Residency for immersive arts & research

What is Stage IX?

Stage IX is a living laboratory for artists operating at the intersection of art and technology. Artistic inquiry and community-building are at the core of the programme. Supported by an ecosystem of curators, makers, producers, educators, researchers and technologists, residents receive dedicated time, tools, facilities and venues to develop and test their ideas within an environment that values process over predetermined outcomes. The programme includes introductory workshops, sprints in advanced technical facilities, peer-to-peer research exchange and public-facing conversations. Stage IX runs across two cycles in 2026 and 2027. Each cycle spans 8–10 months and provides artists with an R&D budget and stipend.

For the 2027 Open Call, Stage IX will select two emerging artists (2–4 years of experience) and two established artists (5+ years of experience).

How do we work?

Stage IX is a space to think and make at the same time: to research while building, experiment while developing, and test exhibition models before the final form is known. We see your projects as vessels for questions, not fixed production plans. You don’t need to have everything figured out. That’s the point. We invite you to push beyond what you already know, expand your current toolbox and work with facilities and technologies you may not have mastered yet. We encourage you to consider the affordances of technologies and venues as part of the creative process. We dare you to fail productively and iterate fearlessly. And you won’t do it alone. You are supported by a dedicated community of people learning together.

We are looking for:

• 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;
• Active commitment to the project, dedicating an average of 2–2.5 days per week, with availability for more intensive periods.

What we offer

Time & space:

• Time: 8 months of supported research (with the possibility to extend up 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).

Access to facilities:

• Spatial audio studios with custom software (4DSOUND, Nxt Museum);
• 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).

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.

Who can apply?

Stage IX is open to artists and artist duos based in the Netherlands (legal address required). We welcome artists working across the full spectrum of immersive experiences. 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. What matters is that immersion is central to your artistic proposal.

What to submit?

Stage IX considers your project as a starting point for research and artistic inquiry, rather than a fixed plan to be executed. Your proposal should demonstrate how you frame the questions, interests and ideas you want to explore, and where that inquiry might take you. The application consists of an online form and three required attachments

• Project/Research Proposal
• CV (max. 2 pages)
• Portfolio (10 pages and/or 5-minute showreel video)

Read this first

• Download the application manual before submitting your application.
• More information & regulation package here