Le Shakirail, an artist residency, a cultural venue and art studios in the 18th arrondissement.

For fifteen years, the Shakirail has opened its doors to emerging artists as well as to the general public, in Paris’s 18th arrondissement and beyond, driven by a clear ambition. So, if the collective Curry Vavart, the group that founded the Shakirail, rejects the label of a "third place" to describe the project, it’s because its core purpose is non-profit and centered on emerging creation.

"We are a working space, and we regularly open up with a program that’s open to everyone," says Emma, head of local development. So the Shakirail invites the public to its lineup through temporary exhibitions, performances, introductory workshops (all ages, including children), and training in artistic practices (adults only). Metal sculpture, a photo lab, woodworking techniques... these are among the crafts resident artists share with the general public.

All told, Shakirail hosts around sixty emerging artists in residence on site. Among them are practitioners from live performance, music, theatre, and visual arts. They have access to shared workshops (rental: a mere €50 per month), a performance space for rehearsals, and a music studio (both available for €5 per hour). A quarterly programming call is issued in each field—cinema and screenings, live performance, visual exhibitions, or concerts. With every programming call, there is also a three‑month residency call available (details are on Shakirail’s website).

With this thread running through Shakirail's identity, the Curry Vavart collective says it aims to “fight Paris's scarce and expensive real estate, and support emerging or precarious artists in their creative process,” Emma adds. In addition to the venue's artistic programming, Shakirail features a 2,000 m² garden labeled Jardin relais de la ville de Paris, also open to other associations. Beehives are installed there, and gardening workshops are regularly offered… Furthermore, Shakirail hosts a lot of community welcomes and offers associations that wish it access to spaces, notably meeting rooms.

In terms of programming, it remains multidisciplinary and free to access or pay-what-you-will, with the exception of beginner workshops which are paid. As announced earlier, the Shakirail is first and foremost a workspace, which explains why it isn’t always open to the public. That said, you can drop by to discover the venue during regular open house days, or for major events such as the Fête de la Musique. Since the collective was founded, around twenty venues have been occupied to promote creativity and solidarity in Paris: next up, Curry Vavart will open the doors to its new HQ, in Les Lilas (93).

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.