APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN – APPLY HERE – OPEN THROUGH  SEPTEMBER 23

The ACTivate Residency of Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is 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 at various points of development. For 2027 BCA will select two ACTivate Residents – individuals or small collectives of artists to expand work that is performative and/or visual in nature.

At BCA we emphasize the importance of process over product. To that end residents will not be required to deliver a polished or finished product but are invited to host an open sharing to spark connection and feedback around the drafted work. 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 Boston-based visual, performing, and interdisciplinary artists who belong to historically underrepresented and under-resourced groups in the United States: Black, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander, Arab, Immigrant or New American, LGBTQ, working class, and differently abled.

Lead Artist must be a current resident of the City of Boston or surrounding area.
Collective or Lead Artist(s) must have a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and accessibility.
Students enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate programs in any field are not eligible.

BCA provides:

• $3,000 stipend for Lead Artist to be used at their discretion for resources such as collaborators and/or specific elements of the piece.
  $500 travel stipend.
• Access to the Cyclorama for seven days during agreed upon hours.
• BCA staff support during artists’ working hours up to eight consecutive hours per day between 10am and 7pm.
• Documentation of the residency process and the work created 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 the Cyclorama space.
• 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:

• Collaborate with BCA staff on 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 in partnership with BCA staff.

APPLICATION DETAILS

ACTivate Artists will be selected through an open call process. Applicants are evaluated on their ability to demonstrate meeting the criteria in line with the Artistic Ethos of BCA.

Application Form

TIMELINE

August 19, 2027 – Open Call Announced

September 23, 2027 – Materials due 

October 2027 – Notify Artists

 

2027 ACTivate Residencies are available for the following dates:

January 11-17, 2027 (Monday-Sunday) 

January 25-31, 2027 (Monday-Sunday)

February 8-14, 2027 (Monday-Sunday) 

March 1-7, 2027 (Monday-Sunday) 

ARTISTIC ETHOS

Applicants are evaluated on their ability to demonstrate meeting the following criteria in line with the Artistic Ethos of BCA.

Our goal is to gather a diverse and inclusive community of artists for the purpose of supporting innovative work across disciplines, connecting artists with peers and resources, and providing a vibrant platform for new art in Boston.

Experimentation. We support artistic work that displays innovation and openness to new ideas, perspectives, and techniques.

Responsiveness. In the process of supporting new and innovative work, we value ideas that are relevant to contemporary interests and conversations.

Community engagement. We encourage an artistic practice that engages meaningfully with the ecosystem where it exists through collaboration and exchange among artists and audiences.

Potential impact. We seek to support artists for whom our involvement has the potential to propel their practice creating a path for growth artistically and professionally.

 

Andrea Blesso, Director of Dance & Interdisciplinary Arts (andrea@bostonarts.org) is available to answer questions and provide additional information about the residency.

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