In 2024, the Arvo Pärt Centre is awarding two residency scholarships aimed at providing artists the perfect environment to further their creative practice.
This year, one scholarship will be awarded to an artist from the world of music and the other to a creative person working in any other field of art. The application round this year will open on 9 January. The deadline for applications is 29 February. This will be the only round of applications. Applications can be submitted HERE.
The residencies at the Arvo Pärt Centre are open to artists looking for a calm and inspiring environment to further their creative practice, develop projects and foster new ideas. The duration of the residency is from one to four weeks. The scholarship covers transportation, accommodation at the nearby LaSpa hotel and a daily allowance. In addition to a creative workroom at the centre, residents can use the library and, by agreement, other rooms and musical instruments in the centre.
The Austrian composer Annamaria Kowalsky, a recipient of the scholarship in 2021 has stated:
“The residency gave me two valuable experiences: firstly to be seen and valued as a multidisciplinary artist and to be given time and space to explore my work without a forced outcome, although I did have a plan and managed to do more than I expected. In addition, I was reminded by Arvo’s example of his life and work that it is absolutely okay that things (and oneself) take time to develop and mature. In our fast-paced world, with its constant pressure to deliver, it was such a valuable opportunity for me to fully trust in my own tempo and rhythm.”
Indrek Koff, a writer, translator and recipient of the scholarship in 2023, explains how the residency enabled him to realise a long-gestating idea that he doubted he would have been able to follow through on otherwise: “The invigorating atmosphere at the centre removed all of the creative blocks, and I got into the right state of mind from the very first moments after arriving. The most important thing is the silence that can be found not only in the centre itself but also on the shore and in the forests that surround it.”
To apply for the residency, applicants must complete the residency application found on the Centre’s website starting 9 January. Please read the Terms and Conditions of the programme HERE.
The Arvo Pärt Centre launched the residency programme in 2021. The recipients of the scholarships so far have been the Austrian composer Annamaria Kowalsky, the Belarusian composer Volha Padhajskaya, the Estonian playwright, stage director and theatre figure Ivar Põllu, the Iranian composer and guitarist Golfam Khayam, the Estonian writer and translator Indrek Koff, and the German composer Sophia Jani.
The creative workroom at the Arvo Pärt Centre can also be rented for use outside of the scholarship programme. If you are interested in doing so, please write to info@arvopart.ee.
Read more: https://www.arvopart.ee/en/residency/
Additional information:
Saara Laurik
saara@arvopart.ee