TransArtists

What TransArtists does

TransArtists is a non-profit knowledge centre focused exclusively on artist-in-residence (AiR) opportunities worldwide. Since 1997 it has systematically collected information on international residency programmes; in 2013 the originating Trans Artists Foundation merged with SICA and Mediadesk Nederland to form DutchCulture, Centre for International Cooperation, under which TransArtists now operates. Its core product is a publicly searchable web database of approximately 1,400 residency programmes, filterable by country, discipline, and themes, supplemented by checklists, funding guides, open-call listings, rolling-application listings, upcoming-deadline tracking, a Netherlands-specific AiR Platform NL, the "Station to Station" publication, an individual advisory service, and a Do-it-Yourself bulletin board for studio and exchange listings.

The platform is built on a standard Drupal CMS and is delivered as a self-serve global website at transartists.org; supplementary distribution channels include email newsletters, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, plus in-person workshops at art schools, universities, and international conferences. There is no AI/ML functionality; matching and discovery rely entirely on editorial curation and structured faceted search. The organisation is intentionally non-commercial: listing in the database is free for residency hosts, and access is free for artists. Revenue is not disclosed publicly; funding flows from Dutch government and European Union appropriations routed through DutchCulture. The internal team is small — roughly five regular part-time employees supplemented by unpaid interns — with key staff including Heidi Vogels (moderator) and Erin Chang (Database & Website Officer).

Its customer base is structurally bifurcated and unsegmented by revenue: artists of any nationality and discipline (long-tail individuals) use the database to discover and apply for residencies, while residency-hosting organisations (NGOs, museums, art centres, universities) list programmes to attract international applicants. The organisation is GDPR-compliant and embedded in international cultural-mobility networks including ResArtis, On the Move, Art Motile, the Alliance of Artists Communities, IGBK, and Creative Europe Desk NL.

Name

TransArtists

Legal name

DutchCulture

Website

https://transartists.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TransArtists, a non-profit knowledge centre operated by DutchCulture in Amsterdam, runs a free, publicly searchable database of about 1,400 artist-in-residence programmes worldwide for artists seeking residencies and organisations seeking international applicants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: DutchCulture, the parent organization of TransArtists, is generously funded by the Government of the Netherlands and the European Union.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TransArtists operates as a knowledge centre providing a searchable online database of approximately 1,400 artist-in-residence programmes worldwide, filterable by country, discipline, and themes. It complements the database with personalized advisory services, educational workshops, funding guides, open-call listings, and a publication series to help artists find, evaluate, and apply for international residency opportunities.

Product overview

DutchCulture|TransArtists operates as a knowledge centre offering a comprehensive suite of services for artist-in-residence opportunities worldwide. The core offering is the Residency Database (www.transartists.org/map) containing approximately 1,400 programmes searchable by country, discipline, and themes. This is complemented by the AiR Platform NL for Netherlands-specific residency support, the Station to Station publication, and the Do it Yourself section for studio exchanges. Supporting services include TransArtists Workshops (educational programmes), Individual Advice (personalized consulting), Upcoming Deadlines and Open Calls (residency opportunity tracking), Apply Any Time (rolling admission listings), and the Newsletter Mailing Lists for ongoing updates. The DutchCulture Database tracks international cultural activities of Dutch professionals. The Residency Submission Form enables organisations to add programmes to the database. The portfolio works together to serve artists seeking residencies and residency hosts seeking visibility and artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residency Database A core searchable online database listing approximately 1,400 artist-in-residence programmes worldwide, filterable by country, discipline, and themes, providing standardized information to help artists find and apply for residency opportunities.
• Individual Advice Personalized advisory service to help artists choose appropriate residency programmes and navigate the application process.
• TransArtists Workshops Educational workshops organized jointly with host organizations such as art schools, universities, art centres, and residencies, offering portfolio advice and guidance on residency selection; usually free for participants.
• AiR Platform NL Netherlands-specific platform providing resources and support for artist-in-residence programming in the Netherlands, including the AiR organizer Checklist for starting residencies.
• Newsletter Mailing Lists Subscription service allowing users to receive updates on TransArtists news, AiR Platform NL updates, and DutchCulture Worldwide information via email.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DutchCulturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Since 2013, Trans Artists Foundation merged with SICA and Mediadesk Nederland to form DutchCulture. DutchCulture operates TransArtists as a knowledge centre on artist-in-residence opportunities worldwide. DutchCulture is funded by the Government of the Netherlands and the European Union.
• ResArtiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorldwide network of artist-in-residence organisations. DutchCulture|TransArtists was previously a member and both organisations are members of On the Move, cultural mobility information network. ResArtis focuses on representing and advocating for AiR organisations internationally.
• On the MoveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural mobility information network. Both TransArtists and ResArtis are members. Provides funding guides for artistic and cultural mobility.
• Art MotileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural mobility network contributing to the TransArtists database information and sector knowledge.
• Alliance of Artists CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork sharing information about residency complaints and best practices for residency quality assurance.
• IGBK (Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman partner in organising cross-border residency meetings. Co-organised the AiR Cross Border Meeting NL-DE 2025 with DutchCulture|TransArtists.
• Borderland Residencies ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of artist residencies in the Euregio Rhine-Meuse region (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium). Collaborated with DutchCulture|TransArtists for the AiR Cross Border Meeting NL-DE 2025.
• Greylight ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist residency in Heerlen, Netherlands, near German and Belgian borders. Key partner and host for the AiR Cross Border Meeting NL-DE 2025.
• ZapravkaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterinstitutional initiative to support art residencies in Ukraine, launched by Ukrainian Institute, Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, and House of Europe. In 2020-2021, cooperated with DutchCulture|TransArtists to add 17 Ukrainian residency profiles to the TransArtists database.
• Creative Europe Desk NLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of the DutchCulture network. Provides information about Creative Europe funding opportunities for artists and cultural organisations.
• AiR Platform NLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch platform supporting artist-in-residence programming in the Netherlands, providing resources for those starting residency programmes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• ArtRabbit: Art events and opportunities discovery platform serving artists and audiences, adjacent to TransArtists in aggregating and distributing arts-sector information.

Regional players

• CuratorSpace: UK-focused platform listing artist opportunities, residencies, and open calls, offering a similar discovery service but concentrated on a different geography.

Emerging players

• CaFE (CallForEntry): Online platform listing calls for entry and artist opportunities, comparable to TransArtists' Open Calls and deadline-tracking services.
• TransCultural Exchange: Non-profit fostering international cultural exchange and hosting a conference plus opportunity resources on residencies, comparable to TransArtists' cross-border residency focus.
• ArtConnect: Platform aggregating open calls, residencies, and opportunities for artists, competing with TransArtists as a discovery channel for residency and grant opportunities.

Direct peers

• Res Artis: Worldwide network of artist-in-residence organisations that maintains a global residency directory and advocacy resources, directly overlapping with TransArtists' database and sector role.
• Alliance of Artists Communities: US-based network supporting artist residencies with directories, best-practice resources, and a residency search tool, mirroring TransArtists' knowledge-centre and listings function.
• On the Move: Cultural mobility information network providing funding guides and opportunity listings for artists moving internationally, closely aligned with TransArtists' mobility-information mission.

Broad incumbents

• e-flux: Widely used platform for art-world announcements and open calls including residencies, overlapping with TransArtists on opportunity distribution to a global artist audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Transartists.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/p.a.i.r.
• Instagraminstagram.com/transartistsorg
• Xx.com/transartists

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TransArtists