3LD RESIDENCY PROGRAM
What is the 3LD Residency Program?
3LD is not a venue. It is a place for the creation and development of new work. 3LD has two main studios of which 3-Legged Dog Media + Theater Group makes full use for 2-6 months out of the year. The remainder of the year is divided into artistic development residencies. The majority of time is set aside for 6 week to 3 month residencies for artists working on large-scale ambitious experimental art of all kinds. Many of the artists create new technologies or artistic methods. Our commitment to providing resources and development time to our artists invariably leads to higher quality work, and higher international and national demand for the final product.
What do I get when I’m a resident?
3LD Art & Technology Center is a state-of-the-art mid-sized home for the experimental and multi-media arts. Residents gain 24/7 access (we give you the keys) to one of our fully equipped flexible production studios (Studio A: 4500sq ft/200 seat, or Studio B: 1350sq ft/90 seat] and our 600 sq ft pre-production media lab. Artists enter into our studios for anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months to experiment in true laboratory form with their designers, performers, scenery, media, music, and lights. Both production studios are grey boxes that artists can configure in any way they wish to suit their particular artistic vision.
Equipment available for use during residencies includes:
Last year, Studio C was adapted into a new media lab. In this space, resident artists can come in for 1-4 weeks of preproduction time, months in advance of their full length residency. Artists use this time to prerecord video or audio content for their shows, set up complicated show control systems, or even conduct early rehearsals for specific tricky media elements.
In addition to an astounding equipment compliment, 3LD Residency Program artists receive valuable fundraising and development consultations with our Executive Artistic Director, Kevin Cunningham, as well as marketing, technical, and media related guidance with 3LD’s expert staff as early as a year prior to opening through the full production.
Resident artist also receive the services of 3LD’s press agent for show promotion, and the use of 3LD’s online ticketing system, Ovationtix, to easily track patron information, sales, and fundraising efforts. Residents also are promoted through 3LD’s weekly eblasts and seasonal brochure.
How are Artists selected?
Artists are selected by 3-Legged Dog and an informal network of advisors from the international arts community. An effort is made to identify artists and groups on the cusp of artistic and organizational growth who can make the most use of the opportunity and the resources we provide. We do not curate works that have been premiered elsewhere.
If you are interested in apply for a 3LD Residency Program please click on the “How to Apply Button” and email the required materials. 3-Legged Dog curatorial team reviews applications on a biweekly basis.
Why is a residency at 3LD not free?
3LD is a cooperative studio/venue, not a rental roadhouse nor a presenting organization. We believe that artists must free themselves from the infantilizing and parasitic models too often embodied in so-called service organizations, producer/presenters and the philanthropic network as it currently exists. Artist must cooperate and develop their business skills in order to attain self-sufficiency.
Each resident project pays a weekly license fee on a sliding scale. Artists are given 24/7 access to space and equipment and assistance in making optimum use of resources. Artists keep 100% of the proceeds from their work. We are interested in artists and groups on the cusp of artistic growth. Residents to date have significantly increased scale and quality of production while significantly decreasing production costs. Audience response has been robust. We cannot do much to improve the appalling state of arts funding but we can do something about the cost structure of production.
Subsidies operate on a scaled basis dependent upon the resident’s financial resources, but average approximately $50,000 per resident project in space, equipment, utilities, and expert consultations. This means that established, well funded artists help support the work of emerging and early career artists by paying a higher licensing fee.
The rates and licenses have been carefully created to balance benefits to residents and self-sufficiency for the space, and are not negotiable. Please keep in mind as you review the licensing and rate structure that 3-Legged Dog is intimately familiar with the difficulties of fundraising and production in experimental arts and will work with residents to optimize use of and acquisition of resources.
