Pro Helvetia Shanghai supports two to four Swiss designers to become Róng Design Library’s residents for the year 2025. The candidate designers will be able to research and study Chinese traditional handicrafts and materials (bamboo, silk, mud, copper, paper, etc.) and combine the learnt techniques with their own practice. 

Application Criteria

• Emerging talents are designers who completed their professional education in a design-relevant field or who founded a company (as a legal entity, a sole proprietorship or company) less than seven years ago
• At least 50% of the studio members are Swiss citizens or permanent residents in Switzerland. If there is more than one studio member who would like to apply for this residency project, each of them will need to submit a separate application.  

Benefits

• International flight tickets
• One month accommodation
• Budget for traditional craftsmanship workshop visit (flight/road transportation and accommodation)
• Materials and sample-making support (up to 5,000 CNY/CHF 600）
• One local assistant
• A one-to-one professional adviser support from the four co-founders of Róng Library during the designer’s stay, including design and production support and business development consultant in China
• Possibility to use the showcase space in Róng Design Library to exhibit the results of the residency
• Possibility of exhibiting at fairs
• Matchmaking events with related local business owners  

Róng Design Library Residency Programme application details 

Deadline: 26 September 2024

Image: Yan Jiang in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi May 2024