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Artists-in-Residence

Invite an expert performer into your classroom, whether it be for a day, a week or a month, to engage your students in a unique school community arts experience.
 
What is an artist-in-residence?

It can be a kaleidoscope of workshops of different artforms and performances. Professional artists facilitate the workshops for your students school-wide, providing sustainable learning, and potentially preparing them for a performance for your school community, the school fete or even a local festival.

 

Why have an artist-in-residence experience?

Artists-in-residence programs:

  • Allow more time for artists to build rapport with the students and maximise their learning.
  • A series of activities means students’ learning and skill development progresses throughout the residency.  
  • can often culminate in a product, such as a public performance or artwork.
  • Allow for schools in remote areas the opportunity to engage in an arts project. The longer time frame allows artists to work with the whole school, or even a cluster of schools in remote areas, while being more economical for travel and set up costs.
  • provide a unique community arts experience that the whole school can build upon together.
  • act as a catalyst for school engagement in wider community-based activities e.g. festivals and events, site-specific works, performances, publications and exhibitions of children’s work, creative classes and workshops for parents and families.
  • provide an opportunity for more students to participate.
  • create opportunities to develop relationships between  different year levels or even between a cluster of schools.
  • artists build rapport with the students allowing in-depth interaction and skill development.
  • develop sustainable partnerships between education, the arts and the wider community.
 
What’s possible for your school?

Just about anything is possible. The great thing about artists-in-residence projects is that they are tailored specifically for your school’s needs. Queensland Arts Council’s Ontour inschools team can help to recommend artists, activities and the length of residency to suit your school and your budget, and maximise this exciting experience for your students.

 

How much does an artist-in-residence cost?

Residencies are tailored to suit the needs of the schools and communities engaged in each project. It is for this reason that each project costs a different amount to the next. The main cost factors are duration, number of artists involved and distance for the artists to travel (most ex-Brisbane).  For example, a three-week residency in Cloncurry costs more than a two-week residency in Ipswich due to duration and travel time.  It’s all relative. Download the Artists-in-Residence information pack for some sample budgets and case studies.

TIP: Previous schools have found it cost effective to share the expense with neighbouring schools or by forming a cluster of schools in their region. This means admin and artists travel and accommodation costs are shared between the schools, making it much more affordable.

There are various ways you can source the funds for the residency, including:

  • Students pay a small participation fee each, and the school makes up the difference.
  • Apply to a funding body, such as PCAP, regional council community funds, foundations.
  • Appeal for sponsorship of local businesses or organisations with a vested interest in your community.
  • Combination of all of these.

We can help with all of these by providing templates, promotional material, images, wording, parents letters, newsletter articles, media releases, budget estimates etc. Just give us a call to discuss on 07 3846 7477 or email inschools@qac.org.au

 
Ideas! Ideas! Ideas!

Follow this link to see recent case studies that have worked for Queensland schools.
Follow this link to a list of artists available for residencies.