THE RESIDENCY

THE ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAMME “It was exactly what I, and my practice, needed. To feel collected and validated by a highly esteemed institution, at the same time as being held safe and far away from the battery of the art industry long enough to remember why I loved art in the first place. It’s a true sanctuary of creation; half way between wild and free range.” — Lily Lewis, Artist in Residence, 2025 THE RESIDENCY The Villa Lena Foundation operates a residency programme that runs from April to October each year in Tuscany, Italy. Located in the wild Tuscan countryside, but only one hour away from the beautiful and culturally dense cities of Florence and Pisa, the Villa Lena Estate sits within five hundred hectares of woodland, rugged hills, olive groves, and vineyards. The Foundation offers artists 4 or 5 week residencies with onsite accommodation, studio space, and half-board meals (breakfast and dinner) five days a week. Studio spaces range in size depending on residents’ needs, with several being as large as one hundred and twenty square metres. Residents are invited to live in the nineteenth century villa, which is the heart of the property, a magnificent building of period charm. For artists selected, the residency provides time and space for self-led projects; alongside this a programme of regular talks, workshops, and other events are run by the Foundation in collaboration with the residents to promote interaction and exchange of ideas both among artists and with the wider community. Social interactions, creativity, and collaboration underscore life at Villa Lena and residents are an integral part of the expanded community during their stay. Further facilities include free WI-FI throughout the villa, well equipped wood and ceramic workshops, and a screening/projection room. THE APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESSApplication to the Villa Lena Foundation Artist Residency programme is via the online application form, which requests examples of work and CV information, as well inviting applicants to detail what they hope to achieve while at Villa Lena if successful. Promising applicants are interviewed by the foundation following which a shortlist is compiled. The shortlist is circulated to the Foundation’s Advisory Board for feedback before the residency places are offered to successful artists in writing in November. LEAVING A TRACEArtists are all requested to donate a work to the Villa Lena Foundation at the end of their residency. In the case of visual artists this is most tangible, but in every artist’s case it is a unique conversation. Donated artworks hang throughout the property, giving the historical spaces a visual memory of past residents’ work and their experience of the place. The resulting art collection also forms a valuable asset that can be sold over time to make space for new artworks and to help raise funds for the continuation of the residency programme. “Villa Lena was a highlight of my summer- if not my year- I personally had not only a wonderful time and met some creative and dear people, but I challenged my creative output and goals. Having the spacious artists studios to work in gave me a daily discipline and the calm space to focus on my work.” — Artist in residence, 2018 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS APPLYING Do I need to speak English?While we do have residents from all over the globe the first language of the Foundation is English and it is essential that all residents do have good written and spoken English skills. All applications must be submitted in English.What disciplines do you accept?We accept applications from all creative disciplines, including but not exclusively: visual artists, photographers, illustrators, ceramicists, furniture designers, product designers, graphic designers, fashion designers, jewellery designers, filmmakers, screenwriters, playwrights, novelists, journalists, musicians, dancers, choreographers, performance artists, and curators.Can groups or collaborations apply?We are open to collaborative applications of up to two people, however due to the limitations on accommodation and studio space we are unable to accept applications from larger groups. If you would like to apply as collaborators please select this option on the application form to apply together. Please be aware that due to the limit on accommodation it is most likely that you will have to share a room. If you are applying as a family see our Family Residency page for more details. What information should I include in my application form?Please try to make your application concise, without losing too much detail about what makes you up as an artist and potential resident. Our main requirements are a descriptive and vibrant artist statement, and a PDF portfolio of your work. If you work in music, sound or moving image you can upload work to the application form. We also ask you to provide us with an idea of your work objective at Villa Lena and expectations of the residency. If you are applying for the creative contributor role you must also provide a PDF briefly outlining your workshop proposals and select this option on the application form.Do I need a reference letter?A letter of recommendation is required as part of the application. The reference should be written by someone you have worked with, e.g. an arts professional, mentor, supervisor etc recommending you and your art practice to Villa Lena. Letters should be headed and signed along with the application and should be written in English. How do I define my practice?In the application form we have provided you with a list of practices to choose from. If your work is a combination of practices, there is an allocated space for you to define this. We strive to create an inclusive atmosphere and are always interested to receive applicants from the widest variety of disciplines. If you strongly feel that your work cannot be categorised into one of the given options, then you can use the description box to better de