Molly Nilsson
Molly Nilsson is a Swedish born artist, producer and songwriter residing in Berlin since 2005. She first started composing in…
CONTACT
Maureen Noe, Zoe Stroebel-Haft
residencies@musicboard.berlin.de
T +49 (0)30 221 84 89 88
A place of refuge and encounter: In the former Californian exile of Marta and Lion Feuchtwanger, interdisciplinary transatlantic exchange takes place to this day. Spend three months in the renowned artist residency high above the Pacific!
Musicboard Berlin in cooperation with the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e. V. grants one Berlin pop musician a three-month residency at Villa Aurora in Los Angeles, USA in 2026. As an established residency house, it offers a space for interdisciplinary exchange as well as the opportunity to work on own artistic projects.
The residency at Villa Aurora is intended for artists of all pop music genres. With the term »pop music« Musicboard refers to all genres of popular music as well as cross-genre or experimental pop music that cannot be clearly assigned to the categories of jazz or classical and new music. Due to the networking opportunities on site, the residency is particularly suitable for musicians who are active in the field of film.
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.
Eligible to apply are:
Stay in Los Angeles: Three months in the 4th quarter of 2026
The duration of the residency is set, the residency cannot be shortened. The exact period of the residency will be coordinated between the cooperation partners and the selected musician.
The Villa Aurora was the home of Lion and Marta Feuchtwanger during their US exile in the 1940s. As a haven from persecution by the National Socialist regime, the Villa Aurora became a meeting place for German-speaking emigrants in Los Angeles. The Feuchtwangers regularly held readings, concerts, and receptions there. Villa Aurora has been run as an artist residency since 1995 and serves as a centre of cultural life and international encounter.
In addition to the Musicboard residents, the Villa Aurora hosts scholarship holders from across Germany in the fields of fine arts, film, composition, literature, and performance. As a residency house, it offers a space for interdisciplinary exchange. A stay at Villa Aurora not only promises the potential for artistic collaborations, it also provides good networking opportunities to the Los Angeles music scene at large. There is a soundproof room on-site which is well suited for making music and recordings. A selection of technical equipment is available. The Villa also has a grand piano and its own house organ.
The Musicboard covers:
The following information and documents must be supplied, in German or in English, using exclusively the application tool that can be accessed via the button at the end of this page:
In each round of funding, applicants may apply for more than one residency. In this case, separate applications must be submitted.
A sample view of the online application form is linked under »Forms and templates«. Applications can be saved and continued at a later date. 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 & Residencies programme in 2025:
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 take the place of an examination of individual circumstances. 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 provide review of applications.
Are you familiar with all information regarding the funding? If so, apply now!