Circus Culture Hupstate Residency Program (US)

The residency program does this by giving individual circus artists from the region time and space with an idea or project of their choosing that they want to develop, polish, investigate or work on.

Benefits

• The residency provides housing for 7 nights/8 days (Sunday March 30 – Sunday April 6th) with a private room and work space with desk and private bathroom, access to up to 6 hours per day of shared circus studio time at Circus Culture, pantry staples, local vegetables for breakfast and lunch and communal dinners provided by a private chef. Artists are expected to arrange their own transportation, and their team is available to support with links to busses, carpooling, etc.
• Once you arrive: for those in residence without a car, they will assist with transportation from Saltonstall to downtown Ithaca (7 miles) where Circus Culture is, in coordination with artists.
• The residency is designed for individuals to dive deep into a project they already have brewing or have always wanted to devote energy to. Preference is given to work plans that show ingenuity, clarity, feasibility, and synchronicity with the residency offerings. This is largely a solitary retreat but you will be in community with 5 other circus artists and will gather together for dinners.
• There is on site housing at Saltonstall with an accessible bedroom, kitchen, work space, and bathroom as well as guest quarters for a supporting individual.
• Circus Culture’s space is ADA compliant and staff and funding will be available to provide additional accommodations requested by artists at the residency.
• Access to equipment and circus space: Saltonstall is designed as a visual artist, photography, and writers retreat, so the housing and studios on site are not necessarily optimized for movement, physical training, and circus apparatus. Studio space at Circus Culture will also be provided approximately between 10am-4pm each day, and artists will be asked to sign up for the hours and spaces they wish to use 24 hours in advance.
• Travel to Ithaca: which is located in the finger lakes region and is accessible by bus or car. They are happy to assist with travel logistics and will reimburse for travel expenses up to $100.

Eligibility Criteria

• There are five residency spaces open to individual artists during this round.
• Artists must be 21 or older.
• Artists must live in New York State and/or Native Nations therein. (This includes New York City.)
• They define a circus artist as anyone involved in any aspect of art making, creative problem solving, or innovation within the circus arts. This may include designers, dramaturges, choreographers, directors, circademics, writers, photographers, riggers, performers, teaching artists, and more.
• Duos who are comfortable sharing a single accommodation are welcome to apply as a unit if working on the same project (please submit a single application noting that you are a duo). Groups and ensembles are not eligible at this time, but a representative from a group or ensemble may apply to work on a project related to that group or ensemble.
• Previous applicants are welcome to re-apply.

Application Requirements

• Please prepare:
  • Basic personal information: name, pronouns if you wish, address
  • Project synopsis: Describe your project concisely. (50 words or less)
  • Artist’s statement: how and why you make work in your own words. (400 words or less)
  • Work plan: what you intend to explore during the residency and what you need to make it happen. (400 words or less)
  • Samples of work: up to 3 samples that you feel best represent you as an artist in any format (photo, video, pdf, link, etc).
  • Limitations (optional): a description of any limiting factors – personal, societal, structural, artistic, or otherwise that have reduced your capacity to make the circus that you wish to for any reason during your career that feels relevant to share with them.
  • Technical requirements: so the jury can evaluate if your plan fits with the resources on offer.
  • Contact information for 2 personal references: people who can vouch for you personally (in regards to living/working in shared space). This is not a professional reference, rather a way for them to ensure safety and comfort for the group. All participants will be asked to abide by a community code of conduct while in residence.
  • Access needs: to share any accessibility requests or needs.
• They use Submittable, an easy, online submission manager for the application. If you are not already signed-up with Submittable, you will be prompted to create a free account.

For more information, visit Hupstate Circus Festival.