A full guide to The Floor residency in Neukölln, including who it is for, how the stays work, what is included and how to apply through Countercult.
Applications are open
The Floor is accepting applications for artist stays beginning in November 2026. It is an artist-run coliving flat, studio and project space in Neukölln, Berlin, run by Sketchy Shona and connected to Countercult.
This open call is for artists from any discipline who want concentrated time for their own practice while living inside a shared creative environment. The Floor is intentionally small. It is not a hotel, a production company or a public events venue. It is a place to live, make work, exchange ideas and develop a relationship with Berlin without separating daily life from artistic practice.
Who the residency is for
The programme welcomes collaborative and experimental artists with realistic expectations of a short-term, artist-run coliving space. A resident might arrive with a defined body of work, a period of research, a new material they want to test or simply the need for sustained time in another city.
The residency does not require every stay to end in an exhibition or a polished public outcome. The emphasis is on serious engagement with the work, respect for the shared home and openness to the people and cultural life around it.
One artist can occupy the private room, or a couple or artist duo can share it. Because the flat is also a home, fit matters as much as a conventional application portfolio. Shortlisted applicants are invited to a video interview with Sketchy Shona before a place is confirmed.
When and how long
Applications are currently open for arrivals from November 2026. Winter and spring stays run for three months, giving residents a longer period in the city and enough time for work to develop beyond an initial visit.
Summer and autumn stays are available month to month. This shorter structure is intended for artists whose practice, work commitments or travel conditions make a longer stay unrealistic.
The room and the fees
The resident space is a 22 square metre private bedroom with access to shared creative areas, a shared kitchen and bathroom, and a private garden. Accommodation, utilities, internet and mentorship or coaching sessions are included.
The fee is EUR 750 per month for one artist. A couple or artist duo sharing the room pays EUR 900 per month. A refundable EUR 200 security deposit is required and may be reduced if there is damage.
Art materials, personal insurance, visa support and personal costs are not included. The Floor is currently run by artists and does not have external residency funding. Applicants who need support are encouraged to seek grants, local arts funding or personal sponsorship before applying.
Living and working together
The Floor is primarily residential. Residents can use the shared creative areas for personal artistic practice, work alongside peers and take part in the conversations that naturally develop inside a shared home.
Small private gatherings directly connected to a resident's practice may be possible when they are invitation-only, compatible with residential use and agreed in advance. Sketchy Shona also hosts occasional curated salon nights by invitation.
Residents cannot use The Floor for public events, public exhibitions, commercial venue activity, rentals or subletting. Noise must remain reasonable, particularly after 10 PM, and everyone is expected to respect the shared areas, neighbours and local community.
A residency connected to the city
The Floor has participated in 48 Stunden Neukölln and has collaborated with Klunkerkranich, StickerApp and other creative and cultural partners. These relationships are part of the programme's history, but they are not promised commissions or automatic introductions for each resident.
What the residency can offer is a base from which to encounter Berlin, continue a practice and meet people through the real pace of the room. Past residency records show work developing through exhibitions, studio visits, neighbourhood encounters, shared production and the informal relationships that make time in another city meaningful.
Past residents and records
The residency archive is not presented as a list of inflated outcomes. It records people working, living and finding their way through Berlin. The linked Instagram posts below are part of that public record.
Pink Spy's first-person visual diary also remains in the Journal. It follows a month at The Floor through DA SWAMP, 48 Stunden Neukölln, a Späti exhibition, artist meetings and the everyday work involved in turning an idea into something that can be shared.
How to apply
Applications are managed through Countercult. Joining Countercult is free. Create an account or sign in, then choose The Floor from the destination screen and open the application form.
The application asks for enough information to understand your practice, the timing you need and whether the shared residential structure is right for you. Shortlisted applicants complete a video interview with Sketchy Shona. A stay is only confirmed after that conversation and agreement on dates, fees and house expectations.
The open call is live now for stays beginning November 2026.