The World Heritage Residence/Scholarship
The World Heritage Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland International Scholarship and Residency (World Heritage Scholarship) is aimed at professional artists, cultural practitioners and researchers who want to develop an artistic or research idea that connects the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland to one or more other World Heritage Sites on the UNESCO list.
The scholarship is awarded to the applicant who shows in the clearest, most relevant and feasible way how the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland relate to other World Heritage Sites in the spirit of UNESCO, for example through cultural heritage, conservation, universal value, cultural meetings or knowledge exchange.
Read about the World Heritage concept
Read about World Heritage Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland
The scholarship includes:
- 4-week residency at the World Heritage farms Kristofers in Järvsö or Erik-Anders in Söderala
- A grant of equivalent 50,000 SEK in scholarship
- Travel to and from Hälsingland
The scholarship is international and open to applicants from all over the World. Last year we received nearly 1000 applications from more than 100 countries.
Important to know before you apply
- All questions in the form are mandatory. Incomplete applications will be considered invalid.
- The form contains a function that stops AI-generated applications.
- Automatic confirmation is sent after the application has been submitted.
- Further contact will only be made if additional information is needed or a decision has been made.
- The scholarship holder will be announced in November 2026 at www.varldsarvethalsingegardar.se
- The residency period is summer 2027.
Be as specific and concrete as possible. The jury will assess artistic quality, relevance, feasibility and clear UNESCO connection.
Questions and Answers
Yes. You must choose at least one World Heritage Site from UNESCO's list.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre - World Heritage List
No. Only professional cultural creators and researchers with experience can apply.
Yes, but the group shares both the scholarship and the residency. Two people get two weeks each. Travel and other additional costs for more people are paid for by the applicants themselves. The group must justify why there are more people and how the project will be carried out within the time frame.
Family can come along but are responsible for their own costs. Access to space must be agreed directly with the farm owner. Pets are not allowed.
The seven farms that are included in the World Heritage site Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland are spread across four municipalities and have limited communications. We assume that the scholarship holder will visit and use the farms in their project. If you do not have a driver's license, it will be difficult. Based on the proposed project, the jury will assess whether it is possible to implement it without being able to visit the farms.
So that the application is clearly categorized. If the project spans several areas, choose the most central one.
The jury assesses quality, relevance and feasibility. Unclear, oversized or unfocused projects are difficult to assess.
No. The budget must be realistic. External co-financing is permitted, but Region Gävleborg does not grant more than the scholarship amount.
Application
Application is open January 15th – February 28th 2026
The World Heritage Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland International Scholarship and Residency (World Heritage Scholarship) was established by Region Gävleborg, Sweden in 2018.
About the residence farms Kristofers and Erik-Anders:
At Kristofers you will live at the farm in a small apartment. Sheets and towels are provided. The apartment has a kitchenette. At the farm, the owners manage a working farm with animals, fields and forests. The farm is a few kilometers from Järvsö where there are shops and restaurants set in natural surroundings.
You cook your own food and live close to the farm owners. You have access to a car that allows you to explore the surrounding area.
More about the World Heritage site Kristofers
At Erik-Anders you live in the farm’s newly built hotel which includes breakfast, bed linen, towels and Wi-Fi. You have access to a kitchenette where you can cook.
Erik-Anders is located just over 10 kilometers from Söderhamn, where there are shops, restaurants and the seafront. On the farm, there is a café and hotel. You will live close to the farm owners. You will have access to a car that allows you to explore the surrounding area.
More about the World Heritage site Erik-Anders
www.erik-anders.se/en (english)