Within the framework of the ADKDW Residency, the Academy of the Arts of the World (Akademie der Künste der Welt, ADKDW) regularly invites international artists, theorists and curators to spend time in Cologne, thus offering the opportunity to network with the artists and institutions based here as well as the independent scene.

Based on intersectional, decolonial and power-critical approaches, the ADKDW Residency addresses individuals and communities that are institutionally and/or socially marginalized through the Participatory Residency Program. Fellows have the opportunity to realize a wide-ranging program across all art disciplines, with a focus on collaborative formats. This fosters close collaboration between local communities and international artists or cultural activists.

The Participatory Residency Program was initiated in 2021 by the ADKDW. The partners DEMASK Kollektiv and Integrationshaus e.V. set the framework for the collaboration with their artistic and political concerns. Elle Fierce's first residency resulted a.o. in a short film and performance workshops for the local QT*BI*POC community. In June 2022, Jordan Chanetsa, LGBTQIA+ activist from Zimbabwe will follow as the program's second grantee.

Jordan Chanetsa is a performance artist, writer, and LGBTQIA+ rights activist and works as a consultant for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in working spaces in Zimbabwe. Chanetsa is a founding member of the Harare Queer Collective (HQ), which works to create safe spaces for Zimbabwean LGBTQIA+ people. As a presenter and media personality, she regularly addresses the difficult realities of the LGBTQIA+ community in Zimbabwe on radio shows and podcasts and is the host of "The Naked Truth Show," a program that focuses on gender, sexuality, and health. For the podcast "Her Hour" (Play Afrika TV), Chanetsa produced a special edition with the U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe about Pride Month, among other things. In 2019, Chanetsa was honored by the Dutch Embassy in Zimbabwe for her commitment as part of the "16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence" campaign. Chanetsa was also selected to participate in the “Young Leaders Program” of “Women Deliver”, an organization that promotes gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. From June to October 2022, Jordan Chanetsa is artist-in-residence as part of the Participatory Residency Program organized by ADKDW together with DEMASK Kollektiv and Integrationshaus e.V.

Read on: Jordan Chanetsa’s Residency Statement

The Participatory Residency Program is realized with the kind support of the RheinEnergie Stiftung Kultur and the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR).