.residencies
“Christopher is the quintessential artist advocate. He possesses a very specific type of quiet power that is always thoughtful, generous, intentional, and honest. I count myself very fortunate to be among the many artists to whom he has graciously extended that quiet power. It has enabled me to take great artistic risk towards great reward and fostered a truly global sense of community. I am so very grateful for his perspective and counsel.”
As I’ve walked alongside artists on their creative journeys, I have trained myself to listen to what it is they need from me as an activator of their ambitions. To support them as they navigate through the labyrinth of their creative process. To be in service to their needs. But not just their needs – to reach beyond the usual and to offer them something else – something deeper. I am a designer of moments and situations. A gatherer. And my palate is the artist residency. My tools are the elements that create meaningful and productive residencies. My sandbox has grown to include spaces around the globe where artists can work hard, explore, look up, sleep deep and restore. I’m often asked if I myself am an artist; and I politely say that no, I am not. I prefer to make sure that others' art is made manifest. Perhaps that is a kind of art form, though, isn’t it?
When I think about some of the most meaningful times in my life, I recall tables at residencies where artists have sat deep in conversation – laughing, debating, consoling, pondering – on all manner of topics after long days spent in their rehearsal rooms or studios. Whether it be under the Arlesien stars drinking rosé with theatre directors or on a sandy Kenyan beach devouring prawn burgers with East African playwrights or sipping late night whiskey in the Owl Bar after a long day of rehearsals with theatre makers at Sundance… these conversations shifted the energy of the universe in some way. Regenerative communities of belonging and creative practice. It has always been about what happened in the studio as well as the spaces in between. On the path. Around the dinner table. On the walk to town.
I am humbled to share space with artists who bravely shape beauty and form from their raw imaginations. Who provoke and agitate from their lived experiences. Who inspire and open the heavens with their craft. And each one, relishing the liberation found in a residency that was formed for them with care and love.
I believe in the transformative power of a thoughtfully-designed artist residency. There are thousands of residencies already around the planet… and many of them are excellent, I’m sure. But I’m talking about something beyond rooms and plates of food. I’m talking about something that may not be easily quantifiable. It’s like mist. You can bear witness to it. You can feel it. But you can’t easily harness it. My concepts below are a feeble attempt to try. I can only say that the alchemy of these elements may not result in the perfect residency… but they might get us closer to an ideal that will truly be what artists so richly deserve.
.DESIGN-ELEMENTS
TIME
Our lives move at such a fast pace. We serve the cult of productivity. We do not allow ourselves the gift of time. Artists deserve extended time away to work, to sit with their thoughts, to sleep, to walk and to restore. At least two weeks is needed for one to find the pulse of a time away from the day-to-day. And, if more time can be afforded… even better. It’s also important to make a journey that’s a fair distance from one’s home. The time it takes to journey to a residency is part of the experience. The tether from regular life has to be undone in order to fully enter into a transformative time away.
AESTHETICS
How spaces look and feel can be quite subjective, but whatever the aesthetic might be… it must have integrity. There isn’t one aesthetic that is better than another, but beauty is universal. The highest quality materials and goods help artists feel cared for and supported. Thoughtless or poorly designed environments do nothing to enhance an artist’s experience. The height of the writing desk matters. The quality of their pillow matters. The water pressure matters. The reliability of the wifi matters. Beautiful spaces to sit and contemplate matter. The rim of the wine glass matters. The car for airport transport matters. It’s not about being expensive – it’s about being intentional and at the highest quality possible.
PLACE
All the earth is sacred – it's just that some places seem more alive, right? I believe that there are places around the planet where the forces – both seen and unseen – congeal to allow for a fruitful residency experience. Usually, but not always, these spaces are set in nature. There’s something very special about the air, the energy, the spirit, the stones, the flora that spur creative thinking. When one is able to stare out a window and gaze into a landscape seeking inspiration… that’s heaven for an artist. Rushing streams and ancient trees root us in place.
FOOD
Food highlights our soulful desire to gather. The table is an intentional space created for the communal act of eating together. Food is drama, the table is the stage. Sharing a meal is a transcendent act. Artists deserve the highest quality ingredients prepared by loving hands. Some of the best conversations are had over plates of food. With glasses full of wine, revelations about one’s creative practice come into focus. What happens at the table is equally as important as what happens in the rehearsal room or studio. The working day continues until dessert is cleared.
RITUAL
Each day, each week needs a cadence and ritual. These mark and punctuate time. Perhaps it’s a ceremonial burning of pages in a bonfire at the end of the residency or going for a group run every morning or a daily aperitif before dinner. You might wish to ask residents to help make a local dish every Tuesday for lunch. Or invite everyone to pause their work when they hear the Muslim call to prayer throughout the day. Whatever it is, make it a moment. Make it intentional. Ritualizing even the smallest activity will create a sense of belonging and community.
RESOURCES
Even the simplest of residencies need the basics. But, let’s consider how we might indulge artists with the luxuries they so richly deserve. What might we make available to artists outside our walls that could make an artist’s residency experience even richer? Let’s make sure that we pay artists for their time. Not everyone can afford to be away from their lives for an extended period. And, we have to pay for their transportation to and from our residencies. It’s all about respect and justice, isn’t it?
PEOPLE
Perhaps the most critical element of all are the people who make residencies happen. While it may be obvious, it might often be overlooked. We might be too busy with curation, planning and logistics to care for the health and quality of our people. Virtues like grace, kindness, patience, respect, unflappable calm and joy are paramount to ensure artists feel supported and valued. No task is more important than a moment of pause with an artist to see how they’re doing. Ours’ is a business of care and regeneration.
“Christopher had a major hand in architecting some of the most nurturing, productive, inclusive structures for making work and community I have experienced in my thirty plus years of making theater. He has a great and rare gift for creating and managing systems that manifest an organization’s values in daily practice.”