​Baltic Analog Lab and festival Skaņu Mežs announces its 2025 international open call for the artist-in-residence program for autumn period with deadline August 10, 2025 *

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Baltic Analog Lab and Skaņu Mežs are excited to continue our shared residency program, uniting the worlds of analog film and experimental sound. Building on our shared commitment to analog, photochemical, and interdisciplinary artistic practices, this ongoing residency aims to foster new encounters between filmmakers, photographers, researchers, and sound artists.

This year, the program expands with the support of Erica Synths – innovators in modular synthesizers and analog sound tools – to explore new intersections between image and sound, chemistry and electronics. Baltic Analog Lab is also pleased to announce a new addition to its facilities: an optical printer, offering unique possibilities for more experienced filmmakers needing to work on this very particular machine.

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For residents focused on photochemical film, we offer access to our fully-equipped analog film lab, complete with darkroom facilities and dedicated tools for working with photochemical materials. As a new addition to the lab, we now offer access to our new Neilson-Hordell optical printer. For those working with sound, we provide a small studio setup located in the spacious living room of the residency, featuring analog synthesizers and other music gear for experimentation and production.

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The residency is located in Riga, Latvia, Lienes iela 19a at the artist-run film lab Baltic Analog Lab, and we are offering a month or two-month-long stay at our newly renovated apartment upstairs from our lab. The space is 200m2 large, has 4 bedrooms and a shared living/working room with an audio equipment and shared desk. Downstairs we offer 2 darkrooms, working spaces and a dark screening space with a screen, projectors and sound system.

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The aim of the residency is to provide a space for working on individual projects in a friendly environment together with other artists and members of the BAL lab. We are providing access to our space that can be used for the creative process as well as public presentations, workshops, screenings, etc.

Our artist-in-residence program this year is running with a support of the Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia. 

 

Participation conditions

 

The residency fee: 500 EUR per month (has to be paid prior arrival).

 

We do not offer any financial support; however, we can offer invitation letters for the residents to apply for funding in their own country.

The participant is responsible for their own travel, living, and material costs during the residency.

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Several times a year we can consider a discount for people coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, offering a stay in our small room. 

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Please take into account that our residency space is created and run by members of our collective, and therefore, it is a non-profit space that values engagement, care, and mutual collaboration.  

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Who can apply?

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We are looking for artists and researchers working with analog media - photochemical film and photography, as well as sound artists interested in exchanging ideas with other artists and the local community.

The applicants should be already practicing artists with previous experience or researchers needing time for creative work away from their homes.

Artists willing to use our darkroom and our equipment should have previous experience and should be self-sufficient. Training can be provided only with a separate agreement and additional cost (but within limitations of our member’s availability). 

 

Duration of the residency:

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We offer our residency for 1-2 months.

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What we offer:

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• Bedroom in a large shared 4-bedroom apartment with a 100m2 common office area and Wi-Fi. The apartment has 4 isolated bedrooms, a large shared living/working room, a kitchen, and one shared bathroom.

• For artists working with photochemical film:

• Access to the shared BAL facilities: 2 darkrooms, one working room, one dark screening room with a screen and sound system, lomo tanks, photo enlargers, steenbeck etc.

• Neilson-Hordell optical printer for working with 16mm, super8 and 35mm film. 

• Note! We offer our optical printer only for experienced artists who have previously worked with Oxberry type optical printer. 

• Rental of film equipment (Bolex cameras with lenses, tripods, photo cameras, projectors etc)

• All chemistry, film and other materials should be brought by the artist themselves. If specific chemistry is needed, mixing of specific process can be offered under previous agreement and cost

• Possibility for presentation or workshop at our lab’s screening room

 

 For artists working with sound:

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With kind support of Erica Synths, the residency apartment features studio equipment for working with analog synthesizers that will be shared amongst other residing artists. 

Available equipment: Eurorack modular synths, ELTA Big Ambient Machine, Solar 50 Jeannie, Polyphonic Synthesizer, Rhythm Composer YOCTO2, Audiothingies, Doctor A, Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro studio headphones, Zoom LiveTrak L-8 mixer, Yamaha HS 5 monitor speakers, Zoom recorder DR-44WL. 

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• Possibility to present a public performance at BAL LAB or elsewhere. 

• ​We will be happy to provide you with information on the local places to go and explore, as well as connect you with the local artistic community. Since we are very connected within the local underground music scene, we will be glad to connect you with local sound artists

• ​​Unfortunately, no pets are allowed.

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Note! There is no one working for the residency and lab full time, as we are a project based organisation and artist’s collective sharing a space amongst members and residents, therefore we expect the visiting artist to be experienced in using our equipment on their own basis, although we can offer additional training that should be arranged and discussed prior to the arrival, but should not be the basis of the residency. 

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Location of the residency

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Baltic Analog Lab is an artist-run film lab that is collectively run and who has been providing education and various multidisciplinary events for analog, audio-visual arts both in Latvia, as well as internationally. The lab and the residency is located in the historically working class area, but nowadays, a culturally youthful and vibrant neighborhood of Grīziņkalns known for its wooden architecture and authentic spirit. 

There are other venues and bars we collaborate with in the neighbourhood and we will be glad to introduce you to the area. 

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What we expect:

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•  The resident should do their creative work during the residency and be open to share their project with our local community at a public presentation - screening, performance, artist talk or workshop. 

• We do not require the work to be completed during the residency.

• The resident should be independent and have sufficient skills in working with our equipment

 

Residency schedule:

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• Residency period: September, October, November, December 2025

• Deadline for September residency is July 27, 2025 

• Deadline for October, November, December - August 10, 2025.

• We will also consider applications after the deadline in case all the rooms are not fully booked.

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 Applications: 

Apply by filling out the Application form

For any questions, write to us: residency@balticanaloglab.lv

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