26 Jun 2012

Placements for Artists in Cyprus

THE CORNARO RESIDENCY

The Cornaro Residency is a three month residency for artists. It is held in the village of Lempa, two miles north of Paphos town on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and offered by the Cornaro Institute in association with the Cyprus College of Art and Symvoulio Lempas.

Lempa has been a centre for artists' residencies since 1981 with the establishment of the Lempa Studios of the Cyprus College of Art, and is designated by the Government of Cyprus as a Cultural Centre of National Significance.

We invite artists to spend a three month residency working individually or collaboratively to produce a body of work reflecting their personal artistic interests and possibly the influence of being in Cyprus on their art practice. This work will then be shown at an exhibition staged in Cyprus, either at the studios in Lempa or other locations in Cyprus, with the aim of standing out as a major cultural event in the Cyprus art calendar.

We aim to develop a co-operative working environment, so group events will develop organically, but could include life drawing sessions, visits to places of interest, organisation of lectures and interim exhibitions, etc.

The facilities at Lempa are low tech and the situation is very simple and basic. A high level of improvisation and creativity are required in the setting, making it ideal for painters and hands on sculptors. Other types of art practitioner are welcome to apply providing they are aware of this simple nature of the space.

At Lempa there is a small library, art shop, gallery and sculpture garden and cafe, but the location of the studio set up is a small village in a rural setting, near the sea.

Nearby are some truly ancient churches, archaeological sites and other places of interest, and Lempa itself is an interesting location as the village was totally abandoned by its original Turkish residents during the civil unrest in Cyprus in the 1960s, and only brought back to life when artists started moving in in the 1980s.

Single room living accommodation is offered rent free (although utility bills are still payable) very near to the studios, with shared cooking, washing and WC facilities similar to a youth hostel. All accommodation is self catering, and very basic.

Upon receipt of your online application we will request images of previous work. Upon completion of the programme participants receive the certificate award of Fellowship of the Cornaro Institute, but please note this is an an artists residency programme and not an academic course. We welcome applicants from all over the world.

The successful completion of the programme leads to the award of the Fellowship of the Cornaro Institute, a coveted honorific award that is held by a select number of artists from around the world.

Dates for programme:

20/9/2012 to 20/12/2012

or

20/2/2013 to 20/05/2013

In some cases it might be possible for participants to stay longer than three months if they want to continue working in Cyprus.

The language of the programme is English, but as this is primarily a research based programme, with institutional support, it is not necessary for fluency in English.

FEE

1000 euro

This pays for studio space for three months. We also offer free living accommodation on site if wanted. Utility bills are still payable on the rent free living accommodation, and the accommodation is youth hostel style, requiring everyone staying in it to take part in a cleaning rota for communal areas. All accommodation is self catering, single bedrooms, but with shared cooking and washing facilities. Twin rooms are available for people with partners (husbands, wives, etc) who will accompany them.

ADDITIONAL TEACHING QUALIFICATION

It is also possible for participants in this programme to undertake an accredited Level 4 preliminary teaching qualification. This is entirely optional and requires an additional payment, currently 150 euro.

The teaching qualification is evidence that you have undertaken teaching of art to people aged 16 or over and involves you having to give a lecture on your own work, or other teaching session, to art students at the Cyprus College of Art in Larnaca.

The teaching award is an optional element, so you do not have to do it if you do not want to and it is not guaranteed to be available. However, if you do want to do it you should indicate in your application whether it is something you would like to do.