Swiss Connection UK: Residencies 2024
Participating institutions
Fierce Festival Birmingham, Brixton House London, Marlborough Productions Brighton, HOME Manchester
Residencies at four different institutions in the United Kingdom: Fierce Festival Birmingham, Brixton House London, Marlborough Productions Brighton, HOME Manchester.
As part of Pro Helvetia’s Swiss Connection UK programme we are thrilled to announce a second round of residencies for Swiss based arts practitioners at various theatres and festivals in the United Kingdom for 2024. This follows the success of four residencies hosted in the UK in 2023 which saw choreographers, writers and makers hosted at four dynamic arts institutions, developing their work and international networks.
“I come away convinced of the value of inhabiting a space of residence with all the diverse modes of production and exchange made possible there. The generous connections it fostered would normally take a lot longer and not be as accessible or numerable. This residency allowed for a period of time to consolidate and deepen aspects of my artistic practice, in cooperation with other artists and in dialogue with the local environment.” Emma Murray, Swiss Connection UK residency artist 2023 (HOME Manchester)
There are significant differences between the British and the Swiss arts scenes. This applies to artistic expression, artistic production and relationships with audiences. Themes such as migration, diversity, and audience development have been topical for a long time in the UK – a fact that interested parties wanting to deal at greater depth with these subjects can benefit from.
In 2024, four 10-day residencies at four different institutions will take place. Each institution has a different focus in terms of content and genre of work. Participants apply through an Open Call and are selected directly by the institutions.
The residencies will enable participants to expand their network, become familiar with an institution in a specifically British context, and reflect on their own artistic practice with the help of local arts and theatre-related practitioners.
Participating institutions:
Residency hosted by FIERCE FESTIVAL, Birmingham
Dates: Summer 2024 and October 2024
online and on-site residency
About Fierce Festival, Birmingham
Fierce is interested in new, overlooked, difficult and risky artistic practices. Informed by an intersectional queer politic, we’re invested in presenting the work of marginalised artists, be that based on gender, race, class, sexuality, ability or numerous other factors. Fierce isn’t an ‘issue’ led festival but knows that the best artistic work so frequently comes from a marginalised position. Fierce wants to challenge predominant hierarchies in the art world, asking questions about what art is deemed valuable, who it can be for and where it can be presented. To this end Fierce is interested in a range of practices that might be considered punk, outsider, trash, camp, or generally “alternative”. Fierce transforms the city and the way we feel about it: populating theatres, galleries and hidden, unusual or out-of-the-ordinary spaces like disused warehouses, swimming pools and car parks. You might see theatre, dance, performance art, music, installations, activism and parties or a combination of all those things in a programme of memorable experiences and events.
For more information visit: www.wearefierce.org
About the residency
This residency will be contextualised by the next edition of Fierce (15 – 20 October). Moving away from a traditional, in-studio residency, the artist/s will use the Festival as the site of response, intervention, and/or creation. While this is intentionally left open-ended, artist/s can think about the ways in which audiences engage with the Festival, with the curated artists, and/or each other. The residency period will be an opportunity to develop relational, site- and Festival-specific research, work and practice. This work will be small-scale and in line with the residency’s fee and production budget.
Through this period, Fierce Festival will support the artist/s to make connections with programmed artists, local artists, venues, audiences, and visiting colleagues from UK and International arts festivals. The festival residency will include a number activities as listed below, and the exact itinerary will be decided by the selected artist/s & Fierce Festival:
- Introduction to Fierce Festival and the 2024 programme
- Mentorship from Fierce Festival on your project or career,
- Introduction to Festival artists, venues, audiences, and visiting colleagues from UK and International arts festivals
- Support from creatives in the UK on your project e.g. dramaturgical feedback
- Sharing of work
How does the residency work
The residency takes place virtually and in-person over 12 working days. The planning, in summer 2024, will be virtual and the artist/s will travel to Birmingham in October for the 2024 Festival.
Costs will be covered by Pro Helvetia, including fees & expenses
Dates: Summer 2024 and October 2024, and artists must be available to be in Birmingham during the Festival dates (15 – 20 October); exact dates to be agreed upon with successful artist/s
Residency hosted by HOME, MANCHESTER
Dates: 16-25 may 2024
on-site residency
About HOME, Manchester
We work with international and UK artists to produce entertaining, extraordinary experiences, creating an exciting mix of thought-provoking film, art, drama, dance, and festivals, with a strong focus on new commissions, and talent development.
HOME’s ambition is to push the boundaries of form and technology, to experiment, have fun, take risks and share great new art with the widest possible audience.
HOME supports artists to develop cutting edge contemporary theatre, new writing and musicals.
HOMEs Theatre Spaces:
Theatre 1 (447 seat, three tier)
HOME’s Theatre 1 space is at the same time both epic and intimate. Given the past few years of upheaval, our larger space hosts productions that aim to restore hope and joy by offering moments of escapism, space for reflection and to boost our well-being.
Theatre 2 (130 seat, flexible)
Theatre 2 at HOME is a flexible 130 seat space where artists and theatre-makers perform work that explores and questions contemporary society. The work staged in this space is innovative, experimental and varied in its approach and form, but always with issues of social justice at its heart.
During the residency HOME will be host to a number of exciting performances and we envisage the selected residency artist engaging with the programme work and the local artistic ecology
For more information visit: https://homemcr.org/
About the residency
The artist will be in residence at HOME for 10 days in one of their rehearsal rooms. Artists can use this time & space to:
- Rehearse a project (with minimal technical resources)
- Experiment with new ideas
- Meet with Manchester based artists and industry
- Receive mentorship from the team at HOME
- Collaborate with UK/Manchester based artists
- Engage with activities in the building, see shows
- Explore the Manchester theatre scene.
- Present work to an invited audience at HOME, if appropriate
How does the residency work
The residency will take place at HOME and the artists will have full use of a rehearsal space between the hours of 10am – 5pm Mon-Friday. They will stay nearby in the local area.
Dates: 16 – 25 May 2024
Costs will be covered by Pro Helvetia, including fees & expenses
Residency hosted by Brixton house, london
Dates: 30 September – 11 october 2024
on-site residency
About Brixton House, London
We want our town, city, and its many diverse communities to be reflected in our shows, events and participation programmes regardless of class, ethnicity, language, ability, sexuality or gender identity.
Brixton House is a home for a new generation of makers, artists, writers, producers, technicians and audiences to inspire experiences that develop community solidarity and passion for social change. Located in the heart of Brixton, London, the theatre has a long legacy of ground-breaking theatre and continues its legacy of championing innovation and creative expression and presents work that is rich in stories that resonate with its local, international, and intergenerational communities. We encourage applications from people of colour and disabled people and those from underrepresented communities.
This residency will tale place during Brixton House’s ‘Housemates’ Festival of new work, supporting exciting artists to platform new work.
For more information please visit: https://brixtonhouse.co.uk
About the residency
The artist will be in residence at Brixton House for 5 days in one of their state-of-the-art rehearsal rooms. Artists can use this time & space to:
- Rehearse a project
- Experiment with new ideas
- Meet with London based artists and industry
- Receive mentorship from Brixton House
- Collaborate with UK/London based artists
- Engage with activities in the building, see shows
- Explore the London theatre scene.
- Present work to an invited audience at Brixton House
How does the residency work?
The residency will take place at Brixton House and the artists will have use of a rehearsal space between the hours of 10am – 6pm Mon-Friday. They will stay nearby in the local area.
The residency will take place as part of Brixton House’s Housemates Festival, which is festival of new work to celebrate the stories that independent artists and freelancers have created over the past few years. Brixton House hand over the keys to our housemates for four weeks to play and reimagine the theatre as a world of their own.
Dates: Monday 30th September – Friday 11th October
Costs will be covered by Pro Helvetia, including fees & expenses
Residency hosted by Marlborough Productions, Brighton
Dates: Late April – May 2024
on-site residency
About Marlborough Productions
Marlborough Productions is a catalyst for queer culture and community. We are a leading UK producer of queer-led, intersectional performance, parties, heritage and radical community gatherings. Over the past ten years, Marlborough Productions has been recognised nationally & internationally for commissioning innovative new work from extraordinary artists, reclaiming spaces to create and share culture and developing communities. Our work takes place across the UK almost always working in partnership with venues, festivals, museums and galleries to develop queer culture that resonates with audiences.
We are not bound by a specific artform and are interested in supporting artists to make work across installation, theatre/performance spaces, public space and site-specific. Whilst the subject matter of work we support doesn’t have to be centred on queer experience and identity, we are interested in artists that are engaged in using queer practices to push boundaries of form and content. We are also excited by the possibilities of ‘liveness’ and work that explores what exchanges that can happen between artists and audiences in the live moment.
For more information please visit: https://marlboroughproductions.org.uk/about-us/
About the residency
Marlborough Productions want to support artist/s to make connections with local artists & venues in Brighton, and connect them with their colleagues across the working at other UK. International arts festivals. The residency will include a number of activities as listed below, and the exact itinerary will be decided by the selected artist & Marlborough Productions:
- Studio time to develop new work
- Introduction to UK international performance festivals
- Meetings with UK based artists & industry
- Seeing shows and engaging with Brighton Festival programme
- Mentorship from Marlborough Productions on your project or career
- Sharing of work e.g. open rehearsal with invited audience
How does the residency work?
The residency takes place in Brighton over 2 weeks.
Artists will have access to 5 days studio space in Brighton and then have the opportunity to engage with the Brighton Festival programme taking place throughout May 2024.
Dates: Late April – May 2024 (exact dates (2 weeks) to be confirmed upon selection, please only apply if you have good availability during this time)
This residency will take place during the Brighton Festival
Costs will be covered by Pro Helvetia, including fees & expenses.
Conditions
The offer is aimed at practitioners from the fields of stage directing, dramaturgy, performance making/live art and choreography whose work is primarily based in Switzerland. A very good knowledge of English is a further prerequisite. Arts practitioners can apply alone or in pairs and must choose one of the proposed residencies.
Selection Criteria
- Suitability of practice/artist for the host venue
- Impact residency will have on the artist at this moment in time
- Potential for future /programming in the UK
Composition of Application Dossier
- CV
- Motivation letter that includes answers to the following questions:
- How would you describe your practice and the work you have done to date? (300 words max, you can provide up to 3 links to previous work)
- What would you like to focus on during your residency? (300 words max)
- Why would this residency support the development of your work at this moment in time? (300 words max)
- What long-term international goals do you have for your practice? (300 words max)
- Why do you think your work is a good match for the host organisation? (300 words max)
Applications must be written in English.
📸 Swiss Connection UK © Asa Haynes
