTQI+ community to observe the travel and safety advice (in German) provided by the German Foreign Office for LGBTQI+ persons in Ghana.

Eligible to apply are:

• solo musicians who live and work in Berlin
• musicians who identify as women, intersex or non-binary
• musicians from all genres of pop music who stand out through particular creative achievements and who work professionally
• musicians who have a high degree of independence and take their own initiative
• musicians who are open to transcultural exchange and collaboration
• musicians who reflect on their own social position and are critical of power imbalances and discrimination. Prior knowledge of topics such as whitewashing, white saviourism and cultural appropriation is desired. Applicants will have the opportunity to acquire relevant information in a mandatory workshop on power relations
• musicians who have a good knowledge of the Berlin music scene and are willing to take on the role of co-host in Berlin (no organising responsibility) and to connect the artist from Ghana with to the local community

For the stay in Accra, we particularly welcome applications by Black people and/or by people of African descent.

Residency in Accra: 6 weeks from 19 June – 30 July 2025
Residency in Berlin: 6–8 weeks during 1 August – 30 September 2025

Applicants should be available for the majority of both periods in order to take full advantage of the experience as a resident in Accra and as a co-host in Berlin. Applicants must be available during the given time frame for the stay in Accra and during Pop-Kultur Festival 2025 in Berlin (last week of August 2025). A continuous 8-week presence in Berlin to support the artist from Accra in August and September is not expected. However, the aspect of co-creation can best be realised if residents take time to get to know each other and explore together.

The host organisation for the co-creation residency in Accra is Black Girls Glow (BGG). BGG is a feminist non-profit organisation that promotes collaborative work among women and explores the ways in which art can build community.

During the six-week residency in Accra, the Berlin artist will work collaboratively with the Ghanaian residency musician and the local artistic community. The Berlin artist also participates in a co-creation week outside Accra called BGG KOSHKA Sound Residency (12 – 20 July 2025). To continue the collaboration, Musicboard Berlin will then invite the artist from Accra for a residency in Berlin, where the artist will be hosted by ZK/U. The artist duo will have access to a workspace in both cities. A live presentation of the joint production at Pop-Kultur Festival in Berlin (last week of August 2025) is desired. Pop-Kultur is a festival format organised by Musicboard that has been taking place in Berlin every summer since 2015.

The documentary »BGG Sound Residency 2022« and the short documentary »ADIKORO – Women in Music – Ghana«, produced by Pamela Owusu-Brenyah for Pop-Kultur 2021, offer insight into the work of BGG.

The Musicboard covers:

• the round-trip travel costs as well as costs for accommodation, food, vaccinations, visa, working and rehearsal space
• a monthly contribution to project-related costs in the amount of 500 euros
• a monthly contribution of 219 euros per child and a monthly contribution of 279 euros for an accompanying caregiver if the residence is taken up with a child

The following information and documents must be supplied, in English, using exclusively the application tool that can be accessed via the button at the end of this page:

• completed application form
• artistic project & motivation
  motivation and presentation of the planned artistic project in the context of the residency
• artistic resume
  including a list of artistic milestones such as shows, productions, releases, collaborations, awards and grants
• three music samples
  to be uploaded as mp3s
• scans of certificate of registration or personal ID (front and back)
  indicating Berlin as place of residence
• for non-EU citizens: Passport scan
  including residence permit, duration of stay, and type of work permit

In each round of funding, applicants may apply for more than one residency. In this case, separate applications must be submitted.

Only fully completed documents can be considered. All applications will be handled confidentially and used exclusively for decision-making and funding purposes. Publication of certain relevant details is granted by the applicant as part of the application process.

The residencies are awarded through Musicboard Berlin GmbH upon recommendation of an independent jury of Berlin-based pop experts and in consultation with the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. Jury members are usually appointed for a period of three years. The following jury is appointed to the scholarships and residencies programmes in 2024:

• Aida Baghernejad
  cultural journalist
• Ebru »Ebow« Düzgün
  artist, label owner, manager and event organiser
• Ji-Hun Kim
  editor-in-chief Das Filter, freelance lecturer, DJ and music producer
• Misla Tesfamariam
  artist manager, label owner
• Thien Nguyen
  label owner, DJ, music and film producer
• Yeşim Duman
  curator, moderator, DJ

A short description of the jury members is available here.

Here we have collected some frequently asked questions about Musicboard’s residencies. This information is intended for general advice, is not legally binding, and does not replace consideration of each individual case. We will gladly answer further, detailed questions on the funding programme by phone or by email. Please read the FAQs and other explanatory notes on this website carefully before contacting us. We also recommend the free services of the Kulturförderberatung by Kreativ Kultur Berlin, which supports artists in all disciplines in their search for possible funding, can offer tips for preparing applications and can review applications.

What is meant by »living and working in Berlin«?

In the residency programme, Musicboard funds exclusively musicians and bands who live and work in Berlin. Residency and creative focus must be verified with residence permits or personal ID (front and back). The nationality of the musician is irrelevant to the funding decision. However, for non-EU citizens filing an application, it is necessary in addition to the Berlin residence certificate to provide a passport that includes residence permit, duration of stay, and type of work permit. Please note that Berlin residence must be officially verified. Rent contracts etc. are not sufficient for proof of residence. We kindly ask you to refrain from submitting such documents containing sensitive personal data.

I have just submitted another application to Musicboard. Can I still apply for the residency?

In general, it is possible for musicians to be funded repeatedly and in successive periods. In each round of funding, applicants may apply for more than one residency. In this case, separate applications must be submitted. It is also possible to simultaneously apply for a scholarship and one or multiple residencies. In this case, separate applications must be submitted. In general, due to the large number of applications in a given funding round, the jury will recommend only one grant per artist.

How do I submit my letter of motivation?

Since 2023, the motivation can be entered into fields in the online application form. In the application form, applicants must explain, among other things, why they are applying for the residency and what artistic project or type of collaboration they would like to pursue as part of the residency. In addition, they are asked what they expect to gain from the residency for their own artistic and professional development. The letter of motivation should reflect that the applicant is aware of the artistic and cultural context and the profile of the residency location. This information must be submitted in English when applying for a residency abroad, since in the event of jury approval, it will be sent to the foreign residency partner.

How should my artistic resume look like?

The artistic resume is meant to describe the applicants’ artistic career. In the application form, we also ask for milestones in the artistic career in the form of a brief list of artistic milestones such as shows, productions, releases, collaborations, residencies, awards and grants. You are welcome to voluntarily provide information about your social position here (e.g. self-description, gender, disability, age, sexual identity) if it plays a role in your artistic identity and your work and you would like the jury and partners to be aware of it. This information must be submitted in English when applying for a residency abroad, since in the event of jury approval, it will be sent to the foreign residency partner.

What songs can I submit as music samples? Are demos acceptable?

The music samples should be three songs that represent you and your art. They need not be the newest songs, or the ones that you want to work on during your project. Demos can be submitted. Depending on their quality, it may be wise to provide in addition one or two fully produced works.

Are your residencies accessible and/or family-friendly?

The Musicboard residency programme is intended to be accessible to everyone and as inclusive as possible. Whether a residency is accessible or can be taken up accompanied by family depends very much on the particular location and the individual needs of the applicant. If you have questions about the accessibility and family-friendliness of this residency, please contact us before applying: residencies@musicboard.berlin.de.

When exactly is the application deadline?

The application deadline for the residency is 12 December 2024 at 6 p.m. Until then, applications can be submitted online and will be posted as received before the deadline. The application has been successfully received as soon as it appears in your user profile in the »Submitted Applications« section. We recommend allowing plenty of time for the application and its attachments to upload, and not waiting until the last minute to apply. The upload speed of our servers can decline with increased traffic to the website. If technical problems arise, please take a screenshot, save the application draft and notify us by email at: residencies@musicboard.berlin.de.

What are the jury’s selection criteria?

The jury makes its recommendations primarily on the basis of the quality of artistic work, the chances of success and the conclusiveness of the proposed project. A particular focus of the jury is the music samples provided. In addition to these general criteria, transcultural criteria play a major role, especially in the awarding of international and co-creation residencies, e.g. whether applicants have familiarised themselves with the residency location and its cultural context, whether they already have personal or professional connections to the local music culture or whether transculturality is reflected in the applicant’s proposal. Funding decisions are made with a view toward building the diversity of Berlin’s music scene. Musicboard and the appointed jury place great value on diversity, inclusion and gender balance.

When will I be informed of the funding decision?

The jury’s decision follows the application deadline by 4 to 6 weeks, and applicants are informed by email. Acceptances and rejections are sent at the same time. Usually, more applications are received than can be funded, and Musicboard is not obliged to explain its decision. There is no legal entitlement to funding.

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