Sansusī Wellbeing Residency

The Sansusī Wellbeing Residency is a socially engaged contemporary art residency programme that has been active since 2018. It aims to foster dialogue between art and society by strengthening the role of art in individual and community wellbeing.

Taking place in Suseja, Aknīste and Kraujas in the Jēkabpils Municipality, the residency is implemented in collaboration with local social and healthcare institutions, including the Aknīste Health and Social Care Centre and the Aknīste Psychoneurological Hospital.

Artists from various fields, including visual arts, music, theatre, dance and interdisciplinary practices, are invited to work with socially isolated seniors, as well as clients and staff of social and healthcare institutions. During the residency, artists spend approximately eight hours per week engaging with their chosen target group.

The programme provides curatorial and assistant support throughout the development and implementation of each project. This support is particularly important for communication and collaboration with patients of social care and psychoneurological institutions, ensuring a safe, respectful and ethically sound working process for everyone involved. The residency places a strong emphasis on the creative process and presence as integral elements of artistic practice.

The one-month residency concludes with a presentation of the working process or a completed work.

Residency Duration

30 days (April 7–May 7, 2026)

Residency Locations

Sansusī Residency Center “Susēja”;
Aknīste Health and Social Care Center;
Aknīste Psychoneurological Hospital;
Children and Youth Center.

The Residency Provides

• Accommodation at the “Susēja” Residency Center
• Shared working spaces
• An artist fee of EUR 1,200 (gross)
• Travel cost reimbursement up to EUR 200
• Curatorial and assistant support throughout the project
• Production/material costs covered up to EUR 100

Costs Covered by the Artist

• Meals and personal expenses

Expectations of the Artist

We are looking for artists who:
• work in the field of contemporary art and are interested in socially engaged practice;
• are willing to collaborate with local communities and target groups;
• view the creative process as a form of dialogue;
• are open to working outside conventional art institution settings;
•are prepared to spend at least 8 hours per week with the selected target group. This experience may result in new works of art, sketches of ideas, work performances, or presentations of ideas. 

Application Requirements

• Artistic CV
• Motivation letter
• Portfolio or link to a personal website

Applications should be sent to: rezidences@sansusi.lv

Application deadline: February 22, 2026

The project is financially supported by the Society Integration Foundation from the Latvian state budget. The content of the Sansusī Wellbeing Residency is curated and implemented by the Sansusī Association.

The project is financially supported by: