How to Apply for Creative Residencies
I have some scary (in a good way) news: I’m officially a fellow for an upcoming writing residency and I CANNOT WAIT to get started.
It’s happening in July and I was awarded a fellowship to stay there for a week and work on my writing. That sparked an idea: let’s talk about residencies!
Thought I’d put together some tips/takeaways that might be helpful for creative types in writing, art and music. By no means an exhaustive look, think of this as a starter guide. Here they are without further ado, broken up by their respective sections:
WRITING
I applied for my particular writing retreat by searching Submittablewhich is totally free to use. It required a small fee to apply but I was willing to do it because I wanted to take my chances. I’ve also previously applied for PEN America’s Emerging Voices Fellowship which I learned about because it was mentioned in the bios of a few of my favorite LA-based writers. I totally recommend looking at authors’ CVs and websites to find out what residencies they’ve done in the past. And use social media to do some more digging: see what accounts residency programs are following (i.e. who PEN America follows) for more leads. Also consider grant programs like the Andy Warhol Arts Writing Grant program.
There are also a few write-ups on websites like Electric Literature. And I’ve got to give a shout-out to Jack Jones Literary for the retreats and fellowships they do for writers of color specifically.
Each application requires something different: letters of recommendation, project proposals and varying amounts of pages. I used pages from my past book proposal to apply for the retreat.
Then it’s all about waiting! Some residencies/retreats have an interview process; mine didn’t.
And you don’t have to do it alone! Look for groups like Women Who Submit that get together to do this sort of thing. They have some great resources, too and members are totally open to talk about their own experiences. Or if you don’t see an organization like this near you, set up a date to get a few writer friends together for a cafe session where you can jam out a ton of applications. Join Facebook groups of writers in your area so you can read/share advice.
And while obvi a retreat in a faraway country sounds like a dream come true, don’t rule out local opportunities. I recently saw this call for a Writer Residency from the city of Santa Monica.
ART
For this section, I got some insight from my dear friends and SUPER talented artists Christopher Squier and Ileana Tejada. They’ve both got tons of experience with exhibiting work and applying for and getting residencies.
I asked them what they wish they knew before applying to residencies and here are the tips they gave me:
◙ Try to learn who juries if possible, and whether they are involved in the residency or are invited from outside the residency.
◙ Research other artists who have attended the residency — this can tell you a lot about if your work is a good fit! Don’t be afraid to reach out to these artists and ask if it would be a good fit.
◙ Research if the residency has been helpful in helping artists find exhibitions, other residencies, collectors, etc.
◙ Ask questions about what’s involved: is there a stipend? Is there a show involved? Is it process or project based?
◙ Figure out what you want to get out of it. Do you want a small group? Do you want to start a new project or continue an existing one?
◙ Don’t be afraid to ask for accommodations (not in terms of lodging) for financial need, travel costs, space, extensions to the residency, technical help in the studio
My own two cents: As with any other creative residency, it’s a good idea to always keep in touch with other like-minded artists. They can share opportunities with you that don’t quite fit for them, and vice versa. Two heads are better than one.
Don’t forget to pick up the latest issue of your favorite art mag or visit your usual online sites for opportunities that might come up in their ads or sponsored posts. If you’re into the idea, see if brands have residencies (like the Adobe Creative Residency, started by an awesome person I know). And again think locally: The City of Los Angeles, for example, offers an Artist-in-Residence Program. And here’s one I saw as part of Boston University for a Computational Artist in Residency (sounds so HECKING cool).
MUSIC
Universities have residencies for musicians, such as the Adams State University Colorado Rare A.I.R. program and the University of Buffalo Creative Arts Initiative (the latter of which also takes proposals related to other creative fields). Or you can look around for non-academic spaces like Steim, Studio for Electro-Instrumental Music, which offers “support for various types of residencies.” Just check what they do and don’t offer as part of that.
Even though some of them require you to pay for your own travel and lodging, they might provide you with resources like a sound studio, film recording studio and musical instruments (like this residency in Buenos Aires).
Again, the County of L.A. offers the Artist in Residence program and there’s a category for music. Or how about a residency with the National Park Service? Or are you in Sonoma County?
A lot of the same tips in the categories above apply to musicians. The Frank Huntington Fund for Musicians is posting info on next year this September. It’s all about getting creative and asking a lot of questions. And here’s a great resource for additional reading.
This post was originally shared in Notes from Eva — my newsletter on writing, art and living more creatively. Subscribe here.
