Deadline 14 NOVEMBER 2026, at midnight - wherever you are. 

APPLICATION GUIDELINES: 

Send your application in one single PDF file to velferdenscene@gmail.com containing the following information:

-Contact info (name, email, phone, webpage)

-Preferred dates for your stay between February 1st - June 30th 2027.

-CV

-Maximum 3000 characters about your work and your motivation for the stay.

-A portfolio (maximum 10 pages) that gives us an understanding of your practice. 

If you want to submit video or audio work, please include a link in the PDF-file that points directly to your online work samples. Include password if necessary.

NB! For the application to be valid, it must follow this format: 

The application letter, CV, and portfolio must be presented in one single PDF of maximum 10 MB in landscape format.

Filename must be firstname_surname_work.pdf

Velferden is an artist-run and cross-disciplinary arena for the exploration of the human relationship with nature. Throughout the year we organize residencies, relational projects, courses, seminars, exhibitions and concerts. The programme is curated by the visual artists Maiken Stene and Hans Edward Hammonds.

Velferden is located in the small town of Sokndal, on the west coast of Norway. 

Our base is set in the historic buildings of the mining company Titania, and is surrounded by a combination of untouched mountains and industrial landscapes as a result of 150 years of ongoing mining activity. Our arena is spacious, and includes a guesthouse, offices, studios, workshops, project rooms, a gallery and ample room for outdoor production.

In 1907, at Sandbekk where Velferden is located, the mining company Titania invented the process of transforming black Ilmenite iron into the white chemical compound Titanium Dioxide (the white pigment also known as Titanium White). Titania ran underground mining at Sandbekk until 1965, when they moved their factories to a nearby location and started the open pit operation that is still running today.

Velferden is a cross-disciplinary arena that facilitates the exchange of perspectives in order to inspire and produce new knowledge and artistic expressions. 

In our programme we explore the unforeseen possibilities and undiscovered potential buried within the many deposits of tailings found in the area. Tailings are waste from mining activity in the form of rocks crushed into sand mixed with other compounds.

Nearby Velferden is a 50 years old depot of 7 million tons of tailings. The landfill is an intriguing site seen from biological perspectives, but also because it is constructed, man made and an artificial intervention and a new kind of landscape in our surroundings. It is a space that associates science-fiction, ignites the imagination and opens up to new materials and ways of working.

Velferden brings together artists, researchers, representatives from the mining industry, and a local and national audience to explore new ways of thinking about waste, based on a site specific and physical approach to the situation. The deposits of mining waste continue to pile up in the fjords and valleys of Sokndal, and similar acute challenges with utilizing, moving and depositing mining waste recur around the world as we speak.

– you are an active professional with relevant education or experience within your field.

- you are not a full-time student.

– you own a valid travel insurance and have a valid visa for visiting Norway.

– you must be able to fund your journey and living expenses.

The residency is best suited for self reliant professionals who can benefit from a working stay in the unique setting that we have to offer at Velferden .

Are you a researcher and/or work at an institution that prevents you from traveling for extended periods? We can facilitate and tailor for stays with different ways of working. Send your questions or interest to velferdenscene@gmail.com to see if a residency is possible for you.

A peaceful and interesting place to work and develop new projects.

Free accommodation and a private studio.

Access to large project rooms.

Practical support for your stay from Velferden.

A good introduction to the area upon arrival, including a closer look at the culture, industry and natural life that exists in this area.

Residencies are offered for periods of 1 - 3 months. Students (full-time students in 2027) are not eligible to apply.

Unfortunately we don't offer any financial support, but your stay with us is free of charge.

The residency is designed for you to focus and develop your own work.

We don´t expect to see finished results, but we would like to hear about your process and practice in our monthly public event Velferden Presenting”.

The residents stay in our guesthouse, the historical “Direktørboligen” located in a neighborhood with a wide view of the center of town. Each resident will get a private bedroom. The bathrooms, kitchen and living rooms are shared with the other residents and guests of Velferden .

The residents get a private studio space with 24-hour access. We also have a large project space available, workshops and large outdoor areas for work and play. All our sites have a good internet connection.

Direktørboligen (our guesthouse) is located in the town center, and it takes 45 minutes to walk from the house to the Velferden Studios. It is a beautiful walk, but be prepared for the distance and the weather.

We recommend bringing a car or a bike if possible.

Weather in Norway can be quite cold and changing in the winter and spring, so be sure to bring appropriate clothing. For the winter we recommend: warm jumpers, hats, scarves and gloves, as well as proper winter boots. Waterproof / windproof clothing is a must !!

Sokndal is located around 1.5 hr by car from Stavanger. The town center has two grocery stores, two petrol stations, a few shops and a post office i.e. The town and the general area has easy access to a varied landscape of both mountains, rivers, lakes, woodland and the shoreline.

The region is defined by a significant type of geology as represented through Magma UNESCO Global Geopark, the National Scenic Route that runs through the area, and the new science museum in Jøssingfjord.