Mar'a'yeh is open to professional artists who identify as Jewish and/or Muslim. This identification can be religious, ethnic or cultural. We are all complex beings who negotiate multiple identities, and we want to be clear that we are open to the broadest understandings of these identifications.

We would like to see that you have put some initial thought into conceptualizing a project within your interests and the annual theme of Entropy. However, we want to leave room for creative flexibility and inspiration from the study sessions, group conversations and shared working space so that cross-pollination and collaboration between the fellows can develop in an organic process. The projects will be presented as work in progress at a Bethanien-wide open studio event in September and in a final exhibition at Künstlehaus Bethanien in mid-October.

The most important thing is that the projects developed are collaborative. We hope that the projects will be inspired by the discussions and insights gained during the residency programme. The residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanian invites a focus on the visual arts. However, we are open to applications from artists in all disciplines. We believe that interdisciplinary approaches make for great collaborations that go beyond purely visual artworks.

Künstlerhaus Bethanien is an internationally renowned forum for contemporary art in Berlin. Established in 1974 as an artist-in-residence programme with workspaces for professional artists and exhibition spaces, it is dedicated to the advancement of contemporary visual arts and artists. As part of its residency scheme, it aims to establish a lively dialogue between artists from various backgrounds and disciplines, and the public at large. 

To achieve these goals, the Künstlerhaus Bethanien organizes a wide range of events ranging from monthly exhibition openings to open studios. The focus of its manifold missions is the International Studio Programme, where artists from around the world conceive and present new projects with the help of its team

Fellows will receive an honorarium of €1500 in three installments throughout the program for their commitment. The fellows will gain access to a shared 75m² studio space for six months to develop collaborative projects. They will share an immersive experience of Jewish and Islamic texts and experiences as a source of inspiration for art, dialogue and critique. Intellectual input, critique and skill development will be provided through peer-learning supported by a team of scholars, academics, social practitioners and artists. They will also benefit from LABA Berlin's and Künstlerhaus Bethanien’s professional support and creative feedback infrastructure, PR and production assistance and a materials budget of 1150€. 

We will accept up to 12 fellows, with an equal split of Muslim- and Jewish-identifying fellows. We also consider various diversity factors in curating the group.

The studio and study rooms at Künstlerhause Bethanien are accessible by elevator. We have reserved a budget to accommodate customized inclusion measures. Please let us know in the application how we can best accommodate your needs.

The project is a cooperation between the following non-profits:

Jüdisches Zentrum Synagoge Fraenkelufer e.V.

Deutsche Islam Akademie e.V. 

Our 2025 edition is fundes by:

Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt

Stiftung Berliner Sparkasse 

Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme of the European Union

The program starts on May 12th. Meetings will take place on Mondays from 4 PM at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Kreuzberg. Most meetings will be 3 hours. Once a month, we will have dinner together after the session. Occasional excursions may change the start and end times. This will be communicated at the beginning of the program. 

Over six months we will hold 20 meetings of 3 hours each. Six to seven meetings will be followed by dinner. Physical attendance is required for at least 80% of our meetings. Digital remote participation will not be available. Between some sessions, you will be assigned a partner fellow to help you prepare for the session. You should allow approximately one hour for this physical or digital meeting. Finally, we expect fellows to spend part of the fellowship working in the shared studio.

We will hold weekly meetings primarily on Monday afternoons, from May 12th (yes, it´s a Sunday) through Octobrer 6th. Sessions will alternate between text study (scriptural reasoning), reflection workshops and Journey Sessions. Most Sessions will take place between 4 and 7pm on Mondays

The exhibition will take place at the Showroom of Künstlerhaus Bethanien for two months, starting on October 16th. Together with the fellows, we will plan a comprehensive accompanying programme on the theme of Entropy and Jewish–Muslim encounters in the past, present, and future. Fellow performances and other events will be part of this programme.