Travel tips: What is an artist residency?
As you've probably read or deduced (or maybe you're new... hi!), I'm currently living and working in Iceland since late June.
I'm not here spending nights serving drinks in a bar job, or volunteering to rehabilitate arctic foxes (can you do that? I'd definitely do that). I'm here on an artist residency. If you don't know what that is, I'm going to tell you! If you do, but you're not sure how to apply for one, I'm going to tell you that too. Let's get started.
What is an artist residency?
Far away, in some remote landscape, or brightly lit city, creative people are finding inspiration. Maybe a warehouse becomes abandoned, or maybe somebody entrepreneurial builds a studio, and they call out for artists to come and visit. In the case of Nes (where I am now), they've repurposed an old fish processing warehouse and turned it into studios. They've also acquired a few houses in the town, so people can live in little house groups and walk to the studio.
In the next town over in Blonduos, they have a textile residency that runs a little differently. There is one large, historic building there, and all of the artists live in little rooms adjacent to the studios (and under a magnificent loft filled with looms).
Depending on the residency itself, you can apply for a few weeks to a year. You could be living all alone in the wilderness in Finland, or in a bustling metropolis with a group of young artists. It's extremely varied, and there's something to suit everyone. Some residencies are discipline-specific (like the textile residency), while others are more liberal (this month at Nes we have a composer, a dancer, a bassist, a writer, a painter, an architect/concept artist, a filmmaker, an analogue photographer and a mixed media artist). No matter you're creative inclination, there's a residency program out there for you.
If you're up for some exploring, browse Res Artis. Here you can search by discipline, location, duration, etc.
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The studios at Fogo Island are what my dreams are made of
What makes it different to other kinds of travel?
Most residencies will have you spending a lot of time in one town or city. I'm a fan of longterm travelling, where I have ample time to meet local people and take in all the sights - as opposed to a whirlwind 24 hours in a country seeing only the most famous landmarks.
You'll probably be living longterm with people you've never met before. I think this is pretty amazing. It also means that you're getting to take in all of their knowledge and experiences over midnight beers and early morning walks. They're all artist people, so they've got plenty of knowledge to share in that respect, but they're from all over the world and they all love to travel, so they'll add a few locations to your bucket list too.
If you're doing a residency for a prolonged period of time (a couple of months or so), you do start to become part of the local community. You'll find yourself playing poker at 4am with the local fishermen. You'll find yourself befriending the supermarket clerk who is constantly translating ingredients for you. You might join a local club or two, or share stories in the local pool, or learn the names of everybody's dogs (or children).
A small assemblage/sculpture project I worked on when I first arrived in Skagaströnd
How much does it cost?
Residencies vary from expensive, to cheap, to free. Some may even offer a stipend, though these are very competitive. If you've managed to secure a spot at a residency, you might be able to secure some funding through a grant. You could do this in your home country, or the country you intend to visit, and is a great way to offset some or all of your travel costs. Application requirements vary by country, state and city, so get in touch with them and find out what they require. As somebody who generally lives and works in Melbourne, I can often look for funding with City of Melbourne, Victoria State funding, and also with the Australia Council. Look big and small.
Whether you're Victorian or not, the drafting tools on the Vic Arts website are pretty invaluable, so you can use those as a starting point.
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The magical loom loft at the nearby textile residency in Blonduos (this space is unreal)
How do I apply? Should I apply?
There's no harm in applying for anything. Find a residency you like the look of (try the Res Artis site, or simply Google by location - "artist residencies Norway" or "artist residencies Canada"), consider how that place would enhance your creative work, and then tell them. Do you want to visit the Moroccan desert because you're writing a novel set on another planet? Are you a water colourist eager to be inspired by the Northern Lights in Iceland? Are you interested in working with small, local communities in rural Asian towns? Tell them.
Applications get easier and better with time, so don't feel down if things don't fall into place right away. Be honest about why you want to be inspired by that particular place.
It goes without saying that this style of travel isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for an excuse to do some extra travel, it's worth a look-in. I've had a bit of interest in this part of my life, so if you have further questions, you can email me here.
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