Place, People and Time: MICRO-MACRO

About the Open Call

The Museum of Loss and Renewal is delighted to invite applications for the Group Residency MICRO-MACRO in Collemacchia, Italy. This program focuses on 'place, people and time' and is designed for practitioners and researchers across all creative disciplines who are interested in site and place investigation. The residency runs from Thursday, October 2 to Thursday, October 9, 2025. Key aspects include creative practices, interdisciplinarity, technologies, co-learning, individual practice, experimentation, and a semi-structured program with expert facilitators and guest contributors. It emphasizes relationships to land, cultural and environmental ecologies, and memory (ecological, material, ruin). The aim is to provide hands-on, site-based ways of working to develop skills in investigating site as part of creative practice, stimulating new thinking and experimentation through production, research, co-learning, and presentation. It fosters global perspectives and enables intercultural collaboration with care for the community and environment. The program features bespoke indoor sessions for discussion, presentation, making, and sharing, complemented by outdoor sessions exploring the stunning natural landscape and world-class archaeological sites. Residents will respond to place through immersive, connected experience in site, land and weather, engaging in collaborative place-based making to generate global and local knowledge. The program encourages exploration of layered histories, haptic, sensory, and experiential articulations of place, and reflection on ruin, material, and ecological memory. Guided walks, visits, and readings will take place in lost, renewed, or fragile places. Discipline experts from the local community will contribute to bespoke sessions. The residency is led by Tracy Mackenna (Curator, The Museum of Loss and Renewal) and Amanda Crabtree (Director and Lead Curator, artconnexion, France). Additional sessions will be delivered by multidisciplinary experts including Luciano Bucci (Co-Curator, Winterline Museum), Nadia Notardonato (Guide, National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, musician), and Antonia Thomas (academic and archaeologist). Residents are accommodated in two recently renovated, comfortable houses situated minutes from each other. Houses have fully equipped kitchens, bathrooms, sitting rooms, and double, twin, and single bedrooms (single use dependent on access needs). Central heating and internet are provided. Cleaning is included. Studios/workspaces are also renovated with indoor/outdoor making spaces and desk space, all with internet access. The 8-day program includes arrival, orientation, introductions, dinner, and reading on Day 01. Days 02-07 feature subject-specific sessions by facilitators, presentations by program contributors, collective and individual (mentored) working sessions, working sessions at archaeological sites, a museum/gallery/festival visit, readings of theories and texts, catered discursive meals, and collective critical evaluation and forecasting. Day 08 is for departure. A detailed program with dates and times will be provided to residents before arrival.

What is Offered

The residency includes the program, accommodation in comfortable houses with equipped kitchens and internet, full board (3 meals daily, mainly locally sourced ingredients, vegan and vegetarian diets catered), collection/return to nearest train/bus station, and excellent studio spaces with indoor and outdoor making areas. Formal letters of invitation can be provided to assist with funding applications.

Requirements

The program is open to creative practitioners and researchers at any stage of their career, including more experienced applicants. It is particularly suited for those seeking to develop knowledge and skills in a learning and discussion-oriented environment. Applicants can be based in any country but must have a good working knowledge of English. Applications from duos and partnerships are welcomed.

How to Apply

Apply via the provided link for application information and instructions. A 50% deposit is payable within two weeks of accepting a place on the Group Residency, with the remaining 50% due six weeks prior to the start.