Money Check
Of course a residency costs money. Some residency programs cover all costs, some residency programs don't cover any costs at all. In general, residential art centers will partly cover the costs, which always makes it necessary to find additional funding. Be sure about the budget before you go!
You got a grant of the residential art center?
Congratulations! But you have to check the following:
- Do you get the grant yourself or does the residency itself uses it to pay for rent and facilities?
- If you get the money yourself, are you free to use it for your own purposes or do you have to pay with it for the rent or for use of facilities?
- How much is it? Can you pay the whole residency with the money?
- Get a written agreement, stating how much you receive, when and how.
- How much money do you still have to pay yourself?
You need additional funding?
You're selected, but the money offered or the facilities offered for free are not enough to cover the whole budget. Check out the following:
- Don't agree to come over without being sure you can cover the whole budget.
- Ask the residential art center for invitiation letters or letters of support for applying for additional funding.
- Ask the residential art center for information about their local funding possibilities.
- Applying for additional funding takes time, always ask the residential art center if you can come over later when you need more time to arrange the budget.
You need to cover all costs yourself, even accomodation costs and costs of living?
Be sure about the motivation of the residential art center. Is it really a guest center 'for art's sake'?
- Many guest studios just don't have the money to pay for your residency. But they do have a lot to offer 'in natura'. Just check out if the relation between what they offer and what you have to pay, is fair.
- If a residential art center is operating on a purely commercial basis, it doesn't have to be a 'bad' center. It can be a quality center for art's sake. Just be sure about it!
- Do you need to pay in advance, during or after your residency?