O castro art village - A place to create - logotipo

Creative Residency

For those who need a good place to make something.

At O Castro, you settle into a rhythm that makes sense: focused days, quiet nights, shared meals, and enough space to think clearly. You have your privacy and a small community around you. You eat well, cook with locally grown produce, and share a kitchen that becomes, over time, the social heart of the place.

Nature sets the pace here; the oak forest, the Mino valley, the vineyard hills. Not as backdrop, but as the reason this kind of focus is possible. Every residency unfolds differently, but most include time for deep individual work, space for research, testing, and experimentation, informal feedback and conversation, optional mentorship, and optional documentation and public sharing.

Some projects leave a trace here. Others simply move forward. Both are welcome.

Two Ways to Stay

01

Self-Funded Stay

This option is for you if you are ready to invest in your time and your working conditions. You fund your own stay and in return you get:

  • A private or shared geodesic dome

  • Full access to the studio loft and all shared workspaces

  • Use of the communal kitchen and common areas

  • Life inside a small and carefully chosen creative community

  • Optional one-on-one mentorship with Davoud Gerami

  • Optional documentation and public sharing of your work
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02

Sponsored Residency

Sponsored residencies are for artists whose stay is supported by a grant, an institution, or a direct invitation from O Castro Art Village.

  • These are limited and offered case by case
 
  • Follow us on instagram (@ocastrovillage) for upcoming open calls
 

  • If you have a grant or are applying for one and need a hosting organisation, write to us. We are an experienced host with a track record of supporting funded residencies internationally

You Get Access to

Dome Rooms

You stay in a comfortable, well-insulated geodesic dome tucked into an oak forest. In summer it stays naturally cool. In winter it is warm, quiet, and deeply cosy. You fall asleep to owls calling in the distance and wake to birdsong and soft morning light through the trees. Between working sessions, you step outside for a walk in the forest, a slow wander through the hills, a hammock nap with a view, or helping locals during the harvest. Nature is not decoration here. It sets the pace. Depending on your budget and preference, you can have a private dome to yourself, or share with two other residents.
Virtual Tour

Studio Above the Clouds

A short walk from your dome, you’ll find the studio loft; a shared workspace perched above the landscape, with wide views over the Miño River valley and surrounding vineyards. This is where you work alongside other residents and coworkers, each focused on their own projects, yet close enough for ideas to cross paths. The studio includes: super fast wifi, a screen and projector for presentations and films, individual workstations, studio table for collaborative work, lounge seating for reading, thinking, or stepping away from your screen. During the day, it’s a place for deep focus. In the evenings, it often shifts tone, becoming a cozy space for film screenings, makers’ events, skill-sharing workshops, or informal talks. Nothing is mandatory here. You join when it feels right.
Watch Tour

Kitchen of the World

The kitchen is where work loosens its grip. It’s fully equipped with everything you need to cook comfortably; whether you’re preparing something on your own or teaming up with others. Meals are cooked individually or in small groups, depending on the day and the mood. When schedules align, we often share one meal a day. Sometimes Davoud cooks Persian dishes from his grandmother's récipes; slow, generous food meant to be enjoyed together. Other times, residents take the lead, bringing their own flavours, stories, and traditions into the kitchen. We cook, eat well, and stay at the table longer than planned for dessert, conversation, laughter, and the kind of exchanges that only happen when people aren’t in a rush. This is the social heart of O Castro: relaxed, homely, and always open.
Visit the Kitchen

Mentorship

If it makes sense for your project, you can arrange one-on-one mentorship sessions with Davoud Gerami during your stay. With over 25 years of international experience in film, media, and visual arts. Davoud offers practical, focused support; whether you’re shaping an idea, refining a work in progress, or looking for a new direction. Mentorship is particularly suited to residents working in: film and moving image, sound and music-based projects, visual and site-specific arts, and regenerative and research-driven practices. Sessions are conversational and project-led. They are more about clarity and direction than instruction. Past residents have used mentorship time for editing and structuring feature-length documentaries, developing or revising film scripts, thinking through site-specific installations and visual projects. Mentorship is optional and arranged in advance, depending on availability and the needs of your project.
Watch Testimonials

Documentation & Public Sharing

For some projects, a professional team can produce: interviews, artist conversations, audiovisual documentation, and short media pieces presenting your work and the process. These materials can be shared across O Castro Art Village’s online platforms, offering your project a thoughtful public window without the pressure of a formal exhibition. Participation is always optional and shaped around your comfort level and the nature of your work. Some residents choose to share. Others prefer to keep things private. Both approaches are equally respected.
Watch Video

Costs & Conditions

Minimum - Maximum Stay

What’s Included

The minimum stay is 2 weeks. If you want to stay longer than 2 months, get in touch and we will work out the arrangement together.

Daily Rates (for Paid Residencies only)

Your residency cost covers:

  • Accommodation in a geodesic dome
  • Full access to studio loft and shared work spaces
  • Use of communal kitchen and common areas
  • Participation in a shared village life
  • Wi-Fi and utilities (internet, heating/cooling, water, electricity) 

 

Food is not included.

Laundry is available through a trusted service in Chantada, with pick-up and drop-off at a reasonable additional cost.

Long stays (30 days or more)

  • Private dome: €45 per day/person
    (Comfortable private space with full amenities)
  • Couples in a private dome: €30 per day/person
    (Shared private dome for two adults)
  • Shared dome: €20 per day/person
    (Shared dome accommodation for three creatives)
  • Family (up to 4) in a private dome: €15 per day/person
    (Generous private dome space for family stays — up to four people)

Short stays (14 to 30 days)

  • Private dome: €65 per day/person
    (Comfortable private space with full amenities)
  • Couples in a private dome: €45 per day/person
    (Shared private dome for two adults)
  • Shared dome: €40 per day/person
    (Shared dome accommodation for three creatives)
  • Family (up to 4) in a private dome: €35 per day/person
    (Generous private dome space for family stays — up to four people)

Payment Methods

Payment terms and deposit policies will be communicated upon acceptance, but are normally done through bank transfers or Bizum.

Full residency cost is due prior to arrival or in agreed instalments. 

Cancellation policy: To be outlined in booking confirmation, generally with partial refunds depending on notice period.

How to Apply

There’s no instant booking here.

To apply, you:

  • Fill in the short form below
  • Tell us what you’re working on and how you like to work
  • We review every application personally and reply to everyone

     

  • We’re less interested in polished proposals than in honest intentions.

Apply for a Self-funded Residency