General questions
Who is eligible to take part in the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme?
Anyone over the age of 18 can join the scheme as long as artists commit to finding time to making progress on their projects and ‘soul friend’ buddies commit to making time and space available for connecting with their artists according to the framework agreed between the parties.
Children under 13 cannot legally use social media – a key component for promoting the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme – and students in secondary education (ages 11-18) have their creative pastoral and mentoring needs catered for in the school system by teachers, specialist experts, and peers (e.g. via school clubs and societies)
Also, most children under 18 still live at home with parents or guardians, receiving vital support and encouragement from family members.
Is there an entry fee to join the scheme?
There is no charge for joining the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme, either as an artist or as a ‘soul friend’ buddy.
Seeds Creatives does incur costs for running the scheme, but these are covered by charitable fundraising and by running Artist in Your Own Residence crowdfunding campaigns at CrowdPatch.
What type of creative projects are covered by the scheme?
Each ‘artist’ in the scheme commits to finding time, space and energy to work on a creative project, often a ‘side hustle’ to a main job or activity that takes up the majority of a waking day.
A creative project can be testing a scientific theory, designing a new product, service or building, inventing a solution to a problem, starting a new business, or exploring an entrepreneurial idea, in addition to the traditional idea of creativity as being the production of original work in the media, arts, entertainment or fashion sector
Where can artists live and work ?
This scheme has the word ‘home’ embedded in the title. Essentially, this location can be anywhere where someone can spend quality ‘me’ time, working through the stage they are at in the Making pearls creative life-cycle.
‘Home’ can be a kitchen table, a home office, a café or pub, a library, a friend’s place, a hotel room or lobby, a museum, or a park (Notable Life suggests 9 non-café spaces for working remotely): essentially anywhere with a decent WiFi connection (if working online) and an environment conducive to focusing attention on a creative project, which will be individual to each artist.
Our definition of ‘home’ is the opposite of ‘work’, which can be a day job, childcare commitments, a volunteer position, or anything in an artist’s life that takes time, space and energy away from their creative project.
In terms of geographic location, artists and buddies can live anywhere in the world that supports online communication via digital media (e.g. telephone services, email, and social media)
When does the scheme run?
The annual cycle for the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme runs from Twelfth Night (6 January) from one year to the next. The transition between each year of the scheme is marked with a celebratory party gathering to bring artists and buddies together to showcase work to peers, build friendships and share stories over food and drink. Artists and buddies can recommit to the scheme for as long as they like, either to continue an existing creative project or embark on a new one.
There is no cut-off deadline for joining Artist in Your Own Residence. The scheme is designed to artists to work at a pace that fits their busy lives.
Why does the scheme exist?
Life in the modern world pulls all of us in multiple directions that complete for our time, energy and resources. We promise ourselves – often in the form of New Year Resolutions (see Enterprise Europe article) – to ‘do better’ over the following year in making time for a creative project we have promised ourselves to start or continue.
Our willpower is often defeated by the reality of conflicting demands that take priority in our lives. We need, therefore, to find ways of ring-fencing time, space and energy for our creative projects
The Artist in Your Own Residence scheme makes artists feel responsible to their ‘soul friend’ buddies, people who take personal interest in the artists’ creative projects. This reframing of priorities allows the psychic space to give creative projects higher priorities in artists’ lives, even for the busiest people.
The scheme decreases loneliness, isolation and creative block because artists take creative journeys in partnership with ‘soul friend’ buddies.
Since 2014, the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme has helped multiple artists find inspiration, enthusiasm and stamina to start and complete creative projects.
How can people join the scheme?
Artists
- Send an email including your name, contact details and project outline to contact@seedscreatives.org
- Fill out a short artist questionnaire (which takes about 5 minutes)
- Seeds Creatives will match you to a ‘soul friend’ buddy and introduce you via email
Artists can also sign up to our monthly newsletter, engage with our Facebook community page and/or join our closed Facebook group, connect with us on Twitter and support our crowdfunding projects at CrowdPatch.
‘Soul friend’ buddies
- Send an email including your name, contact details and project outline to contact@seedscreatives.org
- Fill out a short buddy questionnaire (which takes about 5 minutes)
- Seeds Creatives will match you to an artist and introduce you via email
‘Soul friend’ buddies can also sign up to our monthly newsletter, engage with our Facebook community page and/or join our closed Facebook group, connect with us on Twitter and support our crowdfunding projects at CrowdPatch.
How does the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme compare with the Facebook Mentoring Scheme?
The new Facebook Mentoring Scheme, in closed beta form, is working with approved non-profit organisations to develop structured stepwise programmes for mentors and mentees. Facebook also has to regain ground lost in trust and credibility with consumers over the use of personal data to interfere in political elections in the UK, Europe and the USA.
By contrast, the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme gives optimal control and flexibility to artists and their ‘soul friend’ buddies to work out a plan that matches the individual circumstances of their lives. Seeds Creatives is a trusted host of the scheme given its charitable status, its successful history since 2014, and its role as an honest broker/matchmaker not driven by optimising profit for shareholders.
Where can the Artist in Your Own Residence scheme be found on social media?
Artist in Your Own Residence can be followed on the social platforms below:
- Facebook: Community page: @AiYORnet | Group: Artist in Your Own Residence Group (apply to join)
- Twitter: Artist in Your Own Residence: @AiYORnet
Seeds Creatives 