Residency for Immersive Arts & Research
Deadline: 13.03.26
Stage IX is now calling for artists based in the Netherlands who are looking to push boundaries and shape the future of immersive experiences (IX) within a framework of shared learning. The residency programme unites six leading institutions working across diverse immersive practices by a shared belief in artistic practice as a form of knowledge production.
Stage IX is initiated by
What is Stage IX?
Making immersive work demands technical fluency, creative vision and the freedom to experiment. The desire of artists in this space to experiment and push boundaries does not coincide with the support structures currently existing around them. That's exactly why Stage IX exists.
Stage IX is a living laboratory for artists ready to ask questions that don’t have answers yet. The residency programme unites six leading IX institutions working across diverse immersive practices by a shared belief in artistic practice as a form of knowledge production.
Stage IX is an artistic research project for artists operating at the intersection of art and technology. Stage IX is now calling for artists who are looking to push boundaries and shape the future of immersive experiences (IX) within a framework of shared learning. Supported by an ecosystem of curators, makers, producers, educators, researchers and technologists, residents gain access to dedicated time, tools, facilities and venues to test their ideas within an environment that prioritises process over predetermined outcomes.
Artistic inquiry and community-building are at the core of the programme. Residents participate in collective activities, including introductory workshops, sprints in advanced technical facilities, peer-to-peer research exchange and public-facing moments of dialogue. The residency program is organised in two cycles in 2026 and 2027, each cycle spans 8–10 months and includes an R&D budget and stipend per each artist.
For the 2026 Open Call, Stage IX will select two emerging artists (2–4 years of experience) and one established artist (5+ years of experience).
Disrupting Linear Workflow
Most production models expect you to know what you’re making before you make it. Pre-production, production, post-production, distribution. A straight line from concept to delivery. Stage IX works differently.
Here, you can think and produce at the same time. Research while you build. Test exhibition models while you’re still experimenting with the form. Consider the affordances of technologies and venues simultaneously not sequentially. You don’t need to have it figured out. That’s the point.
We see your projects as vessels for questions, not production plans. We’re not expecting polished proposals with predictable outcomes. We want to see:
- Compelling research questions that don’t have answers yet;
- Curiosity about technologies, audiences, or forms you haven’t fully explored;
- Openness to collaboration, failure, and iteration;
- Willingness to share your process with researchers, fellow practitioners, and next generations of makers.
We’re inviting you to dare yourself to go beyond what you already know. To reach past your current toolbox. To use facilities and technologies you haven’t mastered yet. To fail productively and iterate fearlessly.
And you won’t do it alone. Every resident is embedded in a dedicated support structure, including a producer, dramaturg, mentor, interns, peers and researchers - a community of people learning together in the heat of practice and experimentation.
Research in the Making
When we invite you to research your practice alongside Stage IX, we're not asking you to write papers or build theoretical justifications for your work. We're asking you to immerse yourself in the making, to create knowledge through your art practice, not about your art practice.
The solutions you find, the techniques you invent, the problems you solve along the way contain knowledge valuable to others. Every workaround, every breakthrough, every productive failure carries insight that others can learn from.
You are the problem-solver. Your practice is the research. Stage IX exists to make that process visible, supported, and shared. We'll help you capture and share this knowledge—not as academic output, but in forms that make sense for your practice and the field.
Stage IX is a shared learning environment, structured into two tracks designed for different career stages: Emerging Artists (2-4 years of experience) and Established Artists (5+ years of experience). Beyond your personal areas of investigation, you’ll be invited to share your vision, questions, and process in three areas:
- Audience engagement: how immersive works create presence and participation;
- Production workflows: how IX projects and the industry can be made more sustainable;
- Education: how knowledge moves between practitioners.
This happens through workshops, feedback sessions, documentation, and engagement with emerging artists. You will learn from others as much as you contribute.
What You Get
Time & Space
- Time: 8 months of supported research (standard for both tracks; Established Artists may extend to 10 months);
- Space: workspace at Ruimtetijd at Fort Penningsveer—a UNESCO heritage site transformed into a creative platform—with on-site accommodation during intensive programme periods and flexible stays when your work requires it.
Financial Support
- Artist Fee: compensation for your time and professional commitment throughout the programme (€18,000 for Emerging Artists, €26,000 for Established Artists | see below for more details);
- R&D Budget: a lump sum for materials, equipment, travel, and other production needs not covered by consortium facilities and staff (€5,000 for Emerging Artists, €15,000 for Established Artists | see below for more details).
Facilities
Access to an exceptional range of specialised facilities and services:
- Spatial audio studios with custom software (4DSOUND)
- Show control, live XR and Motion Capture lab (ATD, IDlab)
- Volumetric capture and social XR systems (CWI)
- Hardware and software for XR creation & projections, workstations, motion capture equipment, custom electronics (NFA VRAcademy)
- Exhibition and prototyping spaces (Nxt Museum, Nxt Lab, IDlab, NFA VRAcademy, 4DSOUND, Ruimtetijd)
- Atmos recording studios & interactive audio labs (Conservatorium van Amsterdam)
- 360° fulldome venue (ARTIS Planetarium)
You don’t need to use all of them. We select cohorts where different artists engage different resources—so that across the group, the full ecosystem is activated.
Community & Network
- Peer residents at different career stages
- International advisory network (Venice Immersive, PHI Centre, Academy for Theater and Digitality, and more)
- Public moments to share your process and gather feedback from diverse, curated audiences
Two Tracks
Stage IX is structured into two tracks designed for different career stages. Choose the one that fits where you are now:
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Emerging Artists Track is designed for artists with 2–4 years of professional experience, with 2 positions available. The 8-month programme runs from May to December 2026 and includes a 2-month intensive onboarding period, structured mentorship and regular check-ins. Residents receive an artist fee of €18,000 and an R&D budget of €5,000.
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Established Artists Track is designed for artists with 5+ years of professional experience, with 1 position available. The programme runs for 8–10 months starting in May 2026, with a 1-month onboarding period and greater autonomy and flexibility throughout. Residents receive an artist fee of €26,000 and an R&D budget of €15,000.
Who Can Apply
Stage IX welcomes artists working across the full spectrum of immersive experiences, where immersion is treated as an artistic strategy engaging the senses and creating presence.
Relevant practices include, but are not limited to: spatial sound and spatial audio; VR, XR and AR; gamified and interactive media; scenography and spatial design; kinetic and light-based installation; immersive theatre and technology-driven performance; interactive and participatory experiences. Both tech-based and low-tech approaches are welcome, as long as immersion is central to the proposal.
Selection is curatorial, not just competitive. We consider individual merit and how each proposal contributes to a strong, diverse cohort. Seeking a group where different artists activate different parts of the consortium, we ensure the full range of expertise comes alive. Hybrid and cross-disciplinary proposals are invited. We encourage artists to try things they haven’t mastered.
- Eligibility: Netherlands-based artists (legal address required—including international artists residing in NL).
- Duos: We accept collectives of maximum two members. The fee is shared between members (approximately 50% each), which reduces individual hourly rates but maintains total project investment. The R&D budget remains the same.
For specific requirements related to the two available tracks, and selection criteria look under dedicated headers and in the attached documents.
What to submit?
Ideal proposals start with curiosity. Stage IX supports open-ended artistic research proposals that unfold over time; projects shaped by testing, reflection and exchange. Residency outcomes may take many forms, ranging from prototypes and experiments to documentation and other forms of knowledge-sharing that contribute to a wider artistic and technological ecosystem.
Your project proposal does not need to be ready for production. We see it as a vessel for research questions rather than an idea to be directly executed—a way to demonstrate your ability to frame your research interests and artistic inquiry in the shape of a proposal.
The application consists of an online form and three required attachments. The required attachments are:
- Project/Research Proposal
- CV (max. 2 pages)
- Portfolio (10 pages and/or 5-minute showreel video)
By the end of March, shortlisted candidates will be notified and invited to an interview. Candidates who are not shortlisted will also be informed at this stage. The interviews with the shortlisted candidates will take place during the first two weeks of April.
Read this first
Download the application manual before submitting your application.
More information & regulation package here.
Timeline
- Submissions open 7 February 2026
- Online Information Session 18 February 2026
- Submissions close 13 March 2026
- Preselection & Committee Review Mid–Late March 2026
- Shortlist Notification & Interview Invitations End of March 2026
- Interviews 1st/2nd week of April 2026
- Selected residents notified 3rd week of April 2026
- Residency start Mid-May 2026
About Stage IX Consortium
Stage IX brings together six institutions in the field of immersive media, each serving a key role in the IX value chain:
- Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK) supports the next generation of immersive media makers through its interdisciplinary academies, including the Netherlands Film Academy’s VR & Immersive Media programmes, the IDLab for XR and immersive performing arts, and the Conservatorium’s Live Electronics Department.
- Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), the national research institute for mathematics and computer science, contributes advanced research in XR, volumetric capture, telepresence, AI, and human–computer interaction. CWI enables artist-led experimentation alongside rigorous technical development and audience testing.
- Nxt Museum is dedicated space for immersive exhibitions and experiences at the intersection of art, science, and technology. It commissions and presents ground-breaking new media art installations by pioneering living artists
- POPKRAFT is a production studio that supports artists, curators, and venues with multidisciplinary tools, technical expertise, and mentorship, guiding immersive and cross-media projects from initial concept to final presentation.
- Ruimtetijd is the lead partner of Stage IX and forms a creative platform for IX, rooted in scenography and spatial design for theatre and museums. Located within five hectares of open landscape at the Fort Penningsveer estate, Ruimtetijd serves as the home base of the residency programme.
- 4DSOUND is a creative studio at the forefront of spatial audio software and omnidirectional sound systems. Working with artists worldwide, it produces pioneering sonic experiences across music, art, education, and research.
International Advisory Network
Stage IX maintains partnerships with leading international institutions whose expertise is available to residents through consultations, lectures, feedback sessions, and networking opportunities:
Venice Immersive / Venice Biennale; PHI Centre (Montréal); Society for Arts and Technology (Montréal); Academy for Theater and Digitality (Dortmund); Zurich University of the Arts (ICST); NYU Max Planck Center; CYENS Centre of Excellence; The Watermill Center.
FAQ
Do I need to use all the consortium’s facilities?
No. We don’t expect every artist to engage with every facility. We select cohorts where different artists tap into different resources—so that across the group, the full range of expertise is activated. Your proposal should identify which facilities and expertise are most relevant to your research.
What’s the difference between the Emerging and Established tracks?
Emerging Artists (2–4 years experience) receive more intensive mentorship and a structured trajectory, with a 2-month onboarding and 8-month duration. They receive a €18,000 fee and €5,000 R&D budget. Established Artists (5+ years) have greater autonomy and flexibility, with a 1-month onboarding and 8 months standard (extendable to 10). They receive a €26,000 fee and €15,000 R&D budget. Both tracks participate in the same sprints and activations.
What’s the difference between the Artist Fee and the R&D Budget?
The Artist Fee is your compensation for your time and professional commitment—like a salary. The R&D Budget is a lump sum you can spend on materials, equipment, travel, and other production needs not covered by consortium facilities, staff, and collaborators.
Is this a full-time commitment?
No. The residency averages approximately 2–2.5 days per week. However, workload varies: intensive periods (Sprints, Onboarding, Public Activations) may require 3 days per week or more, while low-intensity periods (Summer Incubator, holidays) have substantially reduced obligations.
Can I extend the Established track to 10 months?
Yes. Established Artists may extend to 10 months. The same total fee (€26,000) applies, but your weekly workload is proportionately reduced. This accommodates artists with concurrent professional commitments.
Do I need to be based in Amsterdam?
You need a legal address in the Netherlands, but don’t need to be based in Amsterdam. That said, the consortium’s facilities are concentrated in the Amsterdam area, so regular travel will be necessary. Accommodation is available at Fort Penningsveer during intensive periods.
What does “artistic research” mean? Do I need to write papers?
No papers. When we say artistic research, we mean reflection that happens live, in the moment, while you’re making decisions. Thinking through your hands. Your practice is the research. The knowledge you create emerges through your art, not in writing about it afterwards. We’ll have a documentalist working with you to capture insights as they emerge.
What if my project fails?
That’s what laboratories are for. We follow a “Permanent Beta” philosophy—productive failure is valued as much as success. We’re interested in what you learn along the way, not just whether you achieve a predetermined outcome.
What’s expected of me from the knowledge-sharing standpoint as an “artist-researcher”?
We’re not asking you to teach formal classes. We’re inviting you to share your process, questions, and insights through collaborative workshops, feedback sessions, documentation, and engagement with students and researchers. It’s a two-way exchange—you learn from others as much as you contribute.
Can I apply as a duo or a collective?
Yes, but only collectives of maximum two members are allowed. The Artist Fee is shared between members (approximately 50% each), which reduces individual hourly rates but maintains the total project investment. The R&D budget remains the same.
Will there be a second open call?
Yes. A second open call for Round 2 will open in September 2026 for residencies starting in early 2027. Round 2 will include 2 Emerging and 2 Established positions.
Do I need a technical background?
Research into immersion and embodied experiences is essential. High-level technical expertise is not required. However, you must demonstrate that they have a clear understanding and knowledge of immersive experiences and the extent to which technology – as an intermediate partner – can play a role in this.
Do you only select “high-tech” immersive work?
No. Stage IX supports immersive experience as a broad artistic field, including digital, physical, and hybrid environments. Tech-based and low-tech approaches are welcome, as long as immersion is central to the proposal and inquiry.
Can I apply with an already finished work?
No. Stage IX supports early to mid-stage projects that allow room for development, iteration, and discovery during the residency.
How is the selection being made?
Stage IX is a curated residency. While anyone meeting the eligibility requirements may apply, the final cohort is composed through a selection process that considers both individual proposals and the collective balance of practices. Stage IX is designed as a collaborative research environment. Residents are selected not only for the strength of their proposal, but also to build a cohort with different immersive practices and backgrounds so that residents can learn from one another and generate broader sector impact together.
What is the role of partnering institutions?
Stage IX operates as a shared research environment in which consortium partners also act as co-researchers and collaborators. The programme is designed to build knowledge collectively—through artistic practice, testing, reflection, and documentation.
I have more questions. Who can I contact?
Email us at info@stage-ix.com or join our information and Q&A session on Wednesday 18 February between 15:00 and 17:00.
Stage IX is made possible by
