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Cultural Management: Science and Education, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2017)
9
Kim Lehman, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Market-
ing at the University of Tasmania and has a role as
Cultural Value Strategist for the Community, Part-
nerships and Regional Development portfolio. His
research interests focus on the arts and cultural
sectors, with streams investigating marketing,
development, management, and cultural tourism
issues. He leads a number of research projects as
part of this focus.
Email: Kim.Lehman@utas.edu.au
A
Kim Lehman
Conceptualising the value of artist
resdencies: a research agenda
A B S T R A C T
This article provides an overview of the concept of the artist residency and the benefits as per-
ceived by the art community and policy makers, then sets out a model within which an aca-
demic research agenda may be formulated. The model illustrates how the individual, the orga-
nisation, and the region intersect and interact in a range of different ways to form relationships,
impacts, and consequently, value in a variety of forms: thus providing numerous possible ave-
nues for empirical research.
K E Y W O R D S
Artist residencies, value, theory, research agenda
Paper received: 12 April 2017 Paper revised: 26 May 2017 Paper accepted: 8 June 2017
Introduction
n ‘artist residency’ or an ‘artist-in-
residence program’ describes the sce-
nario where an artist (as well as other
creative people) is invited to apply for time and
space away from their home environment, pos-
sibly in another country, and frequently in an-
other city. Traditionally they are seen as a time
where the artist can reflect, conduct research,
and investigate new works or means of produc-
tion. Sometimes the residencies are funded,
with accommodation and a stipend provided,
and other times the artist must pay the bulk of
the costs themselves. Indeed, there is consider-
able variety in the forms a residency can take.
Artist residencies have a long and rich his-
tory, perhaps starting with communities that
sought to encourage creative people to settle.
For example, the German town of Worpswede
has been an artist community since the 1880s.
It is still active as an artist colony and runs a
residency program for contemporary artists
(Corbett, 2015). Similarly, in the US, an artist
10
Logos Verlag Berlin – Academic Books for Sciences and Humanities
colony called the Corporation of Yaddo was
founded in 1900 in the state of New York. The
Trask family bequeathed their estate to the
establishment of a residency program for art-
ists. They saw Yaddo as a place of “rest and
refreshment [for] authors, painters, sculptors,
musicians and other artists both men and
women, few in number but chosen for their
creative gifts” (Corporation of Yaddo, 2017,
n.p.). From these early beginnings artist resi-
dencies have become an accepted part of the
art and cultural landscape, and certainly a valid
part of a professional artist’s career.
However, where once artists residencies
took place exclusively in an arts context, they
can now be found in business, technology, sci-
ence and education. Residencies are considered
to be “an open and fluid concept”, encompass-
ing “a broad spectrum of activity and engage-
ment” (European Commission, 2014, p. 9). For
example, Facebook has an artist in residence
program, with artists producing site specific in-
stallations throughout the Facebook offices
(Moss, 2015). In fact, the range of industries
where an artist can be involved is considerable.
In addition, many towns and regions have artist
residency programs as part of their arts and
cultural strategies. Furthermore, there is al-
most an artist residency ‘industry’ where bro-
kers put together artists and organisations,
such as Residency Unlimited and Res Artis and
where government bodies provide residency
programs as party of their creative industries
strategies. (e.g., the Australia Council’s Interna-
tional Residencies Program and the Institut
Français’ Artist-in-residence Program).
Despite the growth of the concept there is
little empirical research on the impact or value
of artist residencies in terms of benefits and/or
value to the artists, the host organisation, or
the wider organisational and public stake-
holders. Within this context, this article firstly
provides an overview of the concept of the art-
ist residency and the benefits as perceived by
the art community and policy makers, secondly
it sets out a framework within which an aca-
demic research agenda may be formulated, and
then finally discusses the implications for the-
ory and practice for such an agenda.
Sources of data
The majority of the data on artist residencies
has a practitioner focus, tends to relate to op-
portunities, and talks about how artists can use
residencies for professional and creative devel-
opment (see, for example, Alliance of Artists
Communities (USA), 2017; Arts Council of
England, 2016; Australia Council for the Arts,
2015). Other literature is professional in na-
ture, in the form of government reports, practi-
tioner articles and commentaries, and some
important case studies (e.g., Scott, 2006; 2010).
These sources on artist residencies are summa-
rised in terms of their topic and theme in Table
1.
Cultural Management: Science and Education, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2017)
11
Table 1. An overview of artist residencies sources in terms of their topic and theme
Topic
Theme
Visual artists in visual arts organisations
Professional development for the artist; creative develop-
ment (at minimal cost) for the organisation.
Artists in education contexts
The role of artists/the arts in encouraging/stimulating
learning (there is quite a lot of this in education journals) –
also seen in business consultancies promoting arts based
learning for organisations, see Creativity at Work:
http://www.creativityatwork.com/arts-in-business-apply-
ing-the-arts-to-organisational-learning/
Arts/business government sponsored or-
ganisations
These tend to be coming from a funding angle – e.g., how can
business support the arts?
Artists ‘embedded’ in organisations for
professional benefit
No benefit for the organisation stated, e.g., Anonymous,
2013.
‘Think’ pieces/case studies
Magazine type articles discussing specific cases, e.g., Moss,
2015 on Facebook.
From Table 1 it can be seen that there has not
been any investigation into measuring either
the value or impact of artist residencies. That
said, it is clear there considerable value can be
derived from artist residencies, as perceived by
artists and policy makers (though no empirical
evidence). The following section provides an
overview of the role of artists residencies.
The role and benefit of artist residencies
Artist residencies frequently provide the artist
with a range of professional and economic re-
sources, including a living allowance, facileties,
tools, professional feedback and opportunities
to develop their networks and build an audi-
ence. In addition, they can also offer access to
new technologies, partnerships and further
funding opportunities which may lead to the
development of new ‘products’ and ideas that
expand the artists’ work. It has also been said
that residencies can also offer time for reflec-
tion and experimentation, opportunities to de-
velop artistic practice, and connect with other
artists (Australia Council for the Arts, 2015).
Certainly, some of the benefits of residencies
highlighted by artists relate to how the resi-
dency experience can inspire them creatively,
sustain them professionally, provide artistic
and professional opportunities, build interna-
tional networks and expose them to emerging
international trends in their art form (Styhre
and Eriksson, 2008). Intrinsic benefits include
building confidence and pride, and generating a
sense of being taken seriously, alongside the
prestige that comes with being awarded a resi-
dency in the first place (Australia Council for
the Arts, 2015). The experience of being in
residence also fosters a wider cultural aware-
ness (when artists visit another country), and
competencies in organisational and managerial
skills (European Commission, 2014).
For the host organisation, hosting artists from
different cultural and professional backgrounds
offers them opportunities to gather experience
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Logos Verlag Berlin – Academic Books for Sciences and Humanities
and develop long-lasting relationships, often
leading to wider networks of international art-
ists, cultural organisations and funding agen-
cies (European Commission, 2014). More
broadly, embedding an artist within an indus-
try can provide a source of creativity and help
stimulate an innovative corporate culture
(Roodhouse, 1997). The art and business envi-
ronments can be visualised as having an inter-
active, permeable boundary facilitating multi-
directional connections and new innovative
relationships (Fillis and Rentschler, 2008).
Schiuma and Carlucci (2016) consider artist
residencies as a powerful form of art-based
initiative, strategically handling individual and
organisation level value-drivers including pas-
sion, emotion, hope, morality, imagination, as-
piration and creativity. They argue that art-
based initiatives can impact on the ‘processes’,
‘values’, ‘identity’, ‘image’, ‘brand’ and ‘culture’
of organisations. When an artist enters, shares,
and works in collaboration with the industrial
organisation, the residency becomes a unique
form of cultural experience involving compari-
son of communication, knowledge, perception
and imagination (Scott, 2006). The idea that
both artist and organisation benefit is key to
the role artist residencies are seen to play in all
industry sector contexts.
Industry contexts
In terms of the industry sector in which the
residency takes place, schools and educational
institutions have a long history of involving
artists in the organisation (Bumgarner, 1994).
In general, artists in educational contexts are
seen as advancing the role of the arts in the
curriculum, and encouraging and stimulating
learning (Lumsdaine, Lumsdaine, 1995; Pujol,
2001). They are also seen as contributing to
staff development (Hunter, Baker, Nailon,
2014). Residencies in non–education contexts
are seen as facilitating organisational learning
and capacity building for the host organisation
(Shanken, 2005).
As noted above, there is a multitude of sec-
tors that now host artist residencies: there
have been cases of artists working in technol-
ogy industries (Moss, 2015; Naiman, 2011); in
medicine (Rockwood, 2004); and in museums
(Anonymous, 2013). The sector that appears to
have had the most interaction with artists’ re-
sidencies is science. So much so that in the UK
and Australia there are organisations that faci-
litate and support art/science collabo-rations
and residencies. In the UK the ASCUS Art & Sci-
ence organisation is a: “…non-profit organi-
sation committed to bridging the gap between
the arts and sciences. We work with partners
and practitioners to create innovative trans-
disciplinary projects to engage new and wider
audiences and facilitate innovative public en-
gagement with both fields” (ASCUS Art & Sci-
ence, 2017, n.p.).
In Australia the Australian Network for Art
and Technology (ANAT) collaborates with the
Australia Council for the Arts on the Synapse art
science program “supports intensive partner-
ships between leading media artists and sci-
ence institutions in Australia and beyond”
(Australian Network for Art and Technology,
2017, n.p.). In many respects the interactions
between art and the sciences can be seen as a
model of the benefits of artist residencies. As
Scott (2010) has noted: “Residency programs
are encouraging artists who are interested in
research to witness the process of scientific
Cultural Management: Science and Education, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2017)
13
discovery and science labs are becoming inter-
ested in the art process” (2010, p. 8).
The University of Western Australia’s
Symbiotic a residency program within the
School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Bi-
ology is an example of an innovative mixing of
science and art. Their program claims it “ex-
poses artists and researchers to the culture and
practice of science” and provides “a hothouse
for developing new skills and knowledge for its
residents” (University of Western Australia,
2017).
The host community or region
In addition to the personal and organisational
aspects of residencies, linking more directly to
the external environment in which the resi-
dency takes place, creative stimulation for the
region or community where the residency is
located can also occur. Broadly, as is stated in
the EU Policy Handbook on Artists' Residencies,
there is a “…growing recognition of the value of
artistic and creative potential in society” (Eu-
ropean Commission, 2014, p. 17). Globally,
there is an increasing emphasis within gov-
ernment policy on the role of the cultural in-
dustries as drivers of urban and regional de-
velopment (Evans, 2009). Another driver that
is particularly relevant in this case is the fact
“many cities are struggling to become more
creative, and to present themselves as creative
destinations” (Richards, Marque, 2012, p. 3).
Consumer demand for creative experiences
include an increasing interest in the active par-
ticipation in cultural practices by tourists (Gor-
din and Matetskaya, 2012). Artist residencies
are clearly seen as a vital component of any
strategy to encourage the growth of a creative
community or region.
A research agenda
It is apparent that there is considerable interest
in artist residencies in a professional and gov-
ernment policy sense. This is partially related
to the overall interest in the role of art itself as
an instrument for the creation of cultural value
(Carnworth, Brown, 2014; Crossick, Kaszyn-
ska, 2016). This position can be seen in the EU
Policy Handbook on Artists’ Residencies, where
it is stated that artist residencies: “…can pro-
vide cultural enrichment of the community in a
number of ways: by providing a platform for
collaboration with the creative process, by par-
ticipating in events or by being the audience for
work or work in progress… [and] help to de-
velop awareness, knowledge and understand-
ing between different groups in socjety” (Eu-
ropean Commission, 2014, p. 38).
However, the same level of interest is not
seen in the academic literature. Even within
scientific research institutions, which have a
long history of interacting with artist residen-
cies, no investigation as to the value to the art-
ist, the scientific department (or discipline), or
the institution has taken place (Jeffries, 2011).
Following on from the discussion in the pre-
vious section, Table 2 presents a value frame-
work for artist residency programs, as per-
ceived by the art community and policy mak-
ers. Each of these intersections between a type
of value and the beneficiary of that value repre-
14
Logos Verlag Berlin – Academic Books for Sciences and Humanities
sents a potential topic for research. Further-
more, these intersections can also be seen as
the focus for both multi- and cross-disciplinary
research projects. This is because the potential
roles for artist residencies span the creative,
economic, organisational and developmental
spheres of research activity (as well as many
others).
Table 2. A value framework for artist residency programs
Value type
Beneficiary
Individual
Organisational
Societal
Professional devel-
opment (skills, re-
sources, reputation,
etc.)
Artist
Economic benefits
Artist
Host organisation
Region or community
Broadened cultural
knowledge
Artist
Host organisation
Region or community
Organisational learn-
ing and capacity
building
Host organisations
and/or community orga-
nisations
Creative and cultural
stimulation
Region or community
where the residency is
located
As a means of progressing the discussion, set-
ting a research agenda, and illustrating just
how fruitful the research possibilities could be,
Figure 1 presents a model of how the various
actors relate to each other. In this model the
three beneficiaries noted in Table 2 - the indi-
vidual, the organisation, and the region - inter-
sect and interact in a range of different ways.
Very briefly, it is suggested that each actor
comes with their own characteristics (and po-
tential issues), which then can potentially inte-
ract to form relationships, impacts, and conse-
quently, value in a variety of forms. Clearly
there are numerous possible areas of research
interest, however the following research ques-
tions are proposed as a starting point:
In what ways do artists’ residencies in non-
art industry contexts add value to the artist,
the audience and the host organisation?
Are the impact and values different for the
various art forms, e.g., dance, theatre, or the
visual arts?
How does the individual artist’s charac-
teristics, e.g., their personality, skills, etc.,
affect the ‘success’ of the residency?
In what ways do artist residencies add value
to a city or region?
What are the factors of success of an artist
residency for all actors?
What motivates artists and organisation to
participate in artist residencies?
Cultural Management: Science and Education, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2017)
15
Figure 1. An example research case
Importantly, there are both theory and practice
implications for the research agenda proposed
here. Firstly, for theory, empirical research
would be welcome in the arts management and
marketing areas, where there have been nu-
merous calls for more robust theories that take
account of the nuances of the arts and cultural
sectors (e.g., Fillis, 2011; Lehman, Wickham,
2014). Here the issues of artists’ careers,
stakeholder management, and consumer moti-
vation (amongst others) are relevant. In urban
and regional planning field, there is considera-
ble debate on the role of the arts and cultural
sectors driving development, as well as discus-
sion over the development of creative precincts
and zones (e.g., Evans, 2009; Grodach, Loukai-
tou‐Sideris, 2007). Investigating the nexus be-
tween artist residencies and urban–based crea-
tive precincts, for example, would provide a
valuable addition to the literature. Linking to
planning issues, there also appears to be consi-
derable scope for adding to the research being
16
Logos Verlag Berlin – Academic Books for Sciences and Humanities
done on the creative and cultural industries in
relation to individuals and society. Overall,
there is now a heightened awareness of the
significance of ‘cultural value’, which concerns
those areas of social and individual ‘life’ where
art and culture can have an impact or add value
(Crossick, Kaszynska, 2016). Research directed
to understanding the links, if any, between
supporting artists within communities and or-
ganisations and improving health and wellbe-
ing, or improving social inclusion, would be
seen as significant for research in the health
and cultural trends literatures.
For practice there is no doubt that manag-
ers, policy makers and artists need a better
understanding of artist residencies in terms of
benefits and/or value to the artists, the host
organisation, or the wider organisational and
public stakeholders. Government policymakers
need to consider how to foster genuine interre-
lationships between related stakeholder groups
when developing policies in the sector. Indeed,
as has been previously mentioned, around the
world there is an increasing emphasis within
government policy on the role of the arts and
cultural sector as a driver of development, par-
ticularly related to those aspects of the sector
deemed to be ‘creative industries’ (Andres,
Chapain, 2013) or seen as part of the ‘creative
economy’ (Creative Industries Innovation Cen-
tre, 2013). In this context it is clear that while
there is significant interest in artist residencies
from the artists themselves, as well as from the
organisations and regions or communities that
support them, there is a pressing need to con-
ceptualise their impact and value from a robust
academic theory perspective, for the benefit of
all concerned. This article has sought to pro-
vide a starting point by setting out a framework
within which a research agenda may be for-
mulated.
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Useful websites
ASCUS Art & Science organisation:
http://www.ascus.org.uk
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Program:
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(ANAT): http://www.anat.org.au
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-residence
Res Artis: http://www.resartis.org/en/
Residency Unlimited:
http://residencyunlimited.org
