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Artistic-Research Residency Programme. Second Edition / 2024

Anna Galas-Kosil
Related entry
Artistic-Research Residency Programme. First Edition / 2023

Break or Breakthrough? Support for individuals in the arts and research

The concept of residency at WOK is based on a development process and a support system for individuals involved in art-making or research, tailored to their individual needs and practices. In response to feedback from these communities and based on our previous experience, including the first edition of the programme, we are creating a space and situation conducive to supporting the professional and personal development of creators and researchers.

Residencies in a format that facilitates the exchange of practices and knowledge, offering time and a safe space for deepening themes, mutual inspiration, empowerment of residents and building relationships with the organising institution, seem to be a fitting response to the gaps felt in creative and research circles. The programme supports practices, collaborations and processes without the requirement of organising events or producing works.

Residents and their processes

Nina Boichenko

Research and aid work on the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border led me to seek additional means of expression, and I took up painting. During the residency I would like to explore this and try to identify and understand what I need.

Stefan Bieńkowski

The subject of my PhD dissertation is care work and I study the work experience of caregivers of older people. During the analysis I realised that the scientific knowledge production did not allow me to work with the emotional dimension of the collected material and with my own emotions.

Anastazja Charitonowa

I want to use the residency as an opportunity to rest after almost a year of precarious work on a show, and also I want to work on my professional development plan for future work in Poland and my studies, which I would like to continue.

Patrycja Drzazga

As I am involved in the MOST Co-operative Farm, I want to rethink my function/mission and implement it consistently.

Monika Dubiel

As part of my residency at WOK, I would like to research the intersection of disability, art and accessibility in the Polish context.

Dorota Ogrodzka

As part of the residency, I want to experience a pause and gather material for a chapter on how to... pause. How can we treat turning points, when we reach the wall of our own resilience, strength and hope, as possible defining moments to change the way we work and the way the whole arts and culture industry functions?

Paweł Knut

During the residency, I want to reflect on a new format for my writing. I want to visit places that are important to this story. The trips would allow me to go beyond the context in which I function daily (as a parent/husband/researcher) and look at this history and myself differently (as a Pole-Ukrainian/Ukrainian-Polish).

Iza Szostak

I applied for the residency out of a need to look at myself from a distance. I dream of working towards change. My daily childcare responsibilities bring a routine, a pyramid of obligations built on a sense of responsibility for the health and safety of my little ones. I wonder how this can be balanced – being there for my children, but also for myself.

Maria Halber / Aleksandra Kamińska / Agata Wnuk

As part of the residency, we want to use the work on Anouk Herman’s poetry collection as an opportunity to develop a sustainable and viable operation strategy at a time when the scope of our endeavours continues to grow.

Agnieszka Strzeżek / Sonia Jaszczyńska

As part of the WOK residency, we are undertaking process-oriented activities, aiming to use time and space to reflect on the future of the collective, its actions, values and structure.

Meeting with the WOK Residents

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Photo by Joanna Gałuszka

 

Recruitment for the first edition

Do you want to take a break from your intense artistic and research work? Do you feel that you have to adapt to the requirements of grant programmes, that there is a great pressure in your professional life in the cultural, artistic, or scientific field to carry out successive projects and create works? Do you want to make changes in your work, but don’t know how to do it because, as a precariat class member, you can’t afford to take a break? The Warsaw Observatory of Culture (WOK) is inviting applications for the second edition of its residency programme, which aims to enable reflection and self-development as well as creative and research work. The idea of ​​slowing down the pace and creating comfortable yet flexible conditions for development seems brave and significant in today’s world, where there is often a demand for rapid creation and delivery of completed works.

This residency can be a break, a kind of relief, a moment to pause, a space for oneself and one’s own peaceful growth. It can turn out to be a breakthrough in your artistic and/or research work, an opportunity to break out of the paradigm of productivity and seek new research tools or a new artistic language. It may be an opportunity to work on an experimental project that requires time and attention and cannot be realised in the logic of so-called grant projects and event organisation. We believe that in today’s world there is a place for work in accordance with the ideas of ethical development and degrowth.

Based on the experience of the first edition, we have decided that in 2024 we will continue to support the professional and personal development of creators and researchers in the same way as last year: in an individualised and tailored manner to their needs. Importantly, in our residency programme, we do not require the creation of works or the organisation of events again.

  • We want residency participants to have the opportunity to look at their actions and ways of working from a different perspective and to ask themselves calmly: do I feel the need to take a closer look at my career path?
  • We want to create flexible conditions so that you don’t have to adapt to the programme, instead, we will try to adapt and respond to your needs.
  • We want to support the artistic and research community and help residency participants focus on the quality of their work.

Deadline 12th March 2024

Who can apply?

We particularly encourage individuals who feel the need to pause and reflect on their professional practice, those who wish to explore new ways of approaching artistic language and research paths, and those ready to explore potential new transdisciplinary relationships and connections. We welcome participation in the programme from individuals based in Warsaw:

  • Artists,
  • Individuals who have obtained a doctorate between January 2023 and January 2024 and are not in permanent employment,
  • Duos and artistic, research or activist collectives.

It is sufficient to meet one of the above conditions.

Programme details and format

  • Participation in the programme can last from 5 to 6 months, depending on individual needs.
  • The programme is open to adults and there are no restrictions related to professional status, nationality, religion, origin, gender or physical ability.
  • Selection will be based on the quality of the applications submitted and the feasibility of the processes in relation to WOK.
  • The programme supports practices, collaborations and processes without requiring the production of works or events.
  • The mode of participation and areas of support will be determined in collaboration with the programme leader.
  • There is no standard residency plan. It is intended to be tailored to the individual needs of residents.
  • Participants will be required to attend group meetings and will be asked to keep a journal documenting the process throughout the programme.

How to apply

We understand that preparing an application is work, so we want to make the application process as simple as possible. Complete a short application form and attach a portfolio/professional CV in PDF format (up to 10MB). If you are unable to apply online, please contact us by phone or email and we will work with you to find a solution. This request also applies to any other questions you may have about the residency programme or our space.

Link to the form

What we offer

The residency programme will be tailored to the individual needs of each participant, based on the specificity of their artistic and research practice, as well as their current life situation. Individuals, duos and collectives invited to participate in the programme will receive:

  • Financial support of 8,000 PLN gross for individual applications and 10,000 PLN gross for collectives or duos (paid in instalments).
  • A budget for process development of up to 5,000 PLN gross. which can be used for expert, technical, production or psychological support, specialist materials, childcare, etc. Details will be agreed with the invited individuals.
  • Substantive support from WOK, tailored to the needs of each participant in the program.
  • The opportunity to use WOK’s workspace, depending on individual needs and availability.
  • Process support in the form of joint workshop meetings.
Terms and conditions WOK Residency Download attachment

Announcement of the Results of Stage Two Recruitment

After discussions with individuals qualified for the second stage, the commission composed of Justyna Czarnota, Anna Galas-Kosil, Michał Krawczak, and Joanna Synowiec invites the following individuals to participate in the WOK Residencies program:

Announcement of the Results of Stage One Recruitment

The Committee consisting of Justyna Czarnota-Misztal, Anna Galas-Kosil, Michał Krawczak, and Joanna Synowiec would like to thank all the applicants for the submitted aplications and materials. The process of reading and familiarising ourselves with them was demanding but it also made us aware of the diverse needs for support within the artistic and research community.

The project is funded by the Capital City of Warsaw.

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