Funding your residency
Few people can afford to take time off work for a residency without financial support, so it’s important to budget properly for the duration. Find out exactly what is available to you in terms of payment in kind and stipend.
Residencies may be privately established and independently run, receiving money from individual patrons. They may be not–for-profit charities or public institutions funded in part by the state. Either model may ask for attendance fees.
Subsistence and materials’ costs might be covered and a number give travel grants (which may need to be applied for separately). More competitive residencies offer artists’ fees. The best-case scenario is to be provided with free studio, accommodation, travel and a fee. The majority provide a combination of these but not all.
There are organisations whose rasion d’etre is to support artists. Occasionally these provide communal meals; cleaning, laundry and full time administration and domestic staff. Conversely there are residencies attached to organisations with broader remits, which may provide significantly less support.
It is possible you will be asked to donate a piece of work in return for the residency or asked to contribute in other ways. Be prepared to have an open studio, give a presentation or commit teaching hours.
All residencies should offer a contract if a fee is involved. Do not leave for the residency until the paperwork has been read and signed. Agree on payment terms in advance. If there is an inventory for accommodation, ensure you have seen where you’re living before you sign. Some require a studio deposit which is fully refundable. Don’t trust verbal promises for retrospective payments.
Apply to the Arts Council England or other funding such as the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for residency support costs. Arts Council England and British Council have launched a fund to assist practitioners with work abroad (the Artists' International Development Fund or AIDF). Also look at funding opportunities for British citizens in the country to which you are travelling.