Designing Collective Artist Residencies

Starting with an argument for a humanistic approach to climate change, this paper discusses the concept of ‘Collective Artist Residency’ as practicable means engaging complex socio-ecological issues that require collective answers. Through our analysis research project ‘Imaginative Disruptions,’ we propose there is need creative spaces include artists and non-artists alike, which engender aimless play, inquisitive making dialogic contemplation in face are too painful, overwhelming rationally comprehend. We further argue such residencies can generate comfortable, even light-hearted, people be uncomfortable together. In other words, environments feel safe caring but also encourage us challenge status quos experiment alternatives via emotional, aesthetic, cognitive, somatic social processing. The closes five (suggested) guiding principles designing Collective Art Residency supports groups co-reflect upon their fragility whilst re-imagining present future possibilities being world: deeply participatory, balanced between comfortable / emotions, highly experiential, cross-sectoral intergenerational, place-based.