Epic Residencies

About this project

<p><span style="font-size: 12px">The project’s main goal is the creation of the new literary residency centre in the city of Košice, housed in the childhood home of the writer Sándor Márai. New literary residency centre <span style="color: #000000">will be committed to supporting the work not only of established authors, but also young and marginalised voices, supporting women writers, writers who are mothers/parents/carers, writers from underprivileged circumstances, LGBTQ+ writers, writers from minorities, and also those working in non-mainstream genres, such as experimental poetry or writing for performance.&nbsp;</span>The project also aims at the sharing of experience and learning between the participating organisations and developing the specific professional skills for the management of residency centres. The project also contributes to improvement of the exchanges of the contemporary literatures and writing (in various languages, including in minority languages) and to the wider cultural exchange. A key part of the project are the residency centres’ arts and educational events for the general public and specific target groups. Additionally, project increases the joy and engagement with contemporary literature in various audiences, including those traditionally without access to it. Project also intensifies sensitivity and critical thinking of these audiences vis-a-vis intolerance and xenophobia, which seems to be currently on the rise.&nbsp;<span style="color: #000000">As an integral part of this project&nbsp; an educational programme and series of workshops will be established and realized for children and youth from minorities to encourage them to engage in creative writing. In Slovakia, workshops on creative writing and critical reading for young people from Košice’s Roma community will be realized. This will be organised in co-operation with Palikerav, a Romany youth literary platform that organises reading and discussion groups for Roma teenagers in Košice. In Iceland, we will hold creative writing workshops for young people from Iceland’s Slovak community. </span></span></p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The collaboration with Icelandic and Norwegian partners, specifically the Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute in Iceland and Tou Scene in Norway, was instrumental to the project's success. These partners brought extensive expertise in running residency programs and organizing literary events, which elevated the project's quality and international standing. • Bilateral Achievements: The partnerships enabled Slovak authors to participate in prestigious literary festivals such as Kapittel in Stavanger, providing unparalleled opportunities for international exposure. Similarly, Icelandic and Norwegian authors experienced Slovak culture firsthand, contributing to their literary works and fostering deeper cultural connections. • Capacity Building: Knowledge exchange among partners enriched residency management practices and promoted inclusivity in the literary sector. • Future Plans: The partnerships have laid the groundwork for ongoing collaboration, with plans to expand residency programs, co-develop new literary projects, and continue promoting cross-border cultural dialogue. This bilateral cooperation strengthened the project's impact and ensured sustainable cultural and professional connections between the participating countries.

Project partners

• Tou Scene AS Donor project partner· Norway
• Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute Donor project partner· Iceland
• The Writers Union of Iceland Donor project partner· Iceland
• Centre for Information on Literature Project partner· Slovakia