FAQ

Artists from all disciplines: visual arts, textile arts, writing and music. Writers, researchers and curators are also welcome.

Fill in the application form on the Application page. We reply within two weeks. Pre-selected candidates are invited to a short online interview. After the interview we send an invitation letter and a document with the fees.

Yes. Duos, couples and groups can apply together in the same form, each with their own project or with a joint one. A partner who is not taking part in the residency can stay as a guest for a maximum of one week, with a guest fee.

Yes, if there are places available in the period you want.

Each 2027 period lasts 3 or 4 weeks. In the form you can choose up to three periods.

Yes. Each period has fixed arrival and departure days, both included in the residency. You can leave earlier. To stay longer, see below.

The general residency is paid. Some programmes have their own open calls with grants or full support: they are announced on the Application page and in our newsletter.

Yes. Once you are selected we write an invitation letter with the information you need, and if necessary we collaborate on the final report for your funder.

900€ for a 3-week period and 1,200€ for a 4-week period. Fees are per artist.

Yes, if there is a place in the following period. Each extra week is 300€. Please write to us to check availability.

A private bedroom with shared bathroom, a studio space, 24h access to the studios and equipment, regular follow-up of your project, workshops, field trips, talks in schools and at the University of Évora, and an open studio at the end. Bed linen, towels, wifi, the washing machine and the bikes are included.

25% of the total by bank transfer or Wise to book your place. The rest is paid a few days before you arrive or on the first day, by transfer or in cash. A 100€ deposit is paid in cash on arrival and returned at the end.

No. Your place is confirmed when we receive the 25% payment. Please write to us before paying.

Yes. We need your tax number or an ID number to issue it.

Cancellations 90 days or more before the start: 100% refund. Between 60 and 89 days: 50% refund. Less than 60 days: no refund. All cancellations have a 100€ administration fee. You can change your dates if you ask before the 3-month cancellation period, to new dates within one year.

There is no contract to sign. Before the residency we send the Terms and conditions of the house. You read them and reply by email that you accept them.

From Lisbon there is one direct bus on weekdays, from Sete Rios at 17h00, arriving around 19h00. From Lisbon airport you can reach Sete Rios by metro in about 30 minutes (red line to São Sebastião, then blue line to Jardim Zoológico), or by Uber or taxi in about 20 minutes, for around 10€. There is also a train from Lisbon to Évora and, from Évora, a taxi to Arraiolos (24 km). Bus tickets are sold online at Rede Expressos and you can show the ticket on your phone. The bus stop is 250 metres from the residency. On departure day there is a bus to Lisbon at 9h10. On Sundays the bus to Lisbon leaves at 19h25; if you prefer, you can leave on Monday on the 9h10 bus.

At weekends there is no bus from Lisbon to Arraiolos. Tell us your plans in advance so we can organise your arrival.

Yes. Take the A2 and A6 from Lisbon towards Évora. Parking in Arraiolos is free and close to the residency.

A few weeks before, we send a preparatory email. We ask for your ID or passport number, your insurance details and your phone number for the residency WhatsApp group.

Yes. Each artist has a private bedroom and a shared bathroom. We allocate the rooms according to each artist´s needs, for example writers or artists who stay longer.

No, we provide bed linen and towels. From June to September bring a swimsuit and a pool towel.

According to your discipline and needs: natural light, wall space, a table, access to the garden. Tell us in the interview what you need.

The walls are stone, so you cannot staple on them. We have a large wooden board for stapling canvases, and a staple gun.

On request: printmaking press, screens and projector, dyeing equipment, sewing machines, tufting frame, easels, looms and a Yamaha keyboard.

Yes. We have rollers and an inking table. You bring your own inks, plates and paper. Only water-based inks are allowed, because oil-based inks damage the pipes.

No. There is no art supply shop in Arraiolos. You can bring your own or order online from Ponto das Artes, Totenart or, for textiles, Saber Fazer. Orders arrive in two or three days. You can send parcels to the residency before you arrive. Parcels from outside the EU may have to pay customs.

Yes, but not in every room. There are areas with wifi 24 hours a day.

The house is old, and from November to March it can be cold inside. In winter there are pellet fireplaces in the common areas. Bring warm clothes.

There is a small water-tank pool in the garden, used in the warm months, and a public swimming pool in town from July to September.

The residency is multilingual.

No. Artists buy and cook their own food. The kitchens are equipped and there are three supermarkets, local shops, cafés and restaurants within walking distance.

You clean your room and tidy up after yourself in the kitchen, bathroom and common areas. A cleaner cleans the common areas, kitchen and bathrooms in the middle of the residency.

Yes, the washing machine is free to use. Bring your own detergent; some is provided for the first days.

Visitors can come to see your studio if you tell us in advance. A guest can stay overnight for a maximum of one week, if there is space: 25€ per night sharing your room, 50€ per night in a separate room.

Silence is appreciated, please use headphones for music. Gatherings with music are allowed until 22h00 from Sunday to Thursday and until 23h00 on Friday and Saturday.

Not inside the house. You can smoke outside and must take care of the cigarette butts.

A residency assistant lives in the house and helps with questions, problems and the day-to-day. We also create a WhatsApp group for each residency.

The town centre is walkable. There are two bikes free to use, and a 5-seat car for trips. Local buses are infrequent and do not run at weekends.

Yes. We usually have two workshops a month open to the community, and resident artists have a 50% discount. Once a month we join the embroiderers of Arraiolos in a free session at the museum.

No. We do not expect finished works in residencies shorter than 8 weeks. We are interested in the process. We ask you to work on your project at least 5 hours a day.

At the end of each residency there is an open studio, organised by our curator, where each artist presents and talks about their process. A professional photographer documents the residency and we share the photos with you. Some residency projects lead to later exhibitions.

Yes, and you can tag @cortex.frontal. We also take photos and videos for our website and reports; if you prefer not to appear, tell us.

Artists from outside the EU must have travel insurance covering emergency health care for the whole residency. Artists from the EU should bring their European Health Insurance Card.

There is a health centre and two pharmacies in Arraiolos, one of them open 24 hours. The nearest hospitals with emergency services are in Évora and Montemor-o-Novo. The SNS 24 health line is 808 24 24 24 and the emergency number is 112.