Artists in Residence FAQs
What is an Artist in Residence?
Artists in Residence make Sage Gateshead their home away from home – using our spaces, support and the budget we provide to work on an ambitious creative project.
Read and Watch the experiences of some of our previous Artists in Residence – Ceitidh Mac in conversation, & Martha Hill ‘ Dracula the Musical’ | Artist in Residence – Interview
Listen to some of the 2021-22 Artists in Residence talking about their experiences
What will I be doing as an Artist in Residence?
You are in control of how you use the time and what you want to get out of it. You’ll have the support of the Sage Gateshead team over the course of 10 months to turn your creative idea into an experience for audiences.. The type of support you receive depends on what you need but initially might include ideas and advice on other artists to collaborate with, equipment to buy, specialists to consult, wellbeing advice, and useful music industry contacts.
We will help organise the end of year showcase. We can offer help with technical questions, and will also provide video footage of the performance.
We provide support through monthly meetings, regular emails and phone calls, as well as access to our rehearsal rooms to help you write and rehearse.You also have the option to take a residential retreat to focus fully on creating the project. You might also want to use the money available to give you some time off from other work throughout the year, so you can devote time to planning and writing the project on a regular basis. The money available should support you for around 3-5 days of time off from other work.
Rianne Thompson, Producer, will be your main point of contact for anything relating to the residency. You can also call upon other members of the team for specific advice.
What experience should I have before I apply?
You earn money from your original music, through live performances, paid commissions, writing or releases and have been doing so for around 3 years in total. If you’re returning to music after taking a break, that’s fine too. In your application you can show us you would be able to manage your own time and be able to push your project forward, as well as being ready to take full advantage of the support available.
How often will I need to be at Sage Gateshead?
We know you’re probably going to balance this project with other commitments. You decide how much time to commit your project, and we’ll help you achieve what you want to in that time. Some artists have used 2 days per month as a starting point for planning their time.
The residency is not intended to be your sole employment or source of income during the period. This is reflected in the funds available and time commitment required.
We will check in with you at least once a month to discuss the project and offer advice or support that may be needed, but that can be done by phone or email if needed. However, we encourage you to make use of the facilities available and to have face-to-face meetings with our team.
Unfortunately, we cannot cover travel costs for meetings or rehearsals at Sage Gateshead unless the costs are due to specific access requirements. Travel expenses are available for the residential retreat and the performance.
What can I do for the residential retreat?
The retreat will be different for each artist, and where you go and what you focus on is up to you. Previous Artists in Residence have applied to a structured residency programme, undertaking a writing retreat for 4-5 days, booked some time away in an AirBnB, or spent time in a place of inspiration.
How does the selection process work?
Applications will be assessed by a panel. The panel will include a member of Sage Gateshead’s Artist Development team and programming team, a music industry person from the North East, and one of our previous Artists in Residence.
From the applications we invite six artists for an informal interview by video/phone call on 26th June. The panel will select two artists for the 2023/24 residency programme. We’ll contact everyone who applies by mid-July.
This is a competitive process and we don’t shy away from that. We think this will be 10-months you’ll never forget. . We select based on the information you send us and look for artists who show promise, have a clear idea of what they want to achieve with their project, and who will benefit from this opportunity.
How does the money work?
If you are successful, we’ll pay the £4000 creative support grant in one or two instalments on a date agreed with you. Equipment paid for with the £750 and the mentoring must be agreed with our team first and will be paid via invoice. For the residential retreat, we cover travel costs and accommodation, which can be booked by us or by you.
In addition, we provide a performance fee for the event in June. This will be a total fee for all performers and will be negotiated with the artist nearer the time, depending on the scale of the proposed performance and potential ticket income.
We’re more than happy to support you in making additional funding applications for the project.
How much am I expected to share about my project during the residency?
During the 10 months we may ask you to send updates on your project to use online (e.g. short videos, a blog post). We may also ask you to act as an ambassador for Sage Gateshead in media interviews orstories for our website and social media.
I’ve never been to Sage Gateshead, what’s it like?
You’ll receive a warm welcome from all of the team here. We look after you during your visits to make sure you have all the support you need with creative and practical things.
You can have a look inside the building’s main concourse using Google Maps.
The Concourse has a great view across Newcastle and the River Tyne. There is a co-working area and café (open Thursday-Sunday) and you’re welcome to bring your own food to eat in your rehearsal room. Plenty of parking is available, there are bus and metro routes nearby. Please note that the metro is wheelchair accessible but unfortunately mobility scooters are not permitted.