Indo-French cultural ties move to the next level, with Villa Swagatam 3.0

Bengaluru: The French Institute in India has announced the selection of 34 laureates for the third edition of its flagship residency programme, Villa Swagatam, which will run from August 2025 to August 2026, an official release has said.  

This initiative fosters cross-cultural dialogue and creative collaboration between French and South Asian artists and writers, who will spend one to three months at one of the partner residencies across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and France.

Villa Swagatam brings together some of the most distinguished organisations committed to artistic and literary excellence and meaningful cultural exchange.

In its third edition, the programme is welcoming new partners that deepen thematic, geographic and creative diversity at its core. The literary strand of the programme now includes the Lakmahal Community Library in Colombo, marking the entry of Sri Lanka into the programme, and Chalet Mauriac in France, which introduces translation as one of Villa Swagatam’s literary disciplines.

In the realm of arts and crafts, new partners include the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, æquō gallery in Mumbai, and the Centre international de recherche sur le verre et les arts plastiques (Cirva) in Marseille.

This edition features a month-long itinerant residency for acclaimed French playwright and director Pauline Bayle, hosted by Villa Swagatam partners across Delhi, Varanasi, Tamil Nadu, and Bengaluru, to support the final development of her Mahabharata adaptation, premiering in September 2026 at the Théâtre Public de Montreuil.

Highlighting the value of this programme, Nelcy Mercier, Director of Operations, La Napoule Art Foundation, said: “For many years, our residency programmes have welcomed artists from across the globe. Yet, meaningful and sustained engagement with Indian practitioners was relatively rare. After initiating a first partnership with Prameya Art Foundation in 2015 to welcome a young Indian art critic, our collaboration with Villa Swagatam from 2023 has since opened a vital pathway into the richness and complexity of India’s artistic landscape, allowing us to forge deeper and more sustained connections.”

Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, commenting on the success of the previous batches, said: “Since its very inception, Villa Swagatam has been envisioned as a flagship initiative of our cultural cooperation with India, fostering a vibrant network of creative talents from both countries, with arts and crafts, and literature as key areas of exchange.”

The call for applications for the third edition of Villa Swagatam was opened from 16 April to 9 June 2024, inviting writers, graphic novelists, visual artists, designers, and cultural practitioners to apply.

Applications were received from 520 candidates, including 353 Indian and 167 French applicants.

For many participants, this will be their first opportunity to immerse themselves in the cultures of France and South Asia, while for those already acquainted with these spaces, this is an opportunity to renew their professional and creative connections and advance specific projects.

The long stay in their respective territories of residence allows them to participate in several outreach activities, fostering richer mutual exchanges of cultural perspectives and expertise between France and South Asia.