Artists' Residencies
Starting in Spring 2026, we will host artists for 4-6 week unsupported residencies
What we offer
Abrazo House is an ecological learning centre in a small village in Cantabria, northern Spain. Since 2005 we have been practicing ecobuilding, gardening, regenerative agriculture and ecological education, and hosting many hundreds of volunteers from all over the world.
Starting in Spring 2026, Abrazo House will host a small number of Artist’s Residencies each year. These residencies offer artists the chance to immerse themselves in nature, community, and ecological practice—while developing their work in a setting that encourages slowness, reflection, experimentation, and connection.
The Essentials
- Free accommodation for approximately 4–6 weeks (shorter or longer stays may be considered).
- A peaceful, rural environment surrounded by forests, mountains, gardens, and wildlife.
- An opportunity to create artwork in dialogue with a land community of human and non-human beings.
- Time and space to develop your practice without external pressures.
- No other responsibilities except to produce, by the end of your stay, an artwork that will remain at Abrazo House.
- We are particularly interested in outdoor sculpture and land art, but we also welcome proposals in other disciplines including painting, writing, music, textiles, photography, video…
Practicalities
Accommodation
You will stay in a self-contained space with its own small kitchen. There are three different spaces available:
- A private apartment within the main house
- Snail Cabin, a cob house, the first we built on the land
- A newly built guest room upcycled from the shell of an old caravan
At any given time, we can host 1–3 artists-in-residence.
Food
Artists prepare their own meals, and are welcome to use seasonal produce from our abundant organic garden.
Shared meals happen spontaneously, depending on the wishes of the residents.
Arrival and Transport
Artists cover travel costs to Laredo, from where we will bring you to Abrazo House (and take you back at the end of your stay). We are:
- 2 km from the nearest town with shops & cafés (Badames)
- 20 min by car from beaches (Laredo and Santoña)
- Near prehistoric caves, waterfalls, hiking routes, rivers, and major cultural centres (Bilbao and Santander)
We can arrange lifts depending on our schedules and those of other residents.
Work
There’s always plenty of work happening at Abrazo House, in the houses, forest garden, and our neighbouring avocado plantation. Resident artists are encouraged, with no obligation, to participate in this work, which is an excellent way to learn about what life here is all about. But if you prefer just to focus on your own art, that’s fine too.
Materials and Tools
Working with low-cost, locally available, natural and recycled materials is one of the fundamental pillars of the Abrazo House philosophy. We encourage you to experiment with this type of materials—from recycled metal to wood, clay and fabric—and will be happy to help source them. We also have the essential tools for working with these materials. Professional artists’ materials are less easy to get hold of and we suggest you bring with you whatever you need, although there are artists’ stores in the nearby cities of Santander and Bilbao.
Next Steps
To apply, please click the button to email us with a statement about your artistic practice, links to your work, and the approximate dates you would like to come. Or with any further questions, just drop us an email.
