What are residencies for?

This page captures some of the discussion concerning the purpose of artist residencies, explored during the Building A Better Residency conversation event. The initial prompts offered to the room for discussion included the following questions:

  • What does a flexible residency look like?
  • Residencies with outcomes vs. residencies with no expectations of a result
  • How do residencies relate to commissions and other funding?
  • How can an international residency be authentically imbedded?

Click here to return to the main overview of the day.


When and why are we specific?
Residencies for producers 
How to know about residencies?
– Creative Scotland ops
– Arts Admin
– LAUK
Intensive commitment to project / or element
Time away from capitalismI hate insta[gram] but I feel like I hold into it because so many opportunities are advertised on it
Part-time residencies?‘Checking in’ not always helpful, optional is best. Some artists not ready to interact till the endThere can be a fetishisation of the development process
Could they be used to gain new skills?Re-negotiation of the residency as ‘essential’ to the artistic process. Isolation / incubation / containment being both right and wrongLive art approaches need flexibility with access and function
R&D or retreat?Expectations of artists and what to expect good to include in calloutHelpful for flexibility in organisations saying they’re production house or lab – can support with what do you need to work?
Ask the artist – do you need a deadline, schedule, someone to watch you, to be alone? Big audience?Organisations should commit less to a style of supportPartnerships? Multiple strands of support