There are many different types of residency. Choosing the most suitable residency for you depends on individual circumstances such as work and family commitments, facilities and accommodation offered as well as the environment you find most conducive to working.

To appreciate the range of residencies available, visit websites like resartis and re-title, and the listings on Artquest.

Before applying, consider whether you work better in a rural or urban environment. Are you most inspired by cities with social/cultural/historical attractions? Does climate affect your discipline?

You may prefer solitude and self -sufficiency or perhaps you work best within a large group in a busy, structured environment.

There is a spectrum of different residencies: some where trips, group critiques and visiting speakers make up a programme of events; others where you may be remote and isolated with little contact from the outside world. Most lie in between: domestic set-ups with a few other artists, allowing for both time alone and critical but informal discourse.

Some residencies are platforms for cross-artistic disciplines and invite composers, writers and choreographers. Think about who would you ideally like to interact with during your residency?

Practice-based residencies are most common, but there are those which ask artists to focus on research or curatorial investigation and don’t expect the production of work. Some are rigid and insist you complete the project you proposed in your application. Others are more flexible and leave you to your own devices.

Tags:

• residencies
• working internationally