Starter is an initiative designed to seed ideas and develop an artists’ practice through the offer of eight residencies that come with a budget (£2500), in kind space and equipment, access to technical advice and expertise, and producing and dramaturgical support.

Six of the eight residencies will be targeted towards artists with specific practice, skills or experience, with two residency places remaining totally open. Starter residencies are not commissions or production opportunities, and all rights to the work generated will remain with the artists and their collaborators.

Two residencies are currently open to applications- for artists of colour and playwrights (specially for practise development) 

Criteria 

• This opportunity is open to artists across art forms (including theatre, music, sound, movement, film, visual art, story-telling, spoken word etc), who wish to explore a new or existing bold and vital live performance idea that moves forward their practice and career.
• You must:
  • Be resident in Scotland
  • Be over 18 years of age
  • Be able to demonstrate that you’ve undertaken a relevant artistic project (outwith formal studies)
  • Must be eligible to work in the UK and be able to provide evidence through the presentation of a valid passport or VISA if you are a non EU resident.
  • You must not be in full time education
• Each residency place will be selected by a panel comprising of National Theatre of Scotland staff and external artists and companies. They will select the artists that most excite us through:
  • the ideas or forms being explored
  • the stated benefit to the artist’s practice
• They would like to select a 2019 cohort who will reflect Scotland’s diversity. Their intention is to have a gender balance across the cohort, and include artists from ethnic minority communities, socially/economic diverse backgrounds, those who identify as disabled, artists based outside of the central belt and speakers of Scotland’s minoritised languages.
• In making their selection the panel will prioritise artists who have some practical experience in the area in which they propose to work. Similarly they may be less likely to prioritise artists who have had more than three fully funded and professionally produced opportunities for selection.

Residencies can be used to:

• Research and develop the initial seed of an idea
• Further develop an existing unproduced project
• Develop an artist’s skills and practice, or build new relationships
• Artists are guaranteed access to working space at the Company’s new facility in Glasgow, but we will try to secure space at other geographical locations if required.
• Two Starter Residencies will go live for applications every three months.
• Whilst some residencies are specifically targeted, artists should apply for any and all residencies opportunities for which they are eligible.

Upcoming Residencies
D/deaf Artist
A residency place for an artist that identifies as D/deaf to focus on a new idea for a piece of performance or to facilitate a forward-shift in their practice.
Go Live Date: 17 February 2020
Applications Close: 12.00pm, 1 May 2020
Decisions: By 6.00pm on 16 May 2020
Timescale for Residency: July – September 2020
Panel: Caroline Newall (National Theatre of Scotland), Lucy Deere (National Theatre of Scotland), Ramesh Meyyappan (Theatre maker)

An Artist with an experimental performance practice living and working in a remote / rural location
A residency place for an artist with an experimental / inter-disciplinary/ Live Art performance practice who is based in a remote or rural location to focus on a new idea or to facilitate a forward-shift in their practice. In partnership with //BUZZCUT//
Go Live Date: 17 February 2020
Applications Close: 12.00pm, 1 May 2020
Decisions: By 6.00pm on 16 May 2020
Timescale for Residency: July – September 2020
Panel: Anna Hodgart (National Theatre of Scotland), Bejal Desai (National Theatre of Scotland), Karl Taylor (//BUZZCUT//)

Ayr or Ayrshire based Artist
A residency place for an artist based in Ayr or Ayrshire to focus on a new idea or to facilitate a forward-shift in their practice. In partnership with the Ayr Gaiety Theatre.
Go Live Date: 18 May 2020
Applications Close: 12.00pm, 3 July 2020
Decisions: By 6.00pm on 13 July 2020
Timescale for Residency: October – December 2020
Panel: Lucy Deere (National Theatre of Scotland), Anna Hodgart (National Theatre of Scotland), TBC (Ayr Gaiety)

Artist making work about the Climate Crisis
A residency place for an artist to develop a new idea for a new piece of performance that explores the climate crisis.
Go Live Date: 18 May 2020
Applications Close: 12.00pm, 3 July 2020
Decisions: By 6.00pm on 13 July 2020
Timescale for Residency: October – December 2020
Panel: Caroline Newall (National Theatre of Scotland), Bejal Desai (National Theatre of Scotland), Lewis Hetherington (Playwright and Theatre Maker)

Two open residencies
Open to any artist looking to develop a new idea for a piece of performance or to facilitate a forward-shift in their practice.
Go Live Date: 10 August 2020
Applications Close: 3 October 2020
Decisions: By 6.00pm on 12 October 2020
Timescale for Residency: January – March 2021
Panel: National Theatre of Scotland’s staff and Associate Artists (TBC)

ENTER TWO OPEN RESIDENCIES NOW- FOR ARTISTS OF COLOUR AND PLAYWRIGHTS TO FOCUS ON PRACTISE DEVELOPMENT