Villa Aurora has commenced its application process for the 2025 fellowships, extending an invitation to filmmakers, writers, and composers for a three-month residency with their projects.

Deadline for applications: February 29, 2024.

Situated in Los Angeles, Villa Aurora serves as a hub of inspiration and cultural exchange for German artists. This historic site, once the exile home of Lion and Marta Feuchtwanger, now annually grants up to 20 artists from disciplines such as literature, composition, and film, the opportunity to immerse themselves in California's vibrant culture for up to three months. The deadline for residency applications in 2024 is set for February 29, 2024.

The Villa Aurora, erstwhile residence of Lion Feuchtwanger, a prominent 20th-century author known for his novel "The Oppermanns," is celebrated as a key site of German-Jewish cultural heritage. His wife, Marta Feuchtwanger, was not only his critical editor but also a passionate activist and renowned salon hostess. The couple, having fled Nazi persecution, turned their Los Angeles home into a sanctuary for numerous exiles.

Since its inception in 1995, Villa Aurora has hosted over 450 artists, who have found inspiration in the diverse American culture, the picturesque Californian landscape, the legacy of German exiles in Los Angeles, and the fellowship with other resident artists.

Application Requirements and Procedure:

• The program is open to artists who have gained public recognition through their works or publications and who are actively pursuing a career as freelance artists.
• Applicants are required to have their primary residence and work base in Germany, although German citizenship is not a prerequisite.
• Application deadline: February 29, 2024.
• For detailed information and to apply, visit vatmh.org/VillaAuroraArtistsGrants.

Selection Process:

Selections are made by independent expert juries, constituted by Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V.