Fall & Spring Residency Guidelines (2010-11)

DOWNLOAD THE FALL/SPRING RESIDENCY GUIDELINES IN PDF FORMAT.

Watermill is a "laboratory for performance" that supports the development of experimental and cross-disciplinary art. Watermill invites emerging artists to submit ambitious proposals for the creation of collaborative work that critically investigates, challenges, and extends the existing norms of performance practice. Watermill also welcomes research proposals from established scholars. Watermill possesses a strong international profile and continues to extend its network of associates, encouraging proposals from artists based within and outside the U.S.

For more information about the application process and Watermill residencies please view the following sections below.

Contact Information
Sherry Dobbin
Watermill Program Director
+1 (631) 726-4628
residencies@watermillcenter.org

Application Deadline (EXTENDED)
Proposals must be received by June 25, 2010, 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time.

2010-11 Residency Partnership Opportunities

Watermill and New York Theatre Workshop Partnership: An Initiative for the Creation of New Operatic Works for Theater:

The Watermill Center and New York Theatre Workshop have launched a special program to support the development of new operatic works for theater. The program will select and support the creation of a new theatrical work where music plays an integral role or defines the essential theatrical language of the work. For more information and how to apply click here.

Watermill and Métamatic Research Initiative Partnership: A Partnership to support work in line with Jean Tinguely and Robert Wilson:

The Watermill Center and Métamatic Research Initiative (MRI) will be supporting two art projects in line with artists Jean Tinguely and Robert Wilson through a residency at Watermill during the Spring 2011 season supported by MRI. For more information about the program and how to apply click here. Applications due before September 1, 2010.

Watermill and Summer Play Festival Residency Partnership

The Watermill Center is partnering with The Summer Play Festival (SPF) to create a new opportunity for theatre artists to collaborate in a unique, developmental laboratory. For the inaugural year The Watermill Center / SPF Residency Program provides an artistic project, proposed by an SPF alumnus, the opportunity to utilize the Watermill Center as a home and workshop. In future years the Residency participants will be chosen from the current Summer Play Festival, allowing the artists to continue the development of their work directly after festival. For more information and how to apply click here.

Watermill and CPR - Center for Performance Research Residency Partnership

The Watermill Center and CPR - Center for Performance Research are partnering for the first time to allow Watermill Fall and Spring Residency artists the chance to showcase their work in New York City. Each year 2 - 4 artists who are accepted to The Watermill Center Fall and Spring Residency Program will be invited to present their work at CPR - Center for Performance Research in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

Residency Calendar
Residencies are scheduled by mutual agreement between accepted Artists-in-Residence and the Watermill Program Director. Residencies are scheduled during the following terms:

Fall (September–December 2010)
Spring (February–June 2011)

Residencies can be scheduled for a minimum of one (1) week and a maximum of four (4) weeks during the above-referenced terms. Occasionally, there are two residencies running concurrently, and/or educational and community outreach programming is scheduled during the term of a residency.

Application Portal
The Watermill Center uses Slideroom to gather proposals and work samples for its residency program. All proposals must be submitted via Slideroom. There are NO exceptions. Both still image and video work samples are accepted, though for time-based and performance works the inclusion of high-quality and well-edited video is strongly recommended.

Please visit watermillcenter.slideroom.com to submit your proposal. 

Please be sure to specify that you are applying for the Fall/Spring Residency 2010-11 program, NOT the International Summer Program. The Summer Program is NOT a residency program for your own projects, entails a different application process, and takes place during a different time of year.

There is a $10 USD fee per proposal that can be paid on the Slideroom website.  

Application instructions and further guidelines are found on the Slideroom website. For all technical assistance, contact support@slideroom.com. Proposals must be received no later than 5:00 pm (EST) on June 25, 2010 (NEW DEADLINE).

For questions about the program, contact residencies@watermillcenter.org.

Application Process
Proposals can be made for the further elaboration of works-in-progress or for entirely new works. Past Artists-in-Residence have included performance and theater artists, filmmakers, sound designers, architects, composers and musicians, visual artists, dramaturgs, scholars, and authors.

In general, the Selection Committee seeks proposals that contain the following: 

1. a concise description of the intention of the proposed residency rendered in clear and accessible language;
2. a general artist statement or manifesto from the individual or collective ensemble; and
3. work samples that give the Selection Committee an indication of the breadth of the professional experience of the applicant(s).

The application process includes the uploading of sample materials and an online narrative application. Please ensure that your proposal narrative and work samples are accurate and complete before submitting. Applicants may upload images (JPEG), video (.mov, .wmv, or .flv), or PDF documents. For good image quality and fast upload, image files should be sized no larger than 1280 x 1280 px @ 72 dpi. Please keep video files under 20MB.

The uploaded information should be in the following order:

1. One (1) still image representative of the proposal, such as a dramaturgical or research image;
2. One (1) photo portrait of the lead applicant
3. Remaining uploads should be samples of previous work. Wherever possible, please upload moving image work that is no longer than five minutes in duration. Each selection should be a separate upload and should begin with the most important action (please do not include credits). Do not include more than three moving image uploads. The process will prompt you for description details, including date, venue, project, collaborators, etc.

Selection Committee
An International Selection Committee convenes in mid-July to review proposals. The Selection Committee includes prominent artists, scholars, and arts professionals. Proposals are evaluated on the basis of the artistic quality of the submitted work samples, the originality of the artist's ideas, and the ambition of the project's realization.

Please visit the Selection Committee page to see the list of this year's Committee members.

Community Outreach & Documentation Requirements
Artists-in-residence are required to conduct at least one public performance or event. This is often an open rehearsal, screening, or artist talk. Workshops and other community events are strongly encouraged. Artists-in-Residence are also required to document their artistic production during their stay at Watermill. Production guidelines will be provided to accepted proposals.

Expenses
Applicants are responsible for their own production and living expenses during the term of the residency, including food, travel to and from Watermill, art materials and supplies, and equipment rentals. The Watermill Center will offer signed letters of support for outside funding, as initiated by the artist, and can offer advice for any potential funders for assistance.

Visit
We encourage advance visits to the Center, if possible. All visits must be arranged in advance with the Program Director. We also encourage prospective residents to attend any of the Spring 2009 Open Rehearsals to observe the activities of current Artists-in-Residence. Please feel free to also check out the exhibition space in our Brooklyn office, where documentation from past residencies is often on display. 

The Facility
The Watermill Center was founded in 1992 by its Artistic Director Robert Wilson as an international, multidisciplinary center for studies in the arts and humanities. For the past 17 years, the Watermill Center has been home to an International Summer Program led by Robert Wilson, focusing on new projects that he is developing in all areas of the arts. With the opening of its new building in 2006, the Center became a year-round performing arts laboratory for emerging artists. Expanded programs in the Spring and Fall include workshops and classes, artist residencies, conferences and lectures, and a variety of local and international educational partnership programs. Watermill collaborates with institutions such as Park Avenue Armory, Kampnagel Hamburg, CUNY's Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, Taipei Cultural Center, Chez Bushwick, and RADIALSYSTEM V in Berlin.

The Center seamlessly combines performance and rehearsal sites with working and communal living spaces. Its flexible and multi-purpose interiors house formal and informal performance spaces, the Watermill Art Collection, a selection of Robert Wilson's own furniture designs, an extensive reference library, kitchen facilities, and a dormitory.

The Center is situated on six acres of wooded and landscaped grounds in a rural environment. The Center is located in Water Mill, New York (Southampton, Long Island), approximately two hours by car from New York City and JFK airport.

The studio spaces have hardwood floors (unless otherwise noted), white walls, and many windows. The Center does NOT have a traditional stage or "proscenium-based" rehearsal stage (such as a black box theater). The space is an inspirational environment that encourages experimentation, not final execution; we do not have a technical staff to assist with rehearsals or construction.

The Watermill Center is about living and working as a community, so it is necessary that everyone shares responsibilities. Respecting the building, the site, fellow artists, and the rest of the Watermill community is integral to a successful experience. 

Basement Level
Epoxy over cement floors, unless otherwise noted.
Garage gallery (8' h x 72' l x 28' w [2.5m h x 22m l x 8.5m w)
Rolling garage doors (heated)
Can be used for workspace, office space, and receptions.
Research library with print and audio-visual materials
Fully-equipped kitchen
Dining room (capacity: 50)
Outdoor dining courtyard (capacity: 100)
Public bathrooms with showers
3-in-1 handicap accessible
Laundry room with four washers and dryers
Collection archive containing artifacts, objects, and audio-visual materials

First Floor
Rehearsal Room (18' h x 54' l x 28' w [5.5m h x 16.5m l x 8.5m w)
Marley dance floor is available to layover hardwood floors.
Two small studios/galleries
Office
Dormitory (sleeping capacity: 8)
Two public shower rooms attached to dormitory

Second Floor
Master residence for staff use
Two smaller studios/galleries

Architectural Plans
Site Plan (PDF)
Interior Floor Plan (PDF)