Children are rarely considered for residencies. However, in conversations with residency organizers, some of them said that there are possibilities to support parents at a residency if clear needs are stated. So we want to encourage transparent communication about what is needed to bring children to residencies.
As an artist parent, you are excluded from the vast majority of residency programs because you are not independent of location or time with your family. A counter idea to this would be to offer more residencies at the artists’ places of residence, above all in Berlin with its considerable number of dance-creating parents, as well as a special consideration of artists in parenthood in the selection process. Our ideas go so far that it would have to be possible to have a connection to daycare centers at residency locations.
Family-friendly residences and residences in Berlin and the surrounding area:
The caretaker residency in Oderbruch, orgasnised by MS Schrittmacher, is aimed directly at artists* who have a caring role alongside their job. https://www.bruch-stuecke.de/blog/bruchst%C3%9Ccke-startet-caretaker-residenz
The lake studios in Berlin offer residencies and are a place well suited for children. https://lakestudiosberlin.wixsite.com/lake-studios-berlin/d_clients
The ada studios in Berlin at the Uferstudios site are run by Gabi Beier, who brings a great awareness of artists in caretaker roles. http://ada-studio.de/downloads/Ausschreibung_Residenzfoerderung_2023_deutsch.pdf
Helpful guide: GEDOK network
Verband der Gemeinschaften der Künstlerinnen und Kunstfördernden e. V., the oldest and largest network for women artists in Europe. https://gedok.de
Best practice examples from other art sectors:
https://kulturkoffer.hessen.de/flux-kuenstlerresidenzen/
Residencies in which children participate. The FLUX artist residencies expand the range of offers for rural regions, small communities and villages and give children and young people in particular an opportunity for artistic encounters there. The residency program also includes young theater artists and ensembles who develop projects with original ideas. In the residencies in rural areas, the particularity of the respective location is incorporated into the artistic concept. The children and young people involved explore their place and region in these intergenerational projects. The performances and presentations are created jointly by children, artists and people of different ages and backgrounds. All residencies are held in vacant spaces, small venues, schools and public spaces.
Prösitz Estate in Saxony for visual artists
https://www.kuenstlergut-proesitz.de/index.php/en/symposium/ausschreibun
From the call for proposals: What is unique and special is that the scholarship is aimed at female artists who are also mothers. The Prösitz Symposium allows them to bring their children with them. Childcare will be provided for the children (maximum age 12) at the Künstlergut Prösitz during the four-week residency. This allows the women to devote themselves to their artistic work, to exchange ideas with colleagues in the same life situation, and also to network ideally.
There are lots of toys for indoors and outdoors (dollhouse, Lego, many great children’s books – and a great library for adults-, toy strollers, swings, BobbyCar, to name a few). Bicycles are also available, but they would always need to be pumped up and checked before use. There is a twin stroller, a nice old seat stroller and a foldable buggy. In Prösitz you can go visit sheep, chickens, sometimes horses, ducks and even pigs with the kids.
International:
Iceland: https://www.birca.org/en/residencies
Short experience report of a choreographer friend:The pilot project “Family Residence” came into being rather by chance last year. Due to the Corona crisis, the director Susanne Danig wanted to provide artists with a working space free of charge. My friend applied at the same time as a family friend. Therefore, the management offered that both families could completely use the residence. However, the children were in the studio with them most of the time, but they knew each other and were able to interact quite well. The project was meaningful for these two families and the director would like to continue it.
We are in the process of adding to the list….