Here is a call for applications for The Caribbean Digital Virtual Artist’s Residency 2023 offered by Alice Yard in partnership with The Caribbean Digital on a virtual residency program for artists of the Caribbean and its diasporas who work in digital media. The deadline for applications is April 15, 2023.

The Caribbean Digital Virtual Artist’s Residency program supports Caribbean artists working in digital media. The residency is offered in conjunction with the annual Caribbean Digital (TCD) conference, an international event hosted annually at locations in the United States and the Caribbean since 2014, in partnership with Alice Yard, a contemporary art collective based at Granderson Lab in Belmont, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. This program is sponsored by the Mellon Foundation.

Beginning in 2022 and for a period of four years, TCD and Alice Yard are partnering to create an annual virtual residency program for artists of the Caribbean and its diasporas who work in digital media. The residency aims to facilitate the development of new artworks in digital media that investigate ideas and practices in Caribbean Digital Humanities and engage with scholars in the TCD network and community.

The residency consists of the following:

• a cash stipend of US$5,000 to support six months of part-time research and creative work, to begin in June 2023;
• curatorial mentorship by artist and Alice Yard co-director Christopher Cozier;
• two virtual studio visits by professional curators or critics;
• the commissioning and online publication of a critical text by a professional art writer to document the artist’s work and process;
• arranged travel and accommodation to present the resulting work at TCD’s annual conference in December 2023.

During the virtual residency, the artist will remain based at their usual location, interacting with the administrators, mentor, and TCD community members via traditional online media and tools, with the understanding that the artist will maintain regular contact through scheduled meetings and check-ins.

This residency seeks to support the development of “born-digital” creative work primarily based on digital media and tools rather than analog work that is digitized merely for presentation or storage. Artists may work in media, including and not limited to images, sound, and text. Also integral to the residency is the artist’s engagement with Caribbean Digital Humanities, a multidisciplinary field of study that brings digital technologies into the research, analysis, visualization, and application of the traditional humanities. During the residency, the artist is expected to engage in dialogue with Caribbean Digital Humanities scholars to enrich their creative and research practices.

Eligibility and application guidelines

The Caribbean Digital Virtual Artist’s Residency is open to artists from the Caribbean and its diasporas, with a preference for applicants living and working in the Caribbean region. Applicants must be over the age of 18 on April 15, 2023.

To apply, complete the online form and upload an application package (PDF) containing the following:

• a description of the work the artist proposes to develop during the residency. This may be a new project or an extension of existing work in progress (max. 400 words);
• a short statement explaining how the artist’s proposed work would benefit from dialogue and engagement with TCD’s Digital Humanities network (max. 200 words);
• a short description of the digital tools — whether software or hardware — and methods the artist expects to use in the development of their work (max. 200 words);
• a CV, including a short biographical statement; a list of exhibitions, publications, or other forms of presentation of recent work; and the artist’s website and relevant public social media accounts, if applicable (max. two pages);
• a portfolio presenting a sample of the artist’s recent work: images or text, or links to equivalent samples of the artist’s work online (including up to 10 still images with descriptive captions or up to 5 short videos or sound work). 

[. . .] NB: the artist’s application package must be saved as a PDF, and the five elements listed above must be contained in a single file. Please do not attach multiple files or use other file formats. The application deadline is April 15, 2023 at 11:59 pm (EST). Late applications will not be considered.

Applicants should meet the eligibility requirements to apply for a Nonimmigrant B-1 visa. If needed, the selected artist should apply for a B-1 visa by following the steps listed on travel.state.gov.) by June 1, 2023 and will receive up to $250 as reimbursement towards their B-1 visa application along with an invitation letter in support of their visa application.[. . .]

The recipient will present the work done during the residency at TCD’s annual conference in December 2023. The artist will retain the ownership and copyright of their work, but they must grant TCD non-exclusive rights to present and archive the work on their website and in other media.

For any queries about eligibility requirements or the application process, please contact the residency administrators at thecaribbeandigital@gmail.com.

For full information, including eligibility and application guidelines, Application Form, and descriptions in French and Spanish, see The Caribbean Digital website at https://caribbeandigitalnyc.net/residency/

[Shown above: Detail from The Caribbean Digital banner.]