Viva StartArt Residency

Viva! A simple word that means “live” in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French. StartArt invites you to live your creative process like never before!

Are you an artist seeking time and space to deepen your practice? Do you wish to connect with other like-minded creatives and exchange ideas and inspiration? Would you like to access new resources, including studios, equipment, and mentorship, to take your work to the next level? If uninterrupted time for research, experimentation, and development of your artistic ideas sounds like what you need, then our Viva Art Residency is the perfect opportunity for you!

In StartArt Residency you fill find:

Focus on Creativity & Exploration: StartArt residency is all about giving you the time and space to truly immerse yourself in your work, whether you’re continuing an ongoing project or embarking on something completely new. It’s an opportunity to enhance your creative process and draw inspiration from your surroundings.

Food: At StartArt, we enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner together as a family so that we can connect and collaborate with different artists. The meals provided are delicious and healthy. We follow a plant-based diet created from seasonal, local produce purchased at the Braga Municipal Market.  Our menu plan has been created by Ohm, an international chef with over thirty years of experience, who focused on flavors as well as nutrition.

Accommodation: With thirteen rooms offering views of nature, including the river as well as trees. The rooms are very luminous with big windows. Seven of the bedrooms offer ensuite bathrooms, while the other six have nearby shared facilities. Each room is named after significant women from all over the world who have left an imprint on society, leaves a story to be remembered, and inspiration to continue creating a better world.

Fun: Because StartArt is a place that not only offers a beautiful landscape to inspire, but activities to help get people outside of their comfort zone and become BOLD. We have some planned activities where artists can be immersed in different types of art, such as photography, theatre, and painting. This also helps artists bond and connect, creating a community.

Nature: With a gorgeous river only known to the locals just fifty meters from the property and motivates our guests to explore. There people can swim, kayak, and stand-up paddle. The nearby waterfalls have already inspired a mural located on our premises and are just a ten-minute hike from the property. The property is surrounded by tall, green trees that house birds, who provide beautiful songs throughout the day.

Culture: Braga is the Capital of Portuguese Culture in 2025 which gives exciting opportunities to the artists who come to collaborate and share their talents here. In addition, the Camino de Santiago is just 300 meters from the house and we encourage artists to do a one-day Camino or begin their own Camino from StartArt.