Artist In Residence

Cultural Collective Artists in Residence

Role – Artist in Residence

Budget: £19,000

Time commitment:
The project will run for 48 weeks and the payment of £19,200 is to cover the artist’s time across the entire engagement. We envision this to be split across a commission of original work, creation, exploration and research time, and delivering workshops and community engagement activity.

We are seeking an Artist in Residence to develop a creative work in dialogue with our neurodivergent community, leading towards a final shared piece or outcome. As a longtime co‑presenter of A Play, A Pie and A Pint, we are particularly keen to hear from playwrights and performance makers who have an interest in building a project with the potential to end in a PPP production.

We also welcome proposals from artists working in all performance, visual art, music, movement, digital practice or interdisciplinary approaches, and are happy to hear proposals that include partnership working with other organisations.

We are looking for an artist who can spend time in residence, build understanding of the community and context, and create something artistically ambitious through the process. They should design a process that brings both space and time for their practice and a series of workshops, engagement and meaningful connection with Ayrshire’s neurodivergent community. The role offers space for an artist to embed their practice within a community setting over time.

You will work closely with our Creative Engagement team to shape the residency and community‑engagement aspects. This opportunity is part of our Culture Collective programme and will be supported by a project coordinator, their assistant, and our team.

The residency may run as a continuous programme or be delivered in smaller blocks, depending on the needs of the project and participants. We are committed to fair and flexible working with access and inclusion at its core.

The exact ideas, approaches, and final outcomes will be developed through discussion between the appointed artist and the team, allowing space for the artist’s own practice, instincts and interests to guide what emerges. Your application will include a proposal for the residency outlining how you envision engaging with the community and how you would break down the time covered by the fee available.

There will be limited provision for additional support across the residency including funds for a Facilitator to join some of the community outreach work, a small budget for R&D with additional artists (e.g. 3 days with actors). In addition, there will be some opportunities to engage with emerging artists or practitioners to enrich the outreach work and provide training opportunities.

The £19,000 fee is intended to support the resident artist only and represent an investment in a period of sustainability for the artist’s practice.

We are keen to hear from artists who have a strong, established, creative practice, can work thoughtfully and flexibly within a residency setting, and are interested in developing ambitious work in dialogue with our neurodivergent community.

• The artist creates a distinctive and high‑quality piece of work through the residency.
• The residency supports meaningful artistic development and a strong creative process over time.
• The final outcome reflects a genuine dialogue between the artist’s practice, the residency context and the neurodivergent community involved.
• The project leaves a positive legacy through artistic exchange, stronger relationships, and future possibilities for creative collaboration.

• Undertake the residency.
• Develop and sustain a high-quality residency informed by the chosen art form, the setting and the artist’s own creative practice.
• Work accessibly and responsively – approach the residency in ways that are accessible and responsive to neurodivergent people, adapting communication and process as needed.
• Collaborate with the team – work with the Creative Engagement team on planning, scheduling, practical support and reflective development throughout the residency.

• Experience of…