Writing Residencies You Should Consider Applying To

Bogliasco

Amidst all the cuts to arts programs and institutions, thank God for organizations that remain committed to supporting the creative process. Resartis.org has an exhaustive list of national and international residencies for writers and artists of all disciplines; TheWriteLife.com has a curated list too. Some offer free accommodations and workspace; others require recipients to cover their room and board in a sort of working vacation. This New York Times article lists artists’ retreats you can go to without submitting writing samples or committing to a few weeks or months away. Sign-up for Hope Clark’s “Funds for Writers” Newsletter to get timely updates about opportunities to earn money for your writing/fund your projects. Below you’ll find information about residencies that seem most worth the time/financial investment:

Yaddo
Duration: Two to five weeks
Location: Saratoga Springs, New York
Who’s Eligible: Poets and writers of fiction and creative nonfiction.
Associated Costs: There are no residency fees. Wrters-in-residence receive room, workspace, and meals. $30 application fee applies, to which is added a fee for media uploads ranging from $5 to $10, depending on the discipline. 
Deadline: January 1, 2016 | August 1, 2016

Hambidge Creative Residency Program
Duration: Eight weeks
Location: Hambidge, Georgia
Who’s Eligible: Writers in any genre.
Details / Associated Costs: $30 application fee; Resident Fellows pay $200 per week (of the $1250 per week cost)
Deadline: January 15, 2016 | April 15, 2016 | September 15, 2015 (depending session)

Hub City Writers House Residencies
Duration: September 5 – December 19, 2016 | January 9 – April 26, 2017
Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina
Who’s Eligible: “The program is open to emerging writers in the United States who have completed a college degree in creative writing within the past five years or are pursuing a graduate degree in writing.”
Details / Associated Costs: $30 or $40 application fee depending on the residency you apply for. “Residents receive lodging, utilities and a stipend; they are responsible for their own transportation and meals. Our residencies include a community service component of 15 weeks with the Hub City Writers Project, and offer a stipend of $150 a week.”
Deadline: February 15, 2016 | April 15, 2016 | June 1, 2016 

Vermont Studio Center Fellowship ($N/A)
Duration: Two to four weeks

Who’s Eligible: Emerging writers
Entry Fee: The fee for a four-week residency in 2013, including studio, room, board, and the visiting artist and writer program, was $3950 for 4 weeks and $2050 for 2 weeks. Applicants can apply for a grant/aid.
Deadline: February 15, 2016

Millay Colony for the Arts
Duration: One Month on scheduled dates from April to November (a Two-Week option is available in September; Virtual and Group Residencies are also up for grabs)
Location: Austerlitz, NY. Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lived on the seven-acre property at the height of her literary career in the 1920s.
Who’s Eligible: Writers, visual artists, and composers. Selection is “based solely on on the merit of the artist statement and work sample,” according to MillayColony.org.
Associated Costs: $50 application fee; food is provided, but you’ll have to get yourself to and from Austerlitz. If you opt for–and get–the Virtual Residency, you’ll receive a $1000 stipend to offset time off/childcare/art supply costs
Deadline: March 1, 2016

Clarion Writers’ Workshop at UC San Diego
Duration: June 19 – July 30, 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
Who’s Eligible: Writers available to spend the six-week workshop period at UC San Diego.
Associated Costs: $50 application fee if received by February 15, 2015; $65 thereafter + $4,957 for tuition, room, and board if accepted.
Deadline: March 1, 2016

Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts 
Duration: Two to eight weeks between July 6 – December 18, 2015
Location: Nebraska City, NE
Who’s Eligible: Writers available to spend two to eight weeks in Nebraska for the residency.
Associated Costs: $35 application fee (Residents are paid $100/week)
Deadline: March 1, 2016

UCross Foundation
Duration: Two to Six Weeks
Location: Northeastern Wyoming
Who’s Eligible: “Writers… from around the United States and the world, in all stages of their professional careers.”
Details / Associated Costs: “Residents are responsible for providing their own working materials and for their travel to Sheridan, Wyoming.  There is no charge for a residency.”
Deadline: March 1, 2016 (Fall session), October 1, 2016 (Spring session)

Edward P. Albee Foundation
Duration: Four weeks or Six weeks
Location: Montauk, New York
Who’s Eligible: “The standards for admission are, simply, talent and need….Writers are offered a room; visual artists are offered a room and studio space. Residents are responsible for their food, travel, and other expenses. The environment is simple and communal. Residents are expected to do their share in maintaining the condition of ‘The Barn’ as well as its peaceful environment.”
Deadline: March 1, 2016

The Kerouac Project 
Duration: Three months
Location: Central Florida, in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums.
Who’s Eligible: “Writers of any stripe or age, living anywhere in the world”
Associated Costs: “Utilities and a food stipend of $800 are included.”
Deadline: March 13, 2016.

BAU at Camargo Arts Residency Award
Duration: August 1 – 22, 2016
Location: Cassis, France
Who’s Eligible: “BAU Institute welcomes international applicants. The residency supports the development of work in the Visual Arts (including photography, video and new media), Creative Writing, Dramatic Writing, Performance and Musical Composition. The residency may accommodate up to 15 people at a time. Fellowship selections are determined by a rotating panel of discipline specific professionals.”
Associated Costs: $43 USD application fee. There is no cost to attend. A refundable $250 USD security deposit is due upon acceptance.
Deadline: March 15, 2016

2016 BAU Institute Residency for Artists and Writers
Duration: June 13 – July 4, 2016
Location: Puglia, Italy
Who’s Eligible: “BAU Institute welcomes international applicants at all career levels. The residency supports the development of creative work and scholarship in the Visual Arts, Writing, Performance. The residency may accommodate up to 10 individual Fellows. A panel of arts professionals determines selection.”
Associated Costs: $30 USD application fee. 3,000 Euros for larger rooms; 2,750 Euros for rooms without kitchenettes.
Deadline: March 15, 2016

MacDowell Colony Residency
Duration:  October 1 – January 31, 2017 |  February 1 – May 31, 2017
Location: Peterborough, New Hampshire
Who’s Eligible: Creative individuals of the highest talent focused on producing enduring works of the imagination. The sole criterion is artistic excellence.
Associated Costs: There are no residency fees. Artists-in-residence receive room, board, and exclusive use of one of the 32 studios on the property for up to eight weeks. The Colony does not offer classes or instruction. MacDowell offers stipends to accepted residents. Funding is also available to help reimburse artists for travel to and from the Colony. Financial aid forms are available upon acceptance and aid is awarded based on need. $30 application fee applies.
Deadline: April 15, 2016 | September 15, 2016

Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship Program
Duration: Spring 2017 Semester
Location: The Liguria Study Center located on the Italian Riviera in the village of Bogliasco
Who’s Eligible: Applicants for Fellowships are expected to demonstrate significant achievement in their disciplines, commensurate with their age and experience. In addition, they must submit descriptions of the projects that they intend to pursue in Bogliasco. An approved project is presumed to lead to the completion of an artistic, literary, or scholarly work, followed by publication, performance, exhibition, or other public presentation. Approximately 50 Fellowships are awarded each year.
Associated Costs: $30 application fee; travel and living expenses if accepted. (The Foundation does offer a limited number of Special Fellowships that often include a small stipend and travel fare.)
Deadline: April 15, 2016 for the Spring semester beginning the following February.

The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow Residencies and Fellowships
Duration: N/A
Location: Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Who’s Eligible: Writers with children under 18 living with them, irrespective of genre.
Details / Associated Costs: $35 application fee.
Deadline: June 1, 2016 for My Time Fellowship | June 31, 2016 for Moondancer Fellowship | July 31, 2016 for Inspiring Recovery Fellowship

The Sylt Foundation African Writer’s Residency Award
Duration: Two Months
Location: The island of Sylt, off the coast of Hamburg, Germany
Who’s Eligible: The residency “will provide the writer with: – an opportunity to initiate or complete a project in progress – a quiet space suitable for contemplation and research – an uninterrupted period of writing – a means to leverage their artistic profile – an opportunity to engage with other international writers and artists.”
Details / Associated Costs: Invited writers receive accommodations.
Deadline: June 30, 2016

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Artists-in-Residence Program
Duration: Six months
Location: Omaha, Nebraska. The Bemis Center is housed in two urban warehouses totaling 110,000 square feet.
Who’s Eligible: Professional artists who are not currently enrolled in an academic program
Associated Costs: Recipients are awarded a $750 monthly stipend. Each artist is provided with a generously sized live/work studio with a private bathroom and 24 hour access to facilities including a wood shop, installation spaces, and 10,000 square foot sculpture facility. $40 application fee applies.
Deadline: July 1, 2016

OMI International Arts Center – Ledig House
Duration: March 24 – June 2, 2017 | September 8 – November 3, 2017
Location: Ghant, NY
Who’s Eligible: “Writers Omi has hosted hundreds of writers and translators from roughly 50 countries around the world. The colony’s strong international emphasis reflects the spirit of cultural exchange that is part of Ledig’s enduring legacy.”
Details / Associated Costs: Invited writers receive full board.
Deadline: October 20, 2016.

Akrai Residency
Duration: 1 month
Location: Palazzolo Acreide, a small town on the Hybleans Mountains in the eastern part of Sicily
Who’s Eligible: International creative professionals — artists, designers, musicians, poets, writers, dancers, theater actors and directors, and chefs — who have been active in their respective fields for at least 5 years. The sole criterion for selection is artistic excellence.
Associated Costs: Participants are hosted in private apartments throughout the historical center of Palazzolo Acreide, all within walking distance of the studio space. Each resident has a private bedroom in shared facilities. Dinner is communal and provides a time for conversation and exchange. Invited participants are responsible for their travel, materials, breakfast and lunch (which can be cooked in the apartments), and any other incidental expenses.
Deadline: Sign up for the Mailing List to be notified about the 2017 Call for Proposals.

The Rhode Island Writers Colony
Duration: 10 days
Location: A home in Rhode Island
Who’s Eligible: “Rhode Island colonists are:
*Emerging writers over 21.
*Full- or part-time artists who are generally parents, spouses, and/or single adults working full-time in all fields of study and vocation.
*In the writing or drafting phase of a project and need time to focus and complete it.
*Not actively enrolled in full-or part-time undergraduate or graduate studies in the academic calendar year fall 2014–spring 2015 during the residency dates this year.
Writing samples show or use a distinctive style, voice, or perspective with commercial and/or canonical appeal.
*Internationally traveled and culturally aware.
*Well versed in African-American/Diaspora canons.
*[Engaged] an ongoing dedication to the study of the craft.
*[Teaching or employing] some sort of artistic activism.
*Social.”
Details / Associated Costs: Invited writers receive transportation and private room and board as well as:
“*A conversation with an editor at a major publishing house.
*A local reading in Rhode Island, set up by the residency and a local organization as a culminating event at a bookstore or café.
*A New York City reading.
*Publication of a sample writing in the colony journal Serial:.”
Deadline: Information for 2016 Residency to come. 

Write-a-House Writer’s Residency
Duration: Two years
Location: Detroit, MI
Who’s Eligible: Writers interested in moving to Detroit who will contribute positively to the local community. Interested writers must supply their most recent tax return, and fulfill a background and credit check.
Details/Associated Costs: $15 application fee if you apply between April 27 and May 11, 2015; $25 thereafter. “You must keep up with both taxes and insurance for the house. Taxes are estimated at $2000 or less per year. Insurance is estimated at $2500 per year. (We will explore the feasibility of making insurance more affordable with a group policy.)”
Deadline: Information for 2016 Residencies to come.

Hedgebrook Writers-in-Residence Program
Duration: Two to Six Weeks
Location: Whidbey Island, Washington
Who’s Eligible: Women writers of books, poetry, plays, films and music who produce quality writing, originality of voice and a strong proposal.
Details / Associated Costs: Invited writers receive accommodations and meals.
Deadline: To be notified when the application for the 2017 residency season is available, please subscribe to the Hedgebrook Newsletter.

Fox Writers Intensive
Duration: January – May 2017
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Who’s Eligible: Applicants 18 or over nominated by an agent, manager or one of Fox’s specified organizations.
Details / Associated Costs: Compensation is unclear. “The Intensive is designed to introduce emerging and experienced writers with unique voices, backgrounds, life and professional experiences that reflect the diverse perspectives of the audiences Fox creates for to a wide range of Fox showrunners, writers, directors, screenwriters and creative executives. These collective individuals will work with the selected writers in a series of master classes to build on both their general craft and further their skillsets in the business of writing for television, feature films and digital content.”
Deadline: Information about 2017 Residency to be announced Fall 2016.

Schomburg Center Scholars-in-Residence Program
Duration: Six months
Location: New York, NY
Who’s Eligible: “The Fellowship Program is open to scholars studying the history, literature, and culture of peoples of African descent from a humanistic perspective and to professionals in fields related to the SchomburgCenter’s collections and program activities. Projects in the social sciences, science and technology, psychology, education, and religion are eligible if they utilize a humanistic approach and contribute to humanistic knowledge. Creative writing (works of poetry and fiction) and projects that result in a performance are not eligible. Those seeking support for research leading to degrees are not eligible under this program. Candidates for advanced degrees must have received the degree by December 1 of this year. Only US citizens, permanent residents and foreign nationals who have been resident in the United States for the three years by December 1 may apply.”
Details / Associated Costs: Fellowships are awarded for continuous periods of six months at the Schomburg Center with maximum stipends of $30,000.
Deadline: Information about the 2017-2018 Residency to come.

Wildacres Residency Program
Duration: one to two weeks
Location: Little Switzerland, North Carolina
Who’s Eligible: “The program is open to anyone, with a limit of two residencies in any four year period.”
Associated Costs: “There is no charge for the residency but participants are responsible for their own transportation to Wildacres.”
Deadline: Applications for the 2017 program will be available Summer 2016.

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace Residency
Duration: Nine months
Location: New York, NY
Who’s Eligible: Writers, performing artists and visual artists “focused on the creative process and the development of a community of peers and professionals in the field. Adapting and activating temporarily vacant office space downtown, LMCC provides 25–30 artists and arts groups with studio space annually in some of the city’s most noted landmarks. Workspace is committed to being a space for experimentation and dialogue and encourages creative risk-taking, collaboration, learning and skill-sharing at a critical early stage of an artist’s career.”
Associated Costs: “A one-time stipend of approximately $1,000 is provided, depending on available funds. (There is NOT a monthly living or housing stipend).”
Deadline: Information for the 2017 residency will be available December 2016. 

FINE ARTS WORK CENTER in Provincetown Writing Fellowship ($750/month for 7 months + a private, furnished apartment)
Who’s Eligible: “Writers who have published a full-length book of creative work are not eligible.”
Entry Fee: $50
Deadline: Information for 2017-2018 Fellowship to come.

Don’t forget to check out this list of Creative Writing Fellowships too!