Open Call: International Artistic Residency at Atelier Samuel Beckett in France

In partnership with Galway Culture Company, Atelier Samuel Beckett, Gare St Lazare Ireland, and the University of Galway, artists living or working in Galway County and City are invited to apply for a 3-week international artistic residency at Atelier Samuel Beckett in Méricourt, France, taking place in spring 2024.

There will be 2 awards valued at over €6,000 each, including a stipend of €1,500 per artist. The bursary covers self-catering accommodation, utilities, admin and cleaning costs, Gare St Lazare mentoring, and travel expenses. The University of Galway will also provide access to its theatre archives and rehearsal studios.

About the Residency

Atelier Samuel Beckett is a new international artist residency in the village of Méricourt, France, an hour northwest of Paris on the River Seine. Its mission is to promote and highlight the artistic legacy of Samuel Beckett across the arts through a series of artistic residencies.

Atelier Samuel Beckett offers a self-directed residency, providing accommodation and workspace for professional artists with experience of, or an interest in using Beckett’s work as inspiration in their own practice. Successful artists will spend 3 weeks living at the residency, sharing the space with one other artist in an environment that supports artistic ambition, exchange, and self-directed work.

One artist from Galway County and one from Galway City will be awarded a residency in 2024. The residency dates are subject to availability, with 3-week periods available between 7 January 2024 and 20 April 2024.

The residence includes two en-suite bedrooms, a shared dining room and kitchen, as well as a Beckett library and study as a shared resource space. The bursary is open to artists of all disciplines as a place to reflect, develop, research, and study while engaging with Beckett’s writing. Artists whose work typically requires specialist equipment or materials are encouraged to consider the residency as an opportunity for reading, thinking, planning, and reflection.

Benefits

• €1,500 stipend per artist
• Self-catering accommodation with utilities, admin, and cleaning costs covered
• Up to 2 hours of mentorship and consultation with the artistic directors of Gare St Lazare Ireland, Judy Hegarty Lovett (director/designer) and Conor Lovett (actor)
• Travel expenses covered
• Access to the theatre archives of the University of Galway, featuring substantial material related to Beckett’s work in Ireland, including archives of the Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre, Druid Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Pan Pan, Macnas, Galway International Arts Festival, Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, and others
• Option to request up to one week’s rehearsal or research space at the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance at the University of Galway (subject to availability)

Location

Méricourt is about an hour’s train journey northwest of Paris and close to the village of Giverny, where Claude Monet lived (his house is now a museum open from early April to the end of October). The area became a center for the Impressionists and features many small galleries and studios.

Eligibility

• Demonstrate artistic practice and track record
• Live or work in, or be demonstrably connected to, Galway City and County (Ireland)
• Show a connection to Samuel Beckett’s work in past or future projects
• Have a basic level of English and/or French

Selection Criteria

• Artistic track record
• Quality of the proposal
• Fit of practice and proposal with the facilities available

Application Requirements

• A completed application form
• Up-to-date artistic CV (max 3 pages)
• Email and phone contacts for 2 professional referees
• Up to 3 examples of work (max 10 images or 5 pages of literature per work, or a maximum of 5 links to view, hear, or sample your work)

Applications will be assessed by a decision panel including the host organisations. Shortlisted artists may be invited for an interview.

Deadline to apply is Friday, 22 September 2023 at 5pm CET. Supporting materials should be sent as attachments or via WeTransfer to ateliersamuelbeckett@gmail.com.