The Sound, Media, Movement and Visual Artist Residency!
May 22 – June 5, 2023 – Viljandi, Estonia.
We are currently accepting proposals for an artist residency to take place at the Koidu Seltsimaja culture house in Viljandi, Estonia.
Send your inquiries, and proposals for projects and happenings to:
Shawn Pinchbeck
Include your name and contact details, technical requirements (read below about what is available), a short bio and links to your work. You should apply early to get letters of acceptance for your funding applications to attend. Space is limited and is on a first come basis. Those of you from Canada may be able to find travel funds from your city arts or provincial arts council, Canada Council for the Arts, your school or institution, or other sources.
This residency is open to artists of any experience level who have an interest in sound, media art, movement, visual arts or other artistic practices. For 2 weeks artists are free to create explore, build, collaborate and compose whatever artistic works they wish. The form of the residency is very open. Participants may wish to share knowledge and organise workshops for each other, there is the opportunity to create an exhibit or event to present their works to the public, or other formats of public engagement are possible.
This will be the 4th year this residency will have taken place. Year One featured the Media Arts students of the Alberta University of the Arts from Calgary, Canada, Year Two featured International independent artists and the Detune Festival hosted by the Supersonicum Gallery. Year Three featured artists from Edmonton and the Peace Region of Alberta. This year, it is my hope to get a good cross section of artists from different places, to create a great environment for sharing knowledge, experiences and creative practices.
The location of the residency, Koidu Seltsimaja, is a historical theatre and culture centre, which was abandoned for 20 years and is now being renovated and revitalised by Viljandi artists Evelin Lagle and Marek Nõmm. We will have access to a large theatre with theatrical stage, the small blackbox theatre, large gallery, jazz club, garden spaces and several small and large spaces ideal for installations, performances and happenings. "Koit", as it is called in a popular historical Estonian song, has become a gathering place for artists in Viljandi. In addition to theatre spaces, it features artist studios and a pub, making it truly a multi-use creative space.
Many spaces in the Koidu Seltsimaja are available for participants to utilize. In addition to the spaces mentioned above, there are plenty of stairwells, hallways, small rooms and where ever else you think art can be put. In your proposal, mention the type of space you would like to work in or the format of presentation you may wish to work on. There will be 1 video projector and 2 PA sound systems there to use. If you require more or dedicated equipment, you should plan to bring it or acquire it locally when you arrive. There are quite a few 2nd hand stores, hardware stores, a musical instrument/powertool store and 1 basic electronics store; for bits and bobs that you may require. Pretty much anything can be acquired in Tallinn, the capital, 150 km away and easily accessible by bus or train for under 10 Euros.
Viljandi is a quaint tourist city of 16,000 in the centre of Estonia. It features a Teutonic Knights castle ruins overlooking a picturesque lake, Old Town, forested countryside, nice restaurants and cafes and arty nuance. Thanks to the presence of the Viljandi Culture Academy and the yearly Viljandi Folk Festival, it has a healthy cultural life for a small city. To travel to Viljandi, flights can be booked to Tallinn and a bus or train taken.
The cost of the residency is 25 Euros (payable when you arrive), to cover utilities and other building costs. We, unfortunately, are not a funded residency program and do not have bursaries or other funding available at this time. We do have a building that has great spaces for artists who want to be creative! We can provide invitation letters from the organisations involved to facilitate your funding applications. Viljandi is still a reasonably affordable city for visitors. Food is about 20 Euros a day, if you eat in restaurants, less if you prepare your own meals. There is a kitchen available in the residency building. Accommodation in Viljandi can be found for about 40 Euros a day at the local hotels, student hostel or Airbnb.
The organiser:
Shawn Pinchbeck, is an Alberta, Canada and Estonia based sound and media artist. He has taught sound and media arts courses at Tallinn University’s Baltic Film and Media School, the Estonian Academy of Arts, Viljandi Culture Academy and universities in Latvia. His artistic practice focuses on the sonic arts with a healthy dose of interactive art, MaxMSP and video mixed in. He collaborates extensively with artists of all kinds, often working with contemporary dancers, filmmakers and musicians. He has been active as an artist and lecturer in Estonia since 2001 and is a founding member of BEAMS and is its President.
The Boreal Electroacoustic Music Society (BEAMS) is a non-profit society dedicated to the promotion and production of sound oriented experimentation. Its Board of Directors consists of professional musicians, composers and media artists from diverse backgrounds driven to create a voice for sound orientated art in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Links:
Some photos of Koidu Seltsimaja:
https://mega.nz/#F!E5cGAQqa!VBCGbsiP8QJHJuxsYdMJiQ
A piece I made recently in the building:
