This open call begins the AVAM STUDIOS programme for plastic and visual artists, which aims to facilitate the access of creators to work spaces in the city of Madrid, allowing them to perform their activity in affordable conditions and thereby responding to demand in the sector.

The initiation of this programme results from close collaboration between AVAM and Madrid City Council, through its Arts Department and EMVS, in order to provide creators with access to space which is specifically tailored to the production of artistic work.

Location of studios: Avenida de Los Poblados s/n, esquina calle del doctor Tolosa Latour 23. 28041 Madrid.

Number of studios: 4

Size: 
· Studio No. 1: 47 sq.m.
· Studio No. 2: 30 sq.m.
· Studio No. 3: 34 sq.m.
· Studio No. 4: 33 sq.m.

Features of each studio: electricity, natural light and central overhead white electric lighting, Wi-Fi internet connection, running water, heating and air conditioning, loading and unloading door (with the exception of Studio No. 4), door to common areas, basic furnishings (chest of drawers, armchair, stool, fixed table). User artists may install the necessary material and equipment for their work. Toilets and shower are located in an area common to the 4 studios.

Features of artists' technological resource area: this area is aimed, on request, at all artists, whether or not they are benefiting from the studios, who require the use of professional technological assessment to undertake their work. This area boasts the option of a specialised technician according to the timetable and conditions set by AVAM.

Period of use for each studio: a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 1 year during the period between 15 January and 31 December, 2010.

Studio opening and closing times: Open continuously during mornings and afternoons from Monday to Saturday. To gain access for professional reasons on Sundays and public holidays and at unsociable hours, notification and justification is essential on the part of the artist, who must also obtain AVAM's specific authorisation.

Cost of studio use: Beneficiaries must defray the cost of the studios through a monthly payment to AVAM.
• Studio No. 1: 350 € / month
• Studio No. 2: 225 € / month
• Studio No. 3: 255 € / month
• Studio No. 4: 225 € / month

Payments will increase annually in accordance with the Retail Price Index.
AVAM STUDIOS offer a 10% discount to those artists who are AVAM members.

Electricity and water bills for each month will be added to the above prices.

Deposit: The beneficiary of each studio must make an advance payment prior to his/her occupancy which corresponds to two months' payment. This will be returned when usage is concluded whenever the studios or their common areas have suffered no damage through the fault of the user.

Access to use of studios: Once the studios have been assigned by an evaluation commission, each beneficiary will sign with AVAM a document of authorisation of use, with the conditions and obligations indicated in this open call and in agreement with the decision of the Evaluation Commission. Authorisation of access to use the studios will come into force from 15 January 2010 for initial beneficiaries.


2.- Beneficiaries

Use of the studios may be requested by artists or collectives of artists requiring a studio for their work, undertaking a specific artistic project or beginning a process of artistic research and experimentation.

In the case of physical persons, applicants must be able to demonstrate their artistic training or background.

In the case of juridical persons, their purpose must be related to contemporary creation, experimentation and production in the field of plastic and visual arts, with a background which may be demonstrated.


3.- When, what and where to present applications

From 2 November, 2009 until 4 December, 2009, both inclusive.

Once this period has elapsed, there will be no acceptance of applications or any information supplementary to forms which have already been submitted. In the case of mailed applications, the postal date registered at the corresponding post office will be regarded as the delivery date.

The application will be made using the APPLICATION FORM, also available at AVAM, Calle Mayor 4 -3º pta 8, from 10am-2pm from Monday to Friday (except public holidays); and at Matadero Madrid, Paseo de la Chopera, 14, from Tuesday to Friday from 4pm-10pm.

What to present:

1. Completed application form including the following information: name, surnames, date of birth, nationality, address, locality, province, post code, telephone numbers, e-mail address, and website (optional). On the form, the applicant must provide the preferred dates for using the studios during the 2010 period (providing these in natural months). Likewise, he/she should list the studios in order of preference.

2. Photocopy of Identity Card or passport in the case of physical persons.

3. Photocopy of Company Fiscal Number, in the case of a juridical person.

4. Document providing proof of fiscal domicile

5. Statement of compliance with monthly payment for studio assigned.

6. Curriculum vitae (maximum of 1,000 words) for physical persons. Report of activities and/or projects undertaken (maximum of 1,000 words) over the past two years in the case of collectives or juridical persons.

7. Complementary documentation of recent work. Originals, attached documentation such as catalogues, brochures, original work etc., will not be accepted. In the case of audiovisual projects, the artist must provide a DVD with his/her dossier.

8. If presenting a concrete project to be undertaken, the artist must provide a report on the project.

9. Complementary documentation must be presented in A3 or A4 size and take up a maximum of 10 sheets; if delivery is made by post it must be bound. Applications not conforming to this requirement will be disregarded for organisational and evaluational reasons.

10. The application and dossier attached must be presented in Spanish.

Where to present application form:

1. By hand or by post under the title of “Open Call AVAM STUDIOS 2010” to: AVAM, C/ Mayor, 4 – 3º pta 8 - 28013 Madrid. Timetable: Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm. Applications will be disregarded if presented by hand after 4 December, 2009 and outside the times indicated, or in the case of a mailed application bearing a postmark subsequent to this date.

2. By e-mail: The required documentation may be sent to the following address: This allows attachment of complementary documentation by means of a pdf file or a zip file, when appropriate. No application made by e-mail which is received after midnight on 4 November, 2009 will be taken into account.

Receipt of applications and attached documentation: AVAM will send an e-mail confirming receipt of the application and documentation when deliveries have been made by e-mail or by post. For deliveries by hand, it will provide a receipt. If this confirmation is not received, it should be taken that the documentation has not been received at AVAM's offices. Complaints to this respect lodged after 4 December 2009 will be disregarded.


4.- Evaluation Commission for the awarding of studios

For the evaluation and selection of applications presented, an evaluation commission will be set up, and comprising: 

· President: The President of AVAM, or person holding a position on the AVAM
administrative board, who delegates - Five members: 
· The General Director of Cultural Projects of the Arts Department of Madrid City Council, or person delegated
- The Director of AVAM, or person delegated
- 3 distinguished artists, designated by the Monitoring Commission of AVAM and the Arts Department of Madrid City Council.
- Secretary: The Secretary of AVAM, without voice or vote.

The President of the Evaluation Commission will hold the casting vote

A Technical Commission comprising 2 AVAM technicians and two from the Arts Department will assess the commission about the viability of the applications, on the basis of the nature of the work or project to be realised and in accordance with the spatial and technical characteristics of the studios.

The Evaluation Commission may interview those applicants it considers opportune or request complementary information from them in order to better perform the functions it has been charged with.

The Evaluation Committee's decision may not be appealed.


5.- Period for declaring the result of the open call

The Evaluation Commission will examine and evaluate the applications and documentation presented in accordance with the criteria which are set out in point 6 of this open call.

Once the applications have been evaluated, the Evaluation committee will issue the result of the evaluation within a maximum of 20 days, counted from the day the period for presenting applications elapses.

Finally, the Commission will draw up a list of the artists selected, establishing a calendar of occupancy of the studios during the 2010 period, together with a waiting list for possible withdrawals.

The decision will be communicated in writing to each applicant selected and published on www.avam.net.


6.- Evaluation Criteria

When evaluating applications, the Evaluation Commission will consider the following criteria:

- The quality and coherence of professional background and of the project to be undertaken
- The spatial and technical needs for the work to be undertaken on the basis of the physical attributes of the studios.


7.- Monitoring the use of studios and the obligations of beneficiaries

To ensure proper monitoring of the studios, to inform the AVAM/Arts Dept. Monitoring Commission and to incorporate the information in the annual report on the AVAM STUDIOS programme, an AVAM technician will undertake quarterly or half-yearly, when appropriate, interviews with those artists using the studios.

The persons or collectives selected in this open call undertake the following:

1. To accept the decision of the Evaluation Commission, To do so, they must communicate in writing their acceptance of the studio awarded within five working days, counted from when they are notified of the temporary award of the studio. Otherwise, it will be understood that the artist declines, which will be understood as relinquishing his/her rights, and the studio may be awarded to the substitute with the highest placing and successively thereon.

2. To comply with the general and particular rules of the studios, in accordance with timetables, calendar and the instructions of the AVAM official. They must also behave in a civic manner when working together and using the studios.

3. To undertake their work or project within the time period and conditions envisaged in the open call. Otherwise, authorisation to use the studios may be automatically revoked by AVAM. 4. To pay AVAM the cost of using the studio in the first five days of each month, through a standing order.

5. To reimburse AVAM monthly or twice a month, when appropriate, for the cost of water and electricity.

6. To use the studios exclusively to comply with the aims comprising these conditions. Any change of intention or studio usage will give rise to the automatic revocation of the authorisation to use the studios. The studio may never be used for anything other than as a space for artistic production; there being no authorisation for its use as a store, deposit, home, exhibition space, meeting centre etc.

7. To respect the installations, both the studio and common areas, and to pay the corresponding deposit, which will be returned once the period of use has been completed and the installations have been checked. If the artist deems it necessary to paint, make holes in or make any other modification to the space during its use, he/she must request specific permission to this purpose, assuming the responsibility to return the studio to its former state. At the end of the contract, it will be obligatory and the artist's responsibility to leave the space clean and tidy, to remove any rubbish generated, to avoid leaving any personal furniture, materials or other objects. Otherwise, a financial estimate of the deterioration to the space will be made and the deposit will be employed to remedy this. If the deposit is insufficient to cover the cost of damage, the corresponding amount will be requested.

8. To allow the entry into the studio of officials at the behest of AVAM personnel for urgent and necessary structural repairs or upkeep of the space.

9. To collaborate with AVAM personnel in carrying out periodic activities aimed at promoting coexistence between the Studios and the neighbourhood.

10. To participate under the coordination and assessment of AVAM, in at least one “Open Studios” day, aimed at demonstrating the production processes undertaken at the AVAM Studios 2010, and attended by professionals from the cultural field (critics, curators, managers, directors and technicians from exhibition spaces and museums, cultural administration officials, cultural journalists from the general or specialised media etc.)

11. To authorise AVAM to display part or all the project or work carried out by the artists who are beneficiaries of the studios, in common agreement with them, through its website and its annual reports.

12. To refer to AVAM STUDIOS 2010 when disseminating and publicising the work they have produced at the studios under the title: This project has been produced at the AVAM STUDIOS 2010.

The persons or collectives selected in this open call are not authorised to:
1. Use the studios for ends different from the ones contemplated in these conditions. 
2. Transfer use of the studio to any person or group different from those authorised.
3. Undertake work which requires the use of toxic products or industrial tools generating noise above the permitted levels or which represents a danger to the space or the artist him/herself. This rule is subject to security and physical attributes of the studios.

Authorisation of the use of studios will be annulled, after the beneficiary has been heard, whenever the beneficiary commits either of the following:
- Failure to perform the activity which gave rise to the authorisation to use the studio.
- An unjustified lack of compliance with the conditions set out in this open call.


7.- Return of the documentation presented by applicants

For the return of documentation by post, an appropriately sized, correctly stamped envelope must be included and bearing the postal address at which it should be received. Documentation will also be returned in person at the AVAM office from 10am-2pm during the 30 working days following the announcement of the decision. After this period has elapsed, AVAM will take no responsibility for documentation.


8.- Interpretation and acceptance of conditions

Any doubt which may arise relating to the interpretation of these conditions will be resolved by AVAM.

Participation in this open call supposes full acceptance of the rules which regulate it. Failure to comply with any of the obligations set out in these conditions supposes the immediate suspension of the agreement, irrespective of the responsibility to whom it may give rise.


Download floor plans and technical specifications

APPLICATION FORM