The Glasshouse

What is an Artist in Residence?
Artists in Residence make The Glasshouse their home away from home – using our spaces, support and the budget we provide to work on an ambitious creative project.

Read and Watch the experiences of some of our previous Artists in Residence – Ceitidh Mac in conversation, &  Martha Hill ‘ Dracula the Musical’ | Artist in Residence – Interview

What will I be doing as an Artist in Residence?
You are in control of how you use the time and what you want to get out of it. We’ll support you during your 10 month residency to help turn your creative idea into an experience for audiences. The type of support you receive depends on what you need. At the beginning it might include ideas and advice on other artists to collaborate with, equipment to buy, specialists to consult etc.

We will also help organise the end of year showcase with support from an in-house Production Manager for technical questions. And we’ll film your final sharing (which you get to keep and use after the residency).

You will have monthly meet ups with the artist development team with access to our rehearsal rooms to work on your project. You will also have the chance to take time away from daily life, heading off for a few days to work on any element of your project (a bit like a creative retreat). The creative bursary is to help clear some time in your schedule so you can plan/write/create for your project throughout the 10 months.

Rianne is our Artist Development Producer and she’ll be the main person working with you during your residency. Other team members will be around to help when specific advice is needed.

What do you mean by ‘digital’?
Good question! We are open in our definition of digital – we’re keen to hear from artists who are using new technology in their work. This could be anything from audio and sound, immersive and interactive technology, music tech, gaming, web, visuals, applications exploring AR, VR, AI etc. Even if it’s early days we want this residency to be a space where you can develop your skills with the support from our team and our partners.

What experience should I have before I apply?
You earn money from your original music, through live performances, paid commissions, writing or releases and have been doing so for around 3 years in total. If you’re returning to music after taking a break, that’s fine too. In your application you can show us you would be able to manage your own time and be able to push your project forward, as well as being ready to take full advantage of the support available.

How often will I need to be at The Glasshouse?
It’s likely you’ll be working on this project alongside other commitments. You decide how much time to commit to your project. We’ll help you achieve what you want to in that time. Some artists have used two days per month as a starting point for planning their time.

The residency is not intended to be your sole employment or source of income during the 10 months. This is reflected in the funds available and time commitment required.

We’ll check in with you once a month to talk about the project and offer any advice or support you feel you need.

Unfortunately, we cannot cover travel costs for meetings or rehearsals at The Glasshouse unless the costs are due to specific access requirements. Travel expenses are available for the creative retreat and the final sharing.

What can I do for the creative retreat?
The retreat will be different for each artist, and where you go and what you focus on is up to you. Previous Artists in Residence have applied to a structured residency programme, undertaking a writing retreat for four to five days, booked some time away in an AirBnB, or spent time in a place of inspiration.

How does the selection process work?
Applications will be assessed by a panel. The panel will include a member of The Glasshouse Artist Development team and programming team, someone from the North East music industry, and one of our previous Artists in Residence.

From the applications a small number of artists will be invited for a face to face interview on 20^th March. This will take place at The Glasshouse. The panel will select two artists for the 2024/25 residency programme. All applicants will hear from us by the beginning of April.

This is a competitive process and we don’t shy away from that. We think this will be 10-months you’ll never forget. We select based on the information you send us and look for artists who show promise, have a clear idea of what they want to achieve with their project, and who will benefit from this opportunity.

How does the money work?
If you are successful, we’ll pay the £4000 creative support grant in one or two instalments on a date agreed with you. Equipment paid for with the £750 and the mentoring must be agreed with our team first and will be paid via invoice. For the residential retreat, we cover travel costs and accommodation, which can be booked by us or by you.

In addition, we provide a performance fee for the event in June. This will be a total fee for all performers and will be negotiated with the artist nearer the time, depending on the scale of the proposed performance and potential ticket income.

Can I apply for additional funding for my project?
Yes! We’re happy to support you in making additional funding applications for the project. We recommend looking and applying for funding before you officially start your residency in September 2024.

How much am I expected to share about my project during the residency?
During the 10 months we may ask you to send updates on your project to use online (e.g. short videos, a blog post). We may also ask you to act as an ambassador for The Glasshouse in media interviews or stories for our website and social media.

I’ve never been to The Glasshouse, what’s it like?
You’ll receive a warm welcome from all of the team here. We look after you during your visits to make sure you have all the support you need with creative and practical things.

You can have a look inside the building’s main concourse using Google Maps.

The Concourse has a great view across Newcastle and the River Tyne. There is a co-working area and café (open Thursday-Sunday) and you’re welcome to bring your own food to eat in your rehearsal room. Plenty of parking is available, there are bus and metro routes nearby. Please note that the metro is wheelchair accessible but unfortunately mobility scooters are not permitted.