Poitiers

Poitiers joined ICORN in 2018, becoming the second French City of Refuge at the time.

The ICORN residency in Poitiers is hosted by Villa Bloch, a house which was previously owned by writer, journalist, and committed pacifist Jean-Richard Bloch. In his memory, the City of Poitiers bought the property in 2005, turning it into a creative environment which respects his values and hosting writers, artists, and journalists.

The partners in the Villa Bloch project are La Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, the Ecole Européenne Supérieure de l’Image, the University of Poitiers and the association Le Toit du Monde.

In 2019, Poitiers welcomed Iranian poet Mohammed Bamm as its first ICORN resident.