Applications Now Open for the

Summer 2020 Open Creative Residency

covid-19 Update: Deadline to apply extended, applications now open through April 20th

We are closely following the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. The safety of our participants and communities is our top priority. Like all of you, we will be monitoring the situation closely in the coming weeks and if the World Health Organization predicts any risk whatsoever for travelers and communities in July and August we will contact all applicants and work with selected participants to arrange new residency dates when it is safe to do so.

Since 2016, Trinacria Theatre Company members have been making their way to the mountainside village of Pezzolo in Messina, Sicily for a period of creative residency and community engagement. This year, for the first time ever, we are opening this opportunity to you.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Trinacria is seeking four interdisciplinary individual artists who will benefit from a period of immersive creative residency within our community, and from whose presence our local community will benefit. This is a small, remote village community with a limited amount of cultural programming, and so we are seeking to create a vibrant, dynamic landscape wherein community members and artists have multiple opportunities to engage and share freely with one another in an open two-way dialogue. For our participating artists, residency can be a time to realize a new project or it may be more process-focused time of developing one’s craft, depending on the needs of the individual artist. Regardless, the ideal applicant will have a demonstrable willingness to share and engage with the public throughout their process and to share some element of their work at the conclusion. Artist might come from any artistic discipline or any combination of disciplines.

This summer, in keeping with our ongoing work, The Hades & Persephone Project, we are also specifically seeking artists who are interested in engaging with the stories of Hades & Persephone, Mata & Grifone, Lisabetta & Lorenzo, or one of these related themes: nationalism & xenophobia, immigration, cultural identity, religious tolerance, love & death, how myth evolves into reality.

The ideal applicant will also:

• Share our passion and enthusiasm for using the arts for community building, place making, and intercultural exchange

• Be generous collaborators and considerate, open-hearted guests in a new culture

• Draw inspiration from their surroundings and be responsive to their environment

• Articulate the ways in which they hope to grow through this experience and the ways in which they hope to help the community grow through their work

• Share their work or a work-in-progress at the conclusion of the residency during a three-day festival

As our community is mainly Italian-speaking, we are able to provide translation wherever needed. That being said, we will be prioritizing applicants whose projects do not require significant translation into Italian.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Artistic Development: In keeping with the spirit of Trinacria’s philosophy of collaborative, communal work, each participant will lead the rest of the group in a 90-minute skill-sharing workshop during the first week of the residency. This will be a means of growing inspired through each other’s work and the shared experience. Throughout the rest of the residency, participants will take part in regular group sharing sessions to share their work and receive feedback from the group, as well as ongoing check-ins with the residency director to facilitate their process and give additional support. Working space will be allocated dependent on the needs of each artist’s work. Artists will also be encouraged to consider non-traditional spaces throughout the village and explore the interaction of their work with this unique location. Each participant will receive a small budget for materials.

Timeline: The 3-week residency will take place beginning on July 26th and ending on August 16th. Key dates:

April 20th: Deadline for applications
Late April: Interviews
May: Artists announced
July 26: Arrival date
July 27: Orientation day & evening excursion to Taormina
August 2: Excursion day
August 9: Excursion day
August 11 - 13: Festival
August 14: Morning clean up, evening excursion/beach party
August 15: Excursion to Messina for Ferragosto celebrations
August 16: Departure

Typical Day: A normal work day will consist of a short creative exercise to start the day. The rest of the morning will be dedicated to private time for artistic practice (with the exception of the first week, during which our practitioners will lead their 90-minute workshops in the morning). There will be a shared mid-day meal, after which we encourage our artists to follow local custom by taking a break during the hottest part of the day and resuming work in the late afternoon. There will be a group check-in at the conclusion of the work day, with the option to share for feedback. The company will then provide a late light dinner. Throughout the residency, Trinacria will arrange excursions to nearby places of interest, based on the interests of the group. One half-day (morning or afternoon) per week, participants will have the opportunity to either unwind by the seaside or go on a guided hike through the mountains.

Community Engagement: August 11th - 13th will be a festival of sharing the work of our participating artists. Trinacria will also arrange additional events during this time to bring our community, artists, and visitors in close contact. In the past, these events have included soccer tournaments, rock painting, scavenger hunts, capture the flag, concerts, Q&As, hikes, yoga sessions, wine tastings, etc. Italian (or Sicilian dialect) lessons can also be arranged for participants throughout the residency.

Location: To read more about the rich history and mythology of this region, please visit this page. Pezzolo is a mountain village (400m above sea level) which looks out to the Strait of Messina. It has about 400 inhabitants, and 60% of the buildings in the village are currently abandoned. Only one butcher shop remains open in the village. The next closest amenities are 7km away, in the next nearest village which lies along the much more developed coast of the Strait of Messina. Artists are encouraged to keep this in mind, as a quick stop to a grocery store, ATM, pharmacy, post office, etc. will not be possible unless arranged by car. Late July and August in this region are typically dry, hot, and sunny: average temperatures are around 30°C (86°F), although it can often reach 38°C (100°F) . Due to this, we encourage our artists to follow the local custom of taking a break during the hottest parts of the afternoon. It is critical that participants pack accordingly, bring sunscreen, and always carry a water bottle.

Housing:  Artists will live in shared housing with four other people. This is a family home provided by members of the local community. The shared house contains an upstairs air-conditioned bedroom that can accommodate 2 people (either sharing a queen sized bed or an additional cot can be provided). The master bedroom has an adjoining full bath with a shower. Downstairs is a larger dormitory-style bedroom that can accommodate 3 people in single beds. The dormitory bedroom is not air-conditioned but remains cooler due to its position in the house. Floor fans are provided for this room. The house has a separate basement toilet when the main bathroom is in use.

Meals: Three communal meals a day will be provided for participants (except during excursions) and fruit will be kept in the house for snacks between meals. Any additional food or snacks must be purchased by participants. We are able to accommodate any food allergies or other dietary restrictions that are communicated at the time of application. Throughout the residency, Trinacria will arrange excursions to local points of interest; during these excursions, participants are responsible for purchasing their own food and beverages. Trinacria will not provide any alcoholic beverages at any point during the residency. These may be purchased and consumed at the participant’s discretion during non-working hours.

Technology: There will be no access to WiFi provided at any point during the residency. Participants may choose to pay for their own wireless or cell phone services while abroad. However, we encourage you to see this journey as an opportunity to be as screen-free as possible.

Transportation: Participants are responsible for paying for their own flight and travel insurance. Trinacria Theatre Company is on hand to assist participants with finding affordable and convenient airfare. All ground transportation in Sicily is arranged and provided by the company, including transportation to/from the Catania airport and for all excursions. All participants must have a valid passport at the time of departure.

Language: The residency will be primarily conducted in English. A knowledge of Italian is helpful, but not required. However, it is important to note that our community speaks primarily Italian. For community engagement activities, translators will be on hand. For artistic projects, some translation assistance can be provided; however, we will prioritize projects that do not require significant translation.

Accessibility: Pezzolo is a very old village built on a mountainside, and unfortunately, many parts of the village are only accessible by footpaths or stairs. Therefore, all participants must be ambulatory and capable of walking long distances unassisted.

Cost: Participants must be capable of providing their own airfare, travel insurance, passport, and health insurance. Throughout the residency, Trinacria will arrange excursions to a local places of interest during which time participants are responsible for purchasing their own meals and beverages, entry to attractions, and/or souvenirs at their own discretion.

how to apply

After reading the above expectations carefully, please fill out the form below by March 30th. To help us ensure our company is meeting our organizational goals, we ask you to please also fill out an anonymous equality & diversity monitoring form, available at this link. Responses to this form are confidential and kept separately to your application.

If you are unable to fill out the below form, you can also submit your responses to us by emailing us at residency@trinacriatheatre.com.