ART / RESEARCH
RESIDENCIES
OVERVIEW
La SOURCE is a live/work creation-lab for creators with active practices (emergent or established) in any contemporary art form or research methodology. Everyone here is committed to passionate, intensive engagement with their work. We ask from everyone here a deep, rigorous care of one's own & one another’s practice and creative sovereignty, as well as consideration and respect for the site itself (which is both ecologically and historically protected).
We are located in a 17th century linen farm, on 5 hectares of land, on the edge of a large forest - only a 20 minute drive from both the ocean and the low-mountain moors of Les Monts d’Arrée.
La SOURCE is staffed by 3 coordinators and 2 volunteers; we welcome a maximum of 6 artists/researchers-in-residence at a time.
La SOURCE is especially well-suited for writers, poets, researchers, theorists/philosophers, photographers, land-artists, activists, and visual artists working on paper or with site-specific practices.
RESEARCH orientations that excite us:
Artistic (research through creation in any medium or practice)
Interdisciplinary (cross-pollination)
Transdisciplinary (co-creative, innovative, solution-based)
Heuristic (discovery-based, immersive, and personal)
Qualitative (experiential, descriptive and subjective)
Methodological (creation of tools and practices)
Exploratory (process-oriented)
Dialogical (in conversation and with direct feedback)
Inclusive (everyone both teacher/student, subject/observer, expert/novice)
Narrative (story and character-based insight sourcing)
Analogical (understanding through comparison and logical mapping)
Phenomenological (examination of lived experience)
Collaborative (multivocal and participatory)
.... and if that all feel too technical, you can also just arrive with deep care for your burning question/s, and an immense dedication to explore and share its every corner and nuance.
Arriving with a genuine curiosity to encounter the universe of the others' universe and practices is of utmost importance. There are no expectations of collaboration, but leaving space for the emergent is essential to our vision.
ART orientations that excite us:
Conceptual Art
Installation Art
Performance Art
Interactive Art
Musical Art
Socially-engaged Art
Land-Art
Exploratory Art
Literary Art
Site-Specific Art
Sound Art
Graphic Art
Healing Arts
Intersectional Art
Life-Art
New Media Art
Environmental Art
Video Art
Word Art
Participatory Art
Ephemeral Art
Experimental Art
Situationist Art
Street Art
Relational Art
Interventionist Art
Audio Art
Kinetic Art
Theater Arts
Activist Art
Body Art
Documentary Art
Visionary Art
Confessional Art
Digital Art
Multi-sensory Art
... actually, we're excited by all creative forms. We have probably missed a few options. If you are unsure - apply anyways. Formal distinctions are unimportant. We are here to go deeper than form.
Most importantly, your practice must aspire to serve something beyond yourself.
This is a purpose-driven frame of creation.
TIME
3 week minimum, 12 week maximum
During three scheduled sessions:
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Fall Session 2024:
Saturday, September 28 -
Saturday, December 21
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Spring Session 2025:
Saturday, March 1 -
Saturday, May 24
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Summer Session 2025:
Saturday, June 7 -
Saturday, August 30
(Dates for 2025 spring and summer sessions may be subject to change as program plans evolve.)
While on campus, your time is your own. La SOURCE is ideal for self-motivated and autonomous creators. Residencies are self-directed.
However, all residents and staff are encouraged to make and attend propositions (to be posted on the proposition board in the library). Propositions might include: walks, workshops, studio visits, feedback and collective editing sessions, outings to local cultural or historical sites, interviews, shared practices, discussion groups, and reading/study circles.
We will host, once a week, time for everyone who is interested to gather in the library and share what’s happening in the evolution of their work. (most likely on Fridays afternoons)
WHAT WE ASK of residents
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to submit a contribution of 5 - 20 images or pages created while in residency, plus a brief bio, for the yearly publication
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to be interviewed (audio-recorded for transcription) and photographed for the yearly publication prior to departure
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to participate equitably in collective domestic care to maintain a hygienic & harmonious environment in shared spaces
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an attitude of open-minded curiosity and utmost respect for all others here (others on any level, including: fellow residents, staff, our animals, visitors, neighbors, wildlife, vegetation, both interior spaces and the biosphere, etc.) as well as a profound willingness to stay engaged in open communication with any needs, wishes, or concerns that may arise.
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An intense and fundamental focus on your creative process or research while here in the residency.
Residents are always welcome to help out in the garden or with the animals if they find a call to connect with the land.
GETTING HERE
Residents are responsible for organizing their own travel to La SOURCE (though we can assist with organizing pick-ups at the train station of Morlaix, the airport of Brest, and the ferry port of Roscoff).
GETTING AROUND
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There is a bus stop 20-minutes walking distance from campus with 1-2 buses a day into the city of Morlaix (including the train station). Buses depart in the morning and return in the late afternoon. The ride is free, but must be reserved at least 24 hours in advance (we can help with this).
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There is a train stop 30-minutes walking distance from campus with 2 trains a day into the city of Brest. Weekdays only.
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There are no shops within easy walking distance (it’s about a one-hour walk into the village of Saint Thégonnec). By bicycle it takes about 20 minutes. We usually have one or two bicycles available to borrow.
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Many residents choose to rent a car during their stay. The local grocery stores, Leclerc and Super U, provide car rentals as low as 6€/day (excluding kilometers and gas).
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Coordinators are sometimes available to assist with providing a lift, pick-up, or drop-off for approximately half the cost of a taxi.
SPACE
In addition to each resident's individual lodging here on campus, residents have continuous access to a number of inviting spaces and areas for collective use. These collective spaces indicate some fundamental beliefs about the environmental conditions that might best support the creative process.
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The Library (includes the “library of love” collection of books donated to assist love-studies; a large private collection of books related to art, art theory, theater, poetry, theology, philosophy, cultural studies and psychology; a projector and cinema screen; a wood-burning fireplace, lounging area and large tables for conferences and workshops)
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The Greenhouse-Dôme (a space for individual or collective alignment, performance, and movement practice)
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The Stables (a collective atelier/studio for creative practices - especially material processes in the visual arts; unwelcoming in colder weather as it is not insulated.)
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The Summer Kitchen (a wood-fired outdoor kitchen, sheltered, with a view of the valley - also an inviting space for exploratory culinary art, traditional craft-work, or eco-creative practices
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The Wellness Area (a space to see how care of the body can impact the state of the mind and heart. Includes a pool, wood-fired sauna, nordic fire-bath, and a hidden outdoor shower).
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The Valley (a protected natural habitat for wildlife, enveloped by forest and tree-line, with a stream and a bridge for crossing to visit our oak-elder. This is also a space available for land art and site-specific installation, with respect to the ecosystem.)
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The Forest (the neighboring forest, with its several rivers and bouldery hillsides, is accessible from the property and includes well maintained paths for easy and safe walks day or night (as well as plenty of wilder corners). This forest will lead you on a walking loop of about 90 minutes to and from “The Forgotten Village” - a 400 year old settlement of stone ruins in the center of the wood.)
And lastly, Our Animal-Family and their various habitats:
Living with animals can invite a powerful reminder to return to the most essential aspects of connection. Observing, bonding with, and caring for animals can increase inner-conditions for creative ‘fertility.’ Presently La SOURCE has on property a family of 10 goats, 3 sheep, a goose, a duck, chickens, and a dog; our neighbors also often pasture their horses on our grounds.
Also included with your stay:
Open wifi
Provision of new sheets every two weeks
Weekly cleaning of collective spaces, and access to cleaning supplies for the care of personal spaces.
MEALS
The collective kitchen is in the main house and is available at all times. It is a strictly vegetarian kitchen. Meat, poultry, fish and shellfish can be cooked in the summer kitchen.
The collective kitchen is fully equipped. It is the responsibility of each person to engage the "leave no trace" policy after cooking in order keep the space open and inviting for use by everyone.
La SOURCE does not provide food - but if you come without a car, we can help you do your shopping online and pick it up for you in case you don't have a vehicle. This grocery pick-up happens once (on Fridays).
Each resident has their own personal shelf in the pantry for dry-goods and a shelf in the refrigerator for fresh-goods.
Everyone takes meals in alignment with their own rhythm and needs. Collective meals are often organized amongst residents (often one group meal a week at least) - everyone who attends participates by offering a contribution to the chef.
The kitchen is a dearly important place of connection and care, as well as a place of profound and inspiring exchange. It often becomes, in many ways, the hub of collective research at La SOURCE
{PRACTICALITIES}
SPACE | DESCRIPTION | ROOM / weekly |
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"the Meanwhile" (L1) | private studio with lofted bed, kitchenette, private bathroom and private entry (tiny-house style). Maximum 1 person. | 175€ |
"the Likewise" (L2) | 1 room upstairs, 1 room downstairs, private entry, private bathroom. Maximum 3 people. | 200€ |
"the Therefore" (L3) | 1 room upstairs, 1 room downstairs, private entry, private bathroom. Maximum 2 people. | 175€ |
"the Whereas" (M1) | large private room; courtyard view; shared entry; shared bathroom (1st floor above library) | 160€ |
"the Nonetheless" (M2) | private room; valley view; shared entry; shared bathroom (2nd floor above library) | 140€ |
"the Furthermore" (Cottage) | self-standing (private entry, private bathroom and private kitchen); wheelchair accessible | 250€ |
RESIDENCY FEES
PAYMENT of RESIDENCY FEES :
Fees must be paid prior to arrival, and include nightly stay, the cleaning fee (40-60€ depending on the space), a registration fee of 30€, and a 200€ deposit to be refunded the day of departure.
Fees can be paid by Wise (formerly TransferWise), by direct Wire Transfer, or by cash the day of arrival. PayPal will be available soon. We cannot accept credit cards or checks.
a NOTE on FEE TRANSPARENCY :
La SOURCE is a non-profit organization, self-funded and independently operating, with no salaried or financially remunerated employees (even coordinators and the director work as volunteers. These fees contribute to covering only a portion of the functioning costs of the site and project.
Though we do hope in the future to be able to award scholarship grants to cover the residency fees, at the present time we are unable to. We are glad to provide accepted fellows with documentation to assist in applications to external educational or cultural funding bodies.
NOT INCLUDED in your stay :
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Grocery pick-up (Fridays) - 5€/per person.
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Laundry - 5€/wash
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Additional heating (beyond our thermostat settings) and the charging of electric cars will incur additional charges (variable depending on usage).
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Travel - Residents are responsible for organizing their own travel to and from the property, any travel visas that may be necessary, NOTE: all residents must provide proof of travel insurance (or civil liability insurance) for circulation in France.
VISITORS :
For the safety of the site and community, overnight visits are limited to partners, family, long-time close friends and creative collaborators. Hosts must ensure that their visitors follow our visitor policy while on campus (shared upon arrival).
The Visitor's fee is 15€/night.
Please note that visitors are encouraged to either to stay for brief periods (2-3 days) or to also be engaged in rigorous creation or research. La SOURCE is not a space for vacation.