Traditional Arts Residency 2026

Singapore's Traditional Arts (TA) Residency 2026 is a National Arts Council (NAC) capability programme for an individual, group or collective to experiment with and incubate a new intercultural or cross-disciplinary work with a strong traditional-arts focus and plans for international dissemination (NAC, accessed 27 August 2026). The 2026 edition runs for four to six months within 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Eligibility and residency support

The lead applicant must either primarily practise traditional arts with at least two years of relevant arts experience, or have a track record of integrating traditional arts into their practice and creation with at least two years of relevant arts experience (NAC, accessed 27 August 2026). The selected artist-in-residence receives a grant of up to S$30,000: up to S$20,000 for the artist and collaborator's honorarium, research and other relevant residency costs, and up to S$10,000 for project-showcase expenses. The residency also provides mentorship from overseas mentor Long Play Lab and a rent-free studio at the Singapore Artists Centre, with utilities included and availability subject to the published conditions.

Application status and development model

The 2026 application window closed on 15 July 2026 at 11:59pm, and NAC stated that successful applicants would be notified by September 2026 (NAC, accessed 27 August 2026). Long Play Lab provides tailored feedback on artistic development and a six-module curriculum for artists-in-residence. The grant ceiling, studio and mentorship are residency support terms; they do not establish an automatic award for every applicant or a general grant for all traditional-arts activity.