Mexico City

ARTIST RESIDENCY

Theatre, Film & Performance

A Place to Live, Create and Develop New Work

At Casa Hechale, artists live and work within a cultural centre dedicated to theatre, film and performance. Located in Santa María la Ribera, Mexico City, the Artist Residency Programme offers two- and four-week residencies for research, writing, rehearsal and experimentation.

Creative work and daily life share a common setting. Residents can explore texts in the reading rooms, test performance ideas in the black box theatre, and develop visual and interdisciplinary work in the Front Gallery and workshop spaces. The patio provides a place to gather and continue conversations beyond rehearsals and scheduled activities. Space use and collaboration with actors are arranged with the team according to project needs and the centre’s programme.

Artists pursue independent projects with two individual sessions each week: one with the creative team and one with an artistic adviser. These meetings focus on work in progress, creative decisions and next steps. Selected readings, workshops, exhibitions and community gatherings offer opportunities to participate in the cultural life of the centre, alongside time for independent practice. Activities vary according to the programme during each residency period. No finished work or public presentation is required.

With the support of Hechale Productions, Casa Hechale advances artistic development and cross-cultural exchange in the performing arts, bringing local and international practitioners together to share approaches and develop working relationships. Exchange between Mexico, the United States and Europe, including Latinx and Chicano voices, forms part of this broader commitment.

Decorative plaster moldings and cornices on a ceiling corner.

A view of a small enclosed courtyard with a decorative balcony, a window with wrought iron bars, and a skylight with grid framing, all painted in white.

Looking up at a ceiling with a skylight window letting in sunlight, surrounded by white textured walls. There's a decorative architectural piece with a cherub and floral design at the bottom. An electrical wire hangs down, connected to a ceiling ligh

A group of eleven people, mostly young adults, sitting and standing on a staircase inside a building, smiling and posing for the photo. The staircase has a decorative metal railing, and there's a sign on the wall that reads "Centro Cultural Casa Hech

Resident Rooms Resident Artists live within the cultural centre for the full programme. Room options include a private single room with a queen-size bed or a shared twin room with two separate beds. Bathrooms and kitchen facilities are shared. The communal kitchen is available for residents to prepare their own meals.
Rehearsal & Work Spaces Residents have scheduled access to shared spaces for research, script development, rehearsals and project meetings. Working times are agreed with the team according to project needs and the centre’s programme.
Black Box — Performance & Experimentation The Black Box provides a setting for exploring movement, staging and the relationship between performers, space and audience. Residents may propose sessions to test a scene, develop performance material or share work in progress. Access is scheduled in advance, subject to availability and the suitability of the proposed use. The programme fee does not cover equipment, technical personnel, performers or production services. Any additional support must be agreed separately and may involve additional fees.
Salón CHÁ & Front Gallery Salón CHÁ hosts script readings, artist conversations and small presentations. The Front Gallery provides space for visual and interdisciplinary work, including research displays, installations and work in progress. Residents may propose a reading, display or informal presentation.
Patio & Communal Areas The patio and shared seating areas provide places to read, take a break and spend time with fellow artists. These spaces make informal conversation and everyday exchange part of life at the centre.
Each residency begins with an introduction to the team, spaces and current programme, followed by a discussion of the artist’s working priorities.
A team member coordinates communication, space bookings and individual sessions throughout the residency.
Experimentation is central to the residency. Casa Hechale’s artistic team and advisers encourage residents to approach their work from different perspectives, test unfamiliar methods and make room for play, uncertainty and discovery. Dialogue across disciplines offers opportunities to question established habits and explore new possibilities in form, material and process.
Individual Sessions Residents receive two individual sessions per week.
Project Development
A working conversation with the creative team to reflect on emerging material, discuss experiments and identify what to explore next.
Artistic Dialogue
An exchange with an artistic adviser to consider alternative readings, question creative choices and open new directions for investigation.
Sessions respond to each artist’s practice and the evolving needs of the project. Residents retain full creative direction of their work.
Weekly Programme
Residents are invited to selected performances, readings, workshops, exhibitions, artist talks and community gatherings during their residency. These activities offer opportunities to encounter different practices and participate in the cultural life of the centre. Participation is optional, allowing residents to balance shared activities with independent work.
Casa Hechale Open House
Each residency cycle includes an informal Open House with fellow residents, members of the Casa Hechale community and invited practitioners. Artists are encouraged to share an experiment, a fragment of work or a question through a reading, performance excerpt, screening, visual presentation or conversation.
The emphasis is on exchange and discovery. The format and any practical requirements are agreed with the team.
Connections in Mexico City
Where relevant and feasible, the team facilitates introductions to local artists, performers, filmmakers, writers, researchers and cultural organisations.
Connections respond to the resident’s interests and project, with scope for dialogue, shared research or potential collaboration. Arrangements depend on the interest and availability of those involved.
Programme details and participation arrangements are coordinated with residents according to the centre’s calendar and the needs of each project.
Residents whose projects involve actors or other collaborators may discuss these needs with the artistic team.
Where feasible, Casa Hechale helps coordinate participation in readings, rehearsals or artistic experiments. The scope, schedule and any associated costs are agreed in advance.

WHAT THE RESIDENCY PROVIDES

ELIGIBILITY

Casa Hechale accepts applications from individual artists, duos and small collaborative teams working in theatre, film, performance and related fields. The programme supports focused periods of research, experimentation and the development of new or existing work.

Theatre & Live Performance Devised theatre, solo performance, comedy, puppetry and live art. Projects may focus on generating material, shaping a performance or exploring storytelling, form and the relationship with an audience.

Acting & Directing Research and practical exploration for stage or screen, including character development, text interpretation, scene work and rehearsal methods. Actors and directors may apply with a specific project or a clear area of investigation within their practice.

Playwriting, Screenwriting & Dramaturgy Original writing, revision, adaptation and translation for stage or screen. Proposals may explore dramatic structure, dialogue and narrative, or use readings and critical discussion to inform further development.

Dance, Movement & Choreography Choreographic development, improvisation, physical theatre and research through the body. Projects may investigate movement, gesture, rhythm and composition, independently or with collaborators.

Stage, Costume Design & Scenography Concept development and research in sets, costume, lighting, projection and objects for performance. Work may take the form of sketches, models, material studies or spatial experiments that examine how design contributes to a production.

Film, Moving Image & Sound Film development, experimental moving image and sound-based work. Proposals may focus on research, treatments, storyboards, audiovisual studies or the use of image and sound in performance.

Visual & Interdisciplinary Arts Visual art, installation and projects that connect different artistic disciplines, with a focus on the body, space, live action or moving image. The residency can support research into materials, presentation formats and the encounter between a work and an audience.

Applications are considered at all career stages and are open to artists worldwide. Proposals may fall within one field or cross several disciplines.

Proposals should be suited to the available time and facilities. Any requirements for additional collaborators, equipment or technical support should be identified in the application. A completed production or public presentation is not required.

Applications are reviewed by the Casa Hechale artistic team, with input from invited advisers where relevant. Proposals are considered in relation to the applicant’s practice, the purpose of the residency and the support the centre can provide.
Selection is guided by the following criteria:
Artistic enquiry — The ideas, questions or intentions informing the proposal, and the approaches the artist wishes to explore or test.
Artistic practice — How the work samples and relevant experience demonstrate the applicant’s methods, interests and development, considered in relation to their career stage.
Purpose of the residency — What the artist hopes to investigate or advance, and why a focused period at Casa Hechale would be valuable at this point in their practice.
Programme fit — The relationship between the proposal and the centre’s focus on theatre, film, performance and related disciplines, including how the artist intends to use the available spaces and artistic dialogue.
Feasibility — Whether the proposed scope is appropriate for the residency period and available resources. Essential requirements for collaborators, equipment or technical support should be identified in the application.
Applicants may also explain how working in Mexico City or engaging with local practitioners could inform their process. Projects are not required to address Mexico or the city as a subject.
Both early investigations and projects already in development are welcome. A proposal should establish a clear starting point and a considered approach to exploration, while leaving room for discoveries and changes of direction. A predetermined outcome or completed work is not expected.
The working languages of Casa Hechale are English and spanish .
Applicants are not required to speak both languages but should be able to work in at least one. Orientations, individual sessions and programme activities may take place in Spanish, English or bilingually.
Professional interpretation, translation and bilingual dramaturgical support are not included unless agreed separately.
Based in Mexico City and supported by Hechale Productions, Casa Hechale brings local and international artists into dialogue around theatre, film and performance.
The programme encourages exchange across languages, artistic traditions and working methods, with space to consider how work develops and is understood in different cultural contexts.
Exchange between Mexico and the United States, including Latinx and Chicano perspectives, forms part of this broader international focus. Where relevant and feasible, the team facilitates connections with practitioners and cultural organisations in Mexico City, guided by shared interests and the needs of each project.
WINTER 2026/27
December 2026–January 2027
Application deadline: October 30, 2026
EARLY SPRING 2027
February–March 2027
Application deadline: December 30, 2026
SPRING 2027
April–May 2027
Application deadline: February 28, 2027
Artists may apply for either a Two-Week or Four-Week Residency within their selected cycle. Applicants should indicate their preferred residency period and an alternative option in the application form.
Programme capacity is limited to six Resident Artists per cycle.

Member Organization of Artist Communities Alliance (ACA)

CENTRO CULTURAL CASA HECHALE

RESIDENCY PERIODS

The Four-Week Residency offers sustained time for artistic research and development, allowing residents to test ideas, reflect on feedback and return to the work through successive experiments.
Artists may develop writing for stage or screen, explore movement, image or sound, investigate materials and space, or advance an interdisciplinary project. The extended period allows working methods and priorities to evolve as discoveries emerge.
Residents may choose to share work through a reading, open rehearsal, screening, presentation or conversation, arranged with the team. No completed work or public outcome is required.
Programme Fee
Shared twin room USD 2,100 per artist
Private single room USD 2,800 per artist
The fee includes a resident room for 28 nights, scheduled access to working spaces, eight individual sessions with the creative team and artistic advisers, residency coordination and participation in selected programme activities.
Additional equipment, technical personnel, performers and production services are not included in the programme fee.
Duration: Four weeks / 28 nights
APPLY
The Two-Week Residency offers a concentrated period to explore a specific artistic question, test an approach or develop one aspect of a project. The format supports early investigations and focused experiments within work already in progress.
Artists may use the time to revisit a draft, test a scene or movement study, explore visual or sound material, or pursue research connected to Mexico City. A clear starting point helps guide the work while leaving room for unexpected discoveries. No completed work or public outcome is required.
Programme Fee
Shared twin room USD 1,300 per artist
Private single room USD 1,900 per artist
The fee includes a resident room for 14 nights, scheduled access to working spaces, four individual sessions with the creative team and artistic advisers, residency coordination and participation in selected programme activities.
Additional equipment, technical personnel, performers and production services are not included in the programme fee.
Duration: Two weeks / 14 nights
APPLY

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FUNDING

Casa Hechale offers a limited number of scholarships to artists selected for the Four-Week Residency. Each scholarship provides a programme fee reduction of up to USD 700 to support sustained artistic research and experimentation.
Scholarship applications are reviewed by members of the Casa Hechale artistic team and artistic advisers. Assessment draws on the project proposal, submitted work samples and relevant experience, with consideration of the applicant’s discipline and career stage.
The review considers:
Artistic quality — The relationship between artistic intention, form and creative choices demonstrated in the submitted work.
Research and experimentation — The questions guiding the proposal, the methods to be explored and their potential to extend the artist’s practice.
Value of the residency — The significance of a four-week working period at this stage of the project, and how the centre’s spaces and artistic dialogue would support its development.
Scope and feasibility — Whether the proposed work can be meaningfully pursued within the available time and resources, with essential technical or collaborative needs identified.
Artistic exchange — How dialogue with other practitioners and engagement with different approaches could inform the work.
Early-stage proposals are welcome. Assessment focuses on the quality and purpose of the enquiry; a finished production or public outcome is not required.
Applicants being considered are required to attend an online interview with members of the artistic team to discuss their proposal, working process and expectations for the residency.
Scholarships are applied directly to the programme fee. Selection for the residency does not guarantee a scholarship. The scholarship amount and remaining fee are confirmed in writing with the residency offer.
- Available for the Four-Week Residency.
The Latin America Residency Fund supports artistic research and exchange within the region by helping artists participate in Casa Hechale’s residency programme. Artists born in Latin America who currently live and maintain their artistic practice in the region may be considered for support of up to USD 500.
The fund may be combined with the Casa Hechale Residency Scholarship where applicable, providing a maximum total fee reduction of USD 1,200. Support is subject to review by the artistic team and artistic advisers, and to available funding. The amount is confirmed in writing with the residency offer.
Artists may use personal funds, institutional support, external grants or a combination of funding sources to cover the residency fee and related expenses.
Following selection and provisional confirmation of the residency period, Casa Hechale can provide an official letter of selection for applications to arts councils, cultural ministries, universities, foundations and other funding bodies.
- Financial support is subject to eligibility, artistic assessment and available funds. Admission to the residency does not imply a commitment to funding.
- The Casa Hechale Residency Scholarship is limited to four-week residencies. Combined support with the Latin America Residency Fund may reach USD 1,200, applied exclusively as a programme fee reduction.
- External funding remains the applicant’s responsibility. Supporting documentation may be provided following selection.
- Fully funded participation under the Visiting Artist & Faculty Programme is established through direct invitation or formal institutional collaboration.
- The scope and terms of all support are confirmed in writing. Participants are responsible for any fees and expenses outside the confirmed coverage.
Casa Hechale covers the full residency programme fee.
This funding supports visiting artists and faculty from around the world in artistic research, pedagogical exchange and dialogue between artistic and academic communities.
Funding is available exclusively by direct invitation from Casa Hechale or through formal collaboration with universities and cultural institutions. Individual applications are not accepted.
enquiries: programs@hechaleproductions.com