Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre's Creative Residency Programme provides a unique setting for artists – the largest collection of Category 1 heritage listed buildings in Aotearoa, a hub for creativity, and an entity that has established relationships with local and national arts organisations.
Residents will become part of a small onsite community accommodated within shared living quarters at Te Matatiki Toi Ora. They are connected to other artists and creative professionals working within the cultural precinct of Ōtautahi. We also want to encourage artists to explore possibilities for artistic collaboration during and post-residency with each other and the wider community. In 2024 there will be two 10-week residencies: 8 April 2024 to 16 June 2024 OR 19 August 2024 to 27 October 2024
What will Te Matatiki Toi Ora provide?
For each selected artist, Te Matatiki Toi Ora will provide:
- accommodation in Te Matatiki Toi Ora’s Creative Residence including bedroom with desk space and private bathroom (living and kitchen areas are shared with other residents)
- a stipend of $1200 per week
- travel costs to and from Te Matatiki Toi Ora of up to $600 NZD depending on location
- a contribution towards creative project materials costs (to be negotiated)
- public programme planning and delivery fees (to be negotiated)
- public programme material and production costs (to be negotiated)
- some professional photographic documentation of the residency project
- publicity informing the local community of the residency
- links, contacts, and advice in relation to the local communities
- an orientation programme
- advice and support with realising projects and delivery of public programmes
- access to Wi-Fi
- regular hui support to enable the artist’s mahi
Depending on each artist’s needs and the space available at the time of the residence, Te Matatiki Toi Ora will seek to provide additional studio or rehearsal space if needed.
What are the expectations of the resident artist?
Resident artists are expected to:
- spend time working on their arts practice – using the time to experiment, play with and develop ideas, research, or continue working on or completing an arts project or work/s
- deliver at least one public event to the local community, such as a small performance, exhibition, kōrero, workshop, demonstration, or open development session, in partnership with Te Matatiki Toi Ora
- be in residence in Te Matatiki Toi Ora Creative Residence during the residency dates OR for locally based artists use the residency for mahi during the residency period
- be available for media interviews and photography shoots if required
- be prepared to engage with social media to promote their residency, project and public programme
- be available to meet patrons, funders, and donors of Te Matatiki Toi Ora on occasion as negotiated
- acknowledge the support of Te Matatiki Toi Ora and any other patrons or funders in any publicity material pertaining to the creative work or events that have been created while in residence
- complete a post residency survey
- provide a report about the status of any new work they created during the residency (if not delivered before the residency ends) including progress towards public presentation (if relevant), to Te Matatiki Toi Ora before 1 June 2025.
Who can apply?
You are eligible to apply if you are an artist and a resident and/or citizen of Aotearoa and your practice is in the following artforms and cultural areas:
- Craft and Object
- Community Arts
- Dance
- Interdisciplinary or Multidisciplinary Arts
- Writing
- Music
- Ngā Toi Māori
- Pacific Arts
- Theatre
- Visual arts
If you are a Māori or Pacific artist with a project that relates to your culture, you may also select to apply under these specific cultural areas. Your application will be assessed by an expert in these cultural areas, as well as by an expert in the artform you have selected.
This opportunity is also available to local artist collectives who would like to use the accommodation during the day and may be considered for artists from elsewhere in Aotearoa who are in a professional partnership. In this instance, the per diem and provisions will be split between artists.
The shared spaces and one of the rooms in the residence are wheelchair accessible.
When should I apply?
Expressions of Interest close at 5pm on Thursday 28 September 2023.
How can I apply?
To apply, please complete the form at the bottom of this page providing the following:
- Full name, address, and contact details
- Artform practice and cultural area (if relevant)
- Project title
- Creative project outline: 350 – 450 words clearly stating your aims for the residency and how you will achieve them. Tell us why you are drawn to and inspired by the significance of Te Matatiki Toi Ora as an arts, culture, and heritage taonga – a significant pre-European settlement site for Māori in Ōtautahi (noting that a cultural narrative of our site has been gifted to us by Ngāi Tūāhuriri) and/or a site of learning and discovery and outline the benefits to your practice and Te Matatiki Toi Ora community. Explain the nature of any new work you would like to create, considering concept, context, media, process, audience. Alternatively, you can upload a video describing your project outline (no longer than 3 minutes). *
- Public programme proposal: 250 – 350 words clearly describing your ideas for public programming during the residency, ensuring the proposed programme is relevant, engaging, and achievable. Consider formats such as workshops, talks, open development sessions, exhibitions, and performances. Outline what communities you will target with the programme. Previously residents have presented 1- 3 events (depending on the size and work involved in each event). Alternatively, you can upload a video describing your public programme proposal (no longer than 3 minutes). *
- Attach your artist CV.
- Documentation of past creative work including up to 5 images and up to 5 links to recordings, reviews, articles and/or other material published online (if applicable).
- Website and social media links (if applicable).
*You can present the information requested for your Creative Project Outline and Public Programme Proposal sections in writing OR by uploading videos (no more than 3 mins long each). Please do not upload both videos and text responses to these questions. If you are uploading videos, you will still need to provide answers to all other questions. Videos should be .MP3 or .MOV format.
If you would like support with making your application or have any questions, please contact Katie: creativeresidencies@artscentre.org.nz
What happens after I submit an Expression of Interest?
You will receive an automatic receipt of your application when you apply and will also have the option to be sent a copy of your application.
You will be notified by 6 October 2023 as to whether your expression of interest is being progressed further or not.
Further assessment will occur between 9 and 13 October 2023.
Strong expressions of interest are ones where:
1. The overall aims and ideas for the proposed residency are clearly expressed and explicit. The artist clearly states why they want to undertake a residence at Te Matatiki Toi Ora and the ideas for the development and/or creation of work are compelling and show imaginative thinking.
2. The ideas for the public programme are achievable, relevant, and engaging and the target community for the public programme is clearly identified.
3. The artist's CV provided is comprehensive and the track record gives great confidence that the applicant has the necessary skills and experience or strong potential to successfully deliver a residency at The Arts Centre appropriate to career stage.
4. The quality of previous artistic work is exceptional given where the artist is in their career, and the work shows outstanding command of artistic techniques and processes, conceptual affect, and contextual awareness.
After further assessment, a short list of artists will be drawn up, and funding applications made by Te Matatiki Toi Ora to external funders for the 2024 residency programme.
You will be notified by 19 October 2023 as to whether your expression of interest has been shortlisted and whether your name is being put forward in funding applications. If you are being considered, you may be asked to provide proof of your citizenship or NZ residency status and may be required to provide further details on your project for the funding application. You will also be required to participate in a zoom interview as part of this process.
Following notification of the result of any funding applications by The Arts Centre, you will be notified of the final outcome by 2 February 2024. If funding is successful, shortlisted applicants will be invited to negotiate a residency agreement.
