The National College of Arts offers an eight-ten week artists residency for established and emerging artists to develop their work.

Artists are expected to develop a proposal of how they intend to work within the education setting and how they envisage interacting with the college community. This could include open studio practice, collaborative projects, workshops, conversations or presentations. Applicants should consider how they will communicate with the students and staff about their practice to offer students and staff authentic arts learning experiences.

This residency is intended to advance the careers of practicing artists, to prepare students as professional artists, and to strengthen awareness of the significance of applied arts.

Resident artists are expected to develop a body of work while at NCA and to be extensively involved in the education of NCA students and the NCA community. Residents must be established or emerging artists of exceptional talent who exhibit strong artistic, educational and communication skills. Specific involvement during the residency beyond each artist’s own work might include guest lecturing in a master class, giving public lectures, mentoring students, participating in college activities, and working on artist community in large.

This residency is specifically structured to expand upon the conservatory environment and collaborative atmosphere that is the cornerstone of the National College of Art’s educational experience, providing students with the opportunity to observe an artist at work and to engage in dialogue with the artist in both the studio and classroom. Through public lectures, workshops, and exhibition, the Artist-in-Residence program expands on NCA’s mission to act as a public resource center for the exchange and exploration of ideas relative to our cultural and social environment.

The National College of Arts offers a six-week artists residency to NCA Alumnae in each academic semester. The residency supports ex-students providing the time and space to reconnect with the college environment, interacting with students, faculty and staff.

Fostering creative and artistic excellence, the six-week long residency offers mid-career artists a break from their scheduled lives to focus on their work. The residency provides an opportunity for artists to undertake professional development by focusing on aspects of their practice while immersed in an educational environment. It offers opportunities to learn and share while also providing pathways for graduates to connect their practice to young people and for artists to inspire, re-connect or introduce teachers to new ideas and approaches. It offers students, staff and the college community exposure to professional contemporary artists and their work. The focus of the Alumnus residency is on demonstrating to students and staffs the artist's creative processes and practice rather than working on a specific project outcome for the college or teaching students directly.

With the aim of advancing the arts throughout NCA curricula, we are particularly interested in supporting those alumni who haven’t been able to alter their practice after their graduation from the college. The residency will provide a chance to relocate their practice and inspire them with contemporary art practices through current trends among students, staff, and faculty to progress their work in new directions. The alumni must have graduate at least four years prior to the time they apply for the residency. Alumni working in any mediums may apply. A stipend will be given to Alumni-in-residence. However living may or may not be available for this residency.

The National College of the Arts, Lahore offers a 12-15 weeks Academic-in-Residence programme for arts practitioners in the fields of Theoretical Arts, History and Cultural studies, and Curatorial or Arts Management practices.

This Residency aims to integrate the art education across the curriculum by specifically involving academics, researchers, writers and instructors that are not traditionally associated with the art making process. Academic-in-Residence are the singular frontrunners of their arena. They are given the autonomy to determine the independent course pedagogy and the responsibility for its success. At NCA, Academic-in-Residence are not typical faculty members; they are full-time artists as well as thinkers, and whose studio practice encompasses the element of research, history and documentation. During their time at NCA, the Academic-in-Residence mentors at least 15-20 graduate students in a collegial environment including all the departments at college. They select their students, guide the development of each individual and nurture a productive and interactive environment. This residency culminates in an exhibition of students with resident’s written statement.

Applicant for this residency must be unusually well-qualified to provide open, independent learning, resulting in rigorous production, critique and discussion, and inspiring research, innovation and experimental paradigms among students. The applicant should demonstrate a strong record as a professional academic at the highest level in the field; have teaching experience at the graduate level and strong interpersonal and communication skills to lead the course of minimum of 15 students. It is anticipated that the Academic-in-Residence will also advocate the programme via the web, publication and national/international lectures as an active component of recruiting future students.

Applicants must be working professionals with a sustained record of peer recognition; a demonstrated commitment to college-level teaching; a Master's Degree or higher; excellent communication skills and management skills; the ability to provide a productive and interactive learning environment; and the capacity to make a significant contribution to college. Applications consist of a cover letter, departmental philosophy, Curriculum Vitae and contact information for two references. It should also include a portfolio of the candidate's practice.

• Eligibility
  Application type: Open application
  Collaboration: Must apply and be accepted individually
  Geography: Open to National and International artists/scholars
• Deadlines for applications are twice a year
  
  15 January (for residencies in the first half of the following year)
  15 July (for residencies in the second half of the following year)
  
  There are also other possibilities outside of these standard times. When making your application please identify two times that would be suitable to your needs. To maximize interaction with academic programmes, residency dates will align with the academic calendar.
  
  The Artist-in-Residence is expected to carry out their practice while at the The National College of Arts (Lahore), present one public forum, contribute in an informal way to the undergraduate and post-graduate programme and contribute to student discussion groups as requested.
• NCA will provide residents
  
  1. A stipend.
  2. Complimentary housing, including utilities, for the duration of the residency
  3. Access to NCA workshops and Studios
  4. Use of the College Library and general amenities
  5. As available and subject to venue and teaching requirements an exhibition/performance/survey in the Zahoor-ul-Aklaq Gallery or on campus spaces
  6. Residents have their work featured in Quarterly NCA Newsletter
  
  Studio: Residents have access to communal college studio facilities with ample space sharing - ceramics, wood shop, printmaking studio, darkroom, computer/print lab, drawing studios and lecture theater – all depending on location availability.
  
  Living: NCA maintains two separate, one-bedroom fully furnished apartments with basic appliances, an internet connection. The residence is within the college hostel vicinity (2kms from the college campus, which is close to the old city). Note that the apartment has one bedroom, and the arrangement is normally for one Artists-in-Residence at a time. But the programme is for artists accepted into the programme, and does not include family members or guests, except by prior written agreement.
  
  Food etc: The residency does not cover the cost of food, air travel and ground transport related to the resident arriving and departing Lahore, Pakistan. However college gives stipend on monthly basis which easily covers local transportation, food and some art supplies.
  
  Location: The college is central to the many cultural and social destinations of old city Lahore. It is located on the mall road in a cultural and historical neighborhood. The Lahore Museum is next to the campus and its walking distance to famous Anarkali bazar.
• Additional Expectations / Opportunities
  
  Residents make art while they are here, but they also make connections, with students, with faculty and staff, and with artists they meet while their time in Lahore. We are a community committed to the pursuit of art with all that entails: invigorating challenges, bursts of creativity, the occasional dry spell, the rewards of camaraderie, and the pleasure of time to work. Residents contribute immeasurably to the College. We offer them a space, the incentive to work and a place in our community. We are also open towards the idea of offering our resident artist teaching courses in forthcoming semesters.
  
  Applications: Applications are welcome from professional artists and scholars any time during the year. Normally, the residency is booked up to six months in advance (see deadlines above). We are especially interested in arts practitioners from all fields whose practice relates to ideas surrounding local community, particularly students, place and change.
  
  Artists wishing to make an application should send by electronic means a 300 word proposal for their residency, that describe your plan for your time at the NCA. An A4 CV, Artist statement and as appropriate digital images of of recent work (2-4 MB jpeg, 300 dpi); or video file of performance material; or five A4 single sided samples of written material for theorists and academics.
• Repercussion:
  
  1. Artists must not be currently enrolled in any academic programme
  2. Artist must agree to give a public presentation during their residency.
  3. Artists must devote at least on hour a day to any theory course, studio Practice, discussing students process on one on one basis or within a group.
  4. Artists will donate one piece to National College at the end of the residency.

Prior to submitting a proposal, please contact Residencies Coordinators to discuss the project, budgeting details, and other logistics:
Ms. Zohreen Murtaza and Ms. Fatima Haider

Please email at ncaresidency@nca.edu.pk and include “Residencies Proposal [your name]” in the subject line.
*Applications may also be submitted via post in digital format on a CD or USB.
*Please note: We cannot confirm receipt of your application if you are sending through post. Please obtain delivery confirmation through the delivery provider. Application materials will not be returned.

Mail your application to:

International Artist Residency Programme
National College of Arts
4-Shahr-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore,
Pakistan.

If you have questions about the programme or application procedure not addressed in these materials, please contact:

Email: ncaresidency@nca.edu.pk
Ph: +92 99210601-599 Ext. 118

• Apply Online