GUSRA Launches Cross-Border Photography Residency in Egypt & Algeria

Between the shores of Egypt and Algeria, a new artistic residency will be taking place. Applications are now open for GUSRA: a collaborative program between Egyptian photography collective Safena 7 and Algerian Collective 220. While the fully-funded residency is primarily seeking out photographers, applications from artists, curators, writers, or researchers are also welcome.

'Gusra: Between Two Waves We Sail' will take place in person between Egypt and Algeria over the course of three months, followed by two months of continued online exchange. Selected participants will develop projects while engaging in workshops, research trips, and conversations with fellow artists, writers, and image-makers.

'Gusra: Between Two Waves We Sail' will take place in person between Egypt and Algeria over the course of three months, followed by two months of continued online exchange. Selected participants will develop projects while engaging in workshops, research trips, and conversations with fellow artists, writers, and image-makers.

The residency will be divided into two “harbours”. The first, in Egypt, will begin in April 2026 and will focus on the artistic process of creating images and the socio-historical contexts in which we form a relationship with them. The second harbour will take place in Algiers beginning in May 2026, and will follow a range of Algerian photographic practices and their relationship with the country’s history.

This is only the first of three planned residency cycles that will take place over the upcoming years. This cycle, called 'Takhzeen: Counter Narratives & Bearing Witness', will be followed by 'On Publishing & Photobooks' and 'On Curating & Programming Images', whose dates will be announced later this year.

Applicants must be from the SWANA region (Southwest Asia and North Africa) and willing to commit to full participation throughout the full residency program. The residency will cover all flights, accommodation, visa costs, and a monthly living stipend for the three months in person.