Creative Residency Survey
The Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone near Wellington NSW. Image: Kim V. Goldsmith, 2022
SURVEY NOW CLOSED
Orana Arts is working with Community Connectors, Knowledge Holders and Site Partners from the Central West Orana region on a two-year project (2025-2026) to embed 9 artists in communities of the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ).
For artists who are interested in socially engaged and/or environmental art practice, this is an opportunity to undertake a well-funded, 6-week residency to explore the landscape, communities and issues impacting the future of this region. For the communities, it’s an opportunity to bring new perspectives to these issues, and to learn while sharing knowledge and skills within our communities. The residency project puts the environment and natural assets of the region at the centre of creative investigations.
All artforms will be considered—visual and digital media arts, writing, performance, multi-arts and experimental arts and others. Artists may come from anywhere, however, specific places will be made for creatives within the REZ.
*The Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone is a hub of renewable energy projects under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, aiming to deliver at least 4.5 gigawatts of transmitted electricity to power 1.8 million homes. The CW Orana REZ is the first in NSW, covering approximately 20,000 square km with Dubbo and Dunedoo in the centre. There are many small communities within the REZ.
The residencies will happen in 6-month blocks starting in early 2025. They will be flexible, self-directed residencies consisting of time on-site in communities, combined with studio time. The fee for the 6-week residency is on the generous side of the National Association for Visual Arts Code of Practice recommendations for residencies of this period and will allow you to leverage additional funding, should you wish to do so. Support letters would be supplied.
If selected, you’ll be required to:
Be available for a 5-night stay at the Railway Hotel residency accommodation in Stuart Town with two other selected artists. This gathering is a mandatory orientation where you’ll learn more about the project, meet the project partners and visit sites within the REZ.
Commit to and document genuine community engagement during your residency (with the help of Community Connector Partners and Knowledge Holders).
Document your process for a project publication to be published by Orana Arts.
Develop place-based, site-specific works for engagement with and/or presentation within your chosen community in Spring 2026.
Develop work/s for exhibition or presentation in a regional gallery and public program at the end of 2026-early 2027 (a loan fee would be paid by the gallery to all exhibiting artists).
We’ll know about funding by early December. A callout for applications would take place in early 2025.
