Rezidences- Open call

OPEN CALL for Sansusī Wellbeing Residency Program – supported by Nordic Culture Point

Sansusī Wellbeing Residency Program is looking for contemporary artists and companies form Nordic countries, Lithuania and Estonia with interest in socially engaged work for 1 month residency in Aknīste, Latvia. 

Sansusī Wellbeing Residency Program, with the support of the Nordic Culture Point, is providing an opportunity for socially engaged contemporary artists and art groups (up to 4 people, representing visual art, circus, dance, music, theatre, performance art, cross-genre, etc.) who value exchange between artists and all groups of society both for their artistic development and for encouraging social change through art.
The residency takes place in the rural area of Aknīste district, 150 km from Rīga, the capital city of Latvia, with a population of 1 000.

Applications:
Deadline for applications: March 31st
Results: April 4th
Residency period: May/October, 2022

About the program: 
This program is welcoming artists eager to involve specific social groups during their creation period in residency. Those target groups are children and seniors from isolated rural areas, patients and staff of the Psychoneurological hospital of Aknīste and Social care center in Aknīste. Socially engaged artists are asked to create a frame for the inclusion of at least one of the target groups and dedicate at least 8 h per week during the 1 month period to include them in artistic processes. 

Artists are expected to have an open presentation of their work at the end of the residency program. 

We are open to proposals for all phases of a project – residency may be used to explore a concept, to research artistic or technical feasibility, develop part of a project, bring a work to full production scale as long as the collaboration with wellbeing target groups can be mutually beneficial for both artists and people involved. 

About the venue: 
Residency is situated in Aknīste municipality in a rural environment. Accommodation of artists is organized in a house with facilities to welcome approx. 10 artists at the time. 
There is a hall available for musicians and rehearsals in an early stage (equipped with a grand piano) and a circular dome of 7 m height and 14 m diameter with full rigging possibilities, dance floor and basic sound and light equipment for bigger scale performances. 
Some activities may be held in Aknīste School (for children), Psychoneurological hospital of Aknīste, and Social care center in Aknīste, if the restrictions of the pandemic allow. The pedagogical and health-care staff of collaborative institutions will be supporting the work with target groups if needed. 

Requirements:
Applicants for residency program will be selected based on the following criteria:
– Be based in Nordic countries, Lithuania or Estonia
– Professional background in contemporary art
– Strong commitment to socially engaged art and interest to include at least one of Sansusī Wellbeing Residency Program target group
– Expressed vision for the artistic project they would like to craft while at residency and detailed strategy for inclusion of the chosen target group in the process
– Knowledge and understanding of art-based methods group is going to use during the process
– Interest to work and engage in collaboration with other art forms and artists in residency simultaneously (it does not necessarily mean that the final product has to be collaboration project, but we strongly appreciate interdisciplinarity and collaboration with other artists in residency nevertheless if they are in frame of Sansusī Wellbeing Residency Program or other Sansusī Residency Programs)

Artists will be supported with:
– Artist scholarship 1200 EUR per person (Gross)
– Small budget for materials
– Accommodation
– Travel bursary (max. 250 EUR)
– Facilitation and help to reach out to well-being institutions by Sansusī staff members

How to apply: 
Please send your application via email to rezidences@sansusi.lv by 31st of March. 
Your application should include: 
– A short written application, explaining who you are and what project you would like to develop, with which target group you plan to work in Sansusī Wellbeing residency program
– max 3600 characters
– Visual material (footage, photos, design sketches, etc.) of the project or its idea – optional
– Information on the technical requirements
– Portfolio of previous artworks – optional
– Preferred period of stay in the residence

Additional information about residences:

Rezidenču centrs:

Lai rezidenču centrs Susēja būtu gatavs ar vien jaunu mākslas notikumu un formu uzņemšanai, saskaņā ar Lauku partnerības Sēlija administrēto sabiedrības virzītas vietējās attīstības stratēģiju un ar Eiropas Lauksaimniecības fonda atbalstu nesen tika pilnveidota kupolveida skatuve, papildinot to ar nepieciešamo inventāru. Piemēram, ierīkota dejas, cirka un teātra izrādēm atbilstoša grīda, iegādāts vajadzīgais inventārs. 2021. gada rudenī tika pabeigti arī kupola siltināšanas darbi. Tagad notikumus var rīkot arī gada aukstajos mēnešos. Šis ir nozīmīgs ieguldījums, kas parāda, ka kultūras piedāvājums Aknīstē pieaugs. Biedrība aicina vietējos iedzīvotājus un citus interesentus iesaistīties turpmākajos pasākumos, kā arī izmantot vietu savu iniciatīvu īstenošanai.

---

Vairāk informācijas par Eiropas Lauksaimniecības fondu lauku attīstībai pieejams EK tīmekļa vietnē

---