ACTivate Residency Details [ARTIST]
POSITION CONCEPT
Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is looking for artists to activate the historic Cyclorama through a seven-day, site-responsive artist residency in Boston’s historic Cyclorama building, designed to support artists in the exploration of an idea or concept without the requirement of a finished product or piece at the culmination of their residency.
In 2025-2026 BCA will select two ACTivate Residents — individuals or small collectives of artists for a seven-day residency to create site-responsive work in the historic BCA Cyclorama. The work can be performative and/or visual in nature and is meant to activate Boston’s artists and our spaces. ACTivate also invites two Filmmakers to collaborate with each of the lead artists of the selected groups on the documentation of the work created and story behind the work.
At BCA we emphasize the importance of process over product. To that end residents will not be required to deliver a finished product. However, some artists may have a final showing or piece to share with audiences. The ultimate intention of this residency is to offer the artist the time, space, and resources to create new work and deepen their practice.
ELIGIBILITY
- ACTivate is open to all Boston-based visual, performing, and interdisciplinary artists with priority given to BIPOC, Immigrant, New American, and historically underrepresented artists and their collaborators.
- Lead artist must be a resident of the City of Boston, with preference given to those who live and work within the neighborhoods of: Allston-Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, and Roxbury.
- Collective or lead artist(s) must have a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion.
- Students enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate programs in any field are not eligible.
BCA RESOURCES
- $4,500 stipend for lead artists to be used at their discretion for resources such as collaborators and/or specific elements of the piece.
- $30/day travel stipend for up to four people, not to exceed $840.
- Access to the Cyclorama for seven days during agreed upon hours (for up to eight consecutive hours per day).
- BCA staff support during artists’ working hours up to eight consecutive hours per day between 8am and 11pm.
- Film documentation of the residency process and the work created in a mini-documentary format that may be used at the artist’s discretion and shared by BCA.
- Access to BCA in-house resources including tables, chairs, and lighting.
- The opportunity to share the work-in-progress with a small private audience in an Open Sharing during the residency week. The goal is to solicit feedback and garner interest around the project so the work can be further developed.
SCOPE OF WORK
Selected artists agree to:
Artistic
- Create or further develop a site-responsive work over the course of seven days.
- The proposed project should be performative, visual, or interdisciplinary in nature and is meant to activate artists and our spaces.
- Collaborate with BCA on a project description that can be shared with staff, stakeholders for BCA, and the artist network, and on social media. This description can then be used in future proposals or grant applications around the project.
- Attend pre-Residency meetings to discuss the proposed timeline as well as any technical, production, marketing, development, and general Residency needs.
- Agree to collaborate with BCA to share the process and documentation with audiences.
- Provide BCA with images, bio, and project concept descriptions that can be used to promote the artists and the work they are creating.
- Promote the ACTivate Residency in partnership with the BCA marketing department.
Logistics
- Be responsible for all aspects of the installation, including any necessary permitting, loading in, etc.
- Submit a detailed schedule of when and how you would like to utilize the space six weeks prior to the start of the Residency.
- Present a floor plan of the use of space/ installation for BCA approval two weeks prior to the residency.
- Work with BCA staff and film crew to document the installation and/or performance in an agreed-upon manner (including interviews, b-roll, still photography, social media, etc.). Planning for this to begin no less than four weeks prior.
- Adherence to the Cyclorama Rules and Regulations.
- Follow BCA’s current Health and Safety Guidelines.
- Strike the installation at the conclusion of the residency.
APPLICATION DETAILS
ACTivate Artists and Filmmakers will be selected through an open call process by guest panelists composed of Boston-area artists and/or arts professionals. Applicants are evaluated based on how well they demonstrate alignment with BCA’s Artistic Ethos. Apply here.