PearlDiving Movement Residency
Pearl Diving Movement Residency supports professional artists making multimedia-based work with a movement component by providing rehearsal space, technical support, mentorship, and a stipend during a month-long residency between August 2016 to February 2017. The dual-track program serves both local and visiting artists and offers time in an environment where research, play, and risk-taking are encouraged in order to create and present new work. Participants are committed to personal and professional development, community engagement, and represent diverse voices in the local and national contemporary dance field. Each residency culminates with a shared public work-in-progress showing.
Local Track Artist:
Resides in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Interested in an early stage month-long residency for the creation of new multimedia-based work (combines artistic forms with new media and technology)
Receives a generous stipend of up to $2000
Receives 10 rehearsal hours a week to research, discuss, and experiment
Participates in a personalized Pittsburgh tour based on interests and subject of work
Offers at least one open rehearsal, two classes or workshops, and one non-traditional engagement activity led by local and visiting artists
Shares a public work-in-progress showing with visiting artist
Visiting Track Artist:
Resides outside of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Interested in a mid-stage month-long residency for the development of an existing multimedia-based work (combines artistic forms with new media and technology)
Receives a generous stipend of up to $5000
Receives 30 rehearsal hours a week to research, discuss, and experiment
Participates in a personalized Pittsburgh tour based on interests and subject of work
Offers at least one open rehearsal, two classes or workshops, and one non-traditional engagement activity led by local and visiting artists
Shares a work-in-progress showing open to the public with local artists
Stays in a one-bedroom apartment located in the heart of Wilkinsburg and in walking distance to the studio and public transportation. (sleeps up to 4 adults)
*PAS is particularly interested in connecting with visiting artists who reside in Buffalo, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Cleveland, Columbus, or Detroit
PROGRAM GOALS
To provide an artist-centered space for research, experimentation, creation, and feedback
To administer and foster audience engagement that benefits both the artists and the audience
To strengthen the relationship between the Pittsburgh dance community and the national dance scene
FULL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Pearl Diving Movement Residency (PDMR) supports professional artists making multimedia-based work by providing rehearsal space, technical support, mentorship, and a stipend. To be considered multimedia, the work should combine artistic forms with new media and technology. Work must also include a movement component. One local and one visiting choreographer will be selected after video applications are evaluated by a panel of PAS staff and local established choreographers.
Each PDMR artist is granted up to four weeks of dedicated time in the studio. PDMR provides ten hours of rehearsal a week to local artists who typically maintain their full time jobs while participating in the residency. Visiting artists receive up to thirty hours a week as they have more time to dedicate to working in the studio. PAS artists may also use time during the week to work with Pittsburgh-based collaborators for which they have been provided a small stipend. It is encouraged that these collaborators be experts in a multimedia aspect that the artist is seeking. They may also choose to work with Herman Pearl in his recording studio located in the same building as PAS. Time and resources are flexible depending on the artists’ needs and desires.
The visiting and local artists are not required to make work together but do co-participate in several activities. To begin the residency, we will introduce and connect the two artists with each other and the city through a personalized tour based on the interests and subjects of the artists’ works. The tour will serve research and inspiration for the next four weeks and will help establish a connection with people, places, and organizations in Pittsburgh that inform the creative process. A tour may consist of an artist studio visit, meeting a government official, sitting in on a university class, or more traditional tourist activities that aid in the creation of new work. The artists and PAS conceive the tour, and PAS staff administers it.
Throughout the four weeks, each artist is required to offer at least one open rehearsal, two classes or workshops, and one non-traditional engagement activity led by both artists outside of PAS. The non-traditional activity is offered toward the end of the residency and is planned by both artists with support from PAS staff. It may look like a walk and talk through Frick Park, craft night, or a discussion at a local café. It is open to the artists but must encourage dialogue and learning by both the artists and participants, and it must happen outside of PAS. Like the tour, it is meant to encourage interaction with participants in a neutral or familiar space to, in essence, break down the fourth wall by not including it at all.
The residency culminates in a shared showing of work created during the artists’ time rehearsing at PAS and while in conversation with participants. The showing is low-tech using what PAS provides in-house including a basic light plot, soundboard, and projection. Along with being professionally photographed and filmed, the showing is live streamed to connect a broader audience with Pittsburgh attendees, the artists, and PAS. This also provides an opportunity for the visiting artist’s hometown audience to view the performance. All audience, whether virtual or in-person, can participate in the post-show discussion. For the future development of the work, and to keep the evening engaging, PAS ensures a useful conversation that is crafted with the artists before the showing. The discussion is focused with predetermined questions posed to the audience with room to explore within those topics.
APPLICATION
You must submit a video application answering the questions below. PDMR will not accept written applications. The video should be 10 minutes or less and can be sent as a link, .mov file, .mv4 file, or a quicktime file. Please note that the video can be shot with a phone, on a computer, or whatever is accessible to you. We do not expect professionally shot and edited videos, but please make sure video and audio are clear. Please feel free to get creative with the presentation of your video application. Work samples must be submitted separately, but you may include b-roll footage of work in your video application if you wish. You must also submit a headshot, photo of your work, and one page resume with your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and website if applicable.
Complete applications must be submitted to info@pearlartsstudios.com with ‘DIVING’ as the subject by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Participants will be notified of the status of their application by Friday, July 8, 2022. The chosen artist will have the choice to complete their residency during the month of August 2022.
How do your friends and colleagues describe your body of work and aesthetic?
Provide the title and a detailed description of the proposed project, including number of participants. Please highlight themes and interests, and why it is important you make this work right now.
In what ways does your project include movement and multimedia components? To be considered multimedia, the work should combine artistic forms with new media and technology.
What types of collaborations has your past work produced? What were the benefits and drawbacks of working with collaborators?
If you had unlimited resources, time, space, and people-power, how would you engage an audience?
WORK SAMPLE
Please provide links to at least two work samples on Vimeo or YouTube that reflect your movement and multidisciplinary work. Submit entire works regardless of length. Provide a five minute timeframe (ex. 00:00 - 05:00) from each work that most defines your aesthetic. You may include a brief description for each work sample. (limit 75 words for each description). Note: Work samples must be sent in addition to the video application.
TIMELINE
Artist Call Announcement Date: Monday, April 4, 2022
Artist Application Due Date: June 29, 2022
Artist Notification Date: July 8, 2022
Artist Studio Time: Monday, August 1 - Friday, August 26, 2022