HOW DO YOU CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR YOUR COLLECTIVE ART PRACTICE TO LIE FALLOW?
“(Lying Fallow) is, above all, a way of providing a frame within which a group of people might work through some ideas together. It’s a simple premise but feels urgent and exciting to me, because it invites the possibility of great change without determining how that change might happen, where it might come from, or what it might be.” Rajni Shah
This is the third and final open call launched by a.pass for a 2 month paid artistic research residency for collectives.
This open call is to find a collective having an artistic practice that is research-based and active already at the time of submitting the application.
The selected collective is already busy with, or interested in, organising a sustainable 'laying fallow' period, observing what happens there, and in relation to other periods of production/development/presentation. Also, the collective wishes to share with others the research tools and methodologies used during/for the fallow period, and transmitting what was found fruitful during the residency.
The selected collective is ideally made of 5 persons (min.3 max. 10 - not individuals nor duos).
CONTEXT? What does it mean to lie fallow during the research residency at a.pass?
At the end of 2023 a.pass (advanced performance and scenography studies) decided to enter a period of (self-)reflection, attentiveness, and transformation, a period of lying fallow one might say.
A field when it lies fallow seems to 'do nothing' but in fact engages in a deep process of rejuvenation. Embracing a fallow time has been the weighted answer from a.pass side to another decision taken previously by the ministry of culture: the one of ending their financial support to the organisation, which meant forcing a.pass to end its educational programs in place at that time. What became quickly clear after receiving this news is that the organisation would cease existing the way it was, and that indeed a fallow time to explore possible futures, being disappearance or taking other forms of life, was needed.
For us, as a.pass current team, embracing fully this fallow time means to give time/space/energy to fostering the dialogue with different artistic collectives busy with similar concerns, like: how to lie fallow in order to re-imagine possible frameworks grounded in the focus of artistic research? What kind of container or framework is necessary for artistic research, both as a practice and a field, and how can it be facilitated in a sustainably radical way?
That is why we create the conditions for three residencies where collectives can reflect on frameworks within the field of artistic research, give attention to what is there already in terms of practices, methods, research tools, and to what might happen or be transformed during a fallow period. The complete cycle of the three residencies wishes to act as an experimental pedagogical platform for dialogues between the collectives, a.pass, and anyone else who is interested in looking at sustainable art research models, methodologies, and ways of transmitting knowledge and practices.
The first selected collective, One Field Fallow, researches in Belgium, mostly in Brussels, where they run a space open to polyvocality. The collective has been initiated by a group of engaged native artists and researchers interested in questioning and learning through inclusion, activism, and solidarity in different fields. The second collective, Topote de Acahual, is the artistic and pedagogical branch of the ngo Vivero de Tebanca based in Tebanca, Los Tuxtlas rainforest, Mexico. The members of Topote are Mexican researchers and artists who come from different practices, and explore various artistic-pedagogical tools in order to empower the life and heritage of the Los Tuxtlas. With this third open call we are looking for a collective who could be complementary to the first two, to widen the horizon of the research and exchange happening during/through the residencies.
CONDITIONS? FRAMEWORK? EXPECTATIONS?
“Lying Fallow as a frame that can embrace the exhausted and the silent and the passionate and the engaged in an act of listening.” Rajni Shah
During their residency time the selected collective should take into account what read in the paragraphs above (a.pass context) plus the following three questions:
- How does your collective include artistic research within your (collective) practice? Which methods do you want to explore during a fallow period to organise (collective) artistic research and which conditions do you create for that?
- How does your collective share/open up the process of artistic searching to inspire and dialogue with others? What kind of methods does your collective want to explore during this residency in order to be able to transmit what is found in/through artistic research to others?
- Within your own collective practice, how do you see a future balance between production, presentation, and research? How would you organise periods of lying fallow in a sustainable way?
All the above mentioned questions wish to guide the collectives in exploring during the residency, their own set of research methods, practices and questions they are busy with already, and/or to rethink them. The residency is not production-oriented and does not intend to ask the collective to present a project. It wishes rather to welcome proposals from collectives who (want to) enter a fallow period to reimagine radical possible ways of doing artistic research in an even wider, inter-connected collective dimension. We value the work of collectives drafting models or spaces of artistic research through collaboration, rhizomatic approaches, solidarity, self-organisation, alternative ways of funding, etc. Therefore challenging Western, neo-capitalistic, academic, statal parameters applied to learning and sharing in the realm of artistic research.
In the first instance, the selected collective is invited to share with the other two collectives, plus the a.pass coordinator and the a.pass curator, what is found fruitful (in their view, and in terms of methodologies, practices, research tools..) during their residency time. Secondly, they will be invited to think how they want to transmit such practices/models/tools to others (peers, experts, students, generic audience) during a symposium organised and curated by a.pass, taking place in different locations in Brussels during December 2025. Please note: the specific time, place, and modalities of engagement of the collectives in the symposium are to be confirmed and discussed during the residency.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
- PERIOD: 2 months (or 8 and a half weeks) in a row or spread over a maximum of 5 months (June-October). Please indicate which period(s) would be most convenient for your group within this timeline. There will also be 2 exchange moments after the residency: one with the other selected collective/s and one during the final a.pass symposium taking place in December 2025.
- SALARY: 3 to 5 persons: €10.000 per person for the whole residency (2 months or 8,5 weeks, all costs and VAT included). In case of 6 to 10 persons: the total salary budget (€50.000 in total for the whole residency, all costs and VAT included) as well as the working time (8,5 weeks) will be divided, making sure people are paid correctly for the time they invest.
- TRAVEL + ACCOMMODATION COSTS: for people coming from outside of Belgium to Brussels, a maximum of €2.000 per person for the whole residency will be available for travel and accommodation (refund based on receipts). In case of 6 to 10 persons coming from outside of Belgium: the whole travel budget (€10.000) will be divided. ATTENTION: we don't have any accommodation to stay, we only provide collective workspace, location to be confirmed.
- RESEARCH BUDGET: €2.000 for the whole residency (on top of the salaries) for small production costs related to your research (to make your research possible, or to document or to share your research for instance). Basic technical equipment is available. You will have access to the a.pass library and access to the archive and an update about earlier steps made in this transition process.
- SUPPORT: a conversation partner/dedicated mentor and a.pass curator will be in touch with the collective for at least 3 moments during the residency and will also be in dialogue with a.pass (board and General Assembly). Our general coordinator is also present in Brussels to give administrative and productional support.
- SPACE FOR THE RESIDENCY: the residency will take place in Brussels, but since the nomadic character of the organisation at the very moment, now a.pass no longer exists as an educational institution, this place might change. Collaboration with other organisations, to create intersection with other worlds, other realities is possible too. You can also indicate in your application what specific conditions this workspace must meet for your residency.
- PERSONAL NEEDS: in case you have questions regarding specific personal needs (family, accessibility,...) please contact our general coordinator.
WHO CAN APPLY ?
The residency programme is aimed at collectives:
- made ideally of 5 persons (minimal 3 - maximal 10) coming from any artistic practice and discipline; please note: this call is not for individuals, nor for duos;
- having an artistic practice that is research-based and active already at the time of submitting the application;
- busy with, or interested in, bringing their practice in a fallow time and space, exploring what happens there, sharing with others their research tools and methodologies, and transmitting what was found fruitful during the residency;
- having experience with reflecting on institutions, or pedagogical or anthropological experience, or researching and practicing transnationally and/or transculturally;
- creating intersections with other worlds, other communities, other realities (social practices, farming or cooking, or other fields like the political, ecological, economical, juridical, urbanistic, subcultures, etc…).
We extend an especially warm welcome to applications from people of colour, people from the Global South, people with disabilities, displaced people, people of the LGBTIQA+ community.
FOR WHICH PERIOD CAN YOU APPLY?
The period for the 3rd collective will be JUNE - OCTOBER 2025
DEADLINE?
The deadline for the application for the 3rd collective (period June - October 2025) is FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28th 2025 (23:59 CEST).
HOW TO APPLY?
You can only apply by filling in the APPLICATION FORM here below (emails will not be accepted as application). We request you to upload all materials combined in 1 PDF - please name each chapter clearly :
- APPLICATION LETTER: (max 5 pages or 15 min of recording) this can be in writing or via an audio or video recording. We would like to know how you would take care of creating the fallow ground? Which methods would you like to explore to do artistic research and to share your experiences with others during the fallow period? What would be a desirable outcome for your group? What is your motivation for working on conditions for lying fallow, how do you imagine working together and why would you make a good group? Who is part of the group, have you worked together before, and in what fields is each of you active? Also good to mention briefly the collective and individual need in (artistic) research and your relation to it, as well as your relation to a.pass and/or Brussels.
- TIMELINE: (max 1 page) indicate your favourite periods (2 months or 8,5 weeks spread over max 5 months) and give us a more detailed planning or timeline of your residency.
- BIO’s + CV’s: (max 2 pages per person) of all the people involved in the group
- PORTFOLIO: (max 3 pages per person) this can be added to the PDF or you can share links to the online portfolio of the collective and/or of the single members (extra info, website, other links)
SELECTION?
The selection will be made by members of the board and the General Assembly of a.pass and 3 external jury members. Please be aware that our advisory committee always reflects a diversity of fields, gender identity, and geographical knowledge.
PROCEDURE:
The selection will be made by 3 members of the board and the General Assembly of a.pass and 3 external jury members. Please be aware that our advisory committee always reflects a diversity of fields, gender identity, and geographical knowledge.
1) a first selection will be made by the general coordinator, based on the following very basic criteria:
- is all the information requested in the form present?
- is it a collective (3-10 pers.) applying or not ? (individuals and duo’s will not be selected)
- is it a research application or not? (project and production applications will not be accepted)
2) a second selection will be made by the jury: each eligible application will be read by at least 2 jury members (each time a duo consisting of an a.pass member and an external jury member), they will look into the following criteria:
- how the notion of artistic research has been dealt within the proposal
- the pedagogical aspects of the proposal
- the proposed methodologies
- diversity of backgrounds, gender identities, and/or expertise within the groups
- the recognition of today’s challenges
3) a third selection will be made by all jury members: maximum 5 groups will be selected and invited for an online talk with the jury to elaborate on their application before a final selection is made.
4) a final selection will be made after the talk with the 5 groups, the jury will discuss the group they selected with the board and General Assembly of a.pass
All groups applying for this 3rd call will receive a reply by mid-April 2025.
Upon final selection, an agreement will be signed between the group and a.pass. In case of any changes in the composition of the group members (like the withdrawal or replacement of one of its members) a.pass must be informed and has to agree before the project can continue.
QUESTIONS? AND MORE INFO?
Check out our website or send an email to the general coordinator at kristof@apass.be
Every application will be offered a copy of the a.pass publication In These Circumstances: a collection of methodologies, insights, experiences, ideas, researches from 15 years of a.pass. In case you want it sooner, so you can use it for your application, you can ask for the PDF or order a physical copy of the book (€15, shipping within Europe included). Just send us an email.
“The research is an artistic practice, the practice is an artistic research. The research is guided by the questions arising in the artistic practice and, at the same time, the formulations of the research, its theories and methodologies, are feeding back into the practice which will return with new questions to the research.” Veridiana Zurita in In These Circumstances
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