2026-2027 Base Residency FAQs

I’m interested in applying for the Base Residency—what’s the process like? 

The Base Residency application itself is quite straightforward! We ask you to share some basic information (name, email, address, etc.), indicate your residency period preferences, answer four narrative questions (plus two optional questions), and submit up to two work samples totaling no more than five minutes.

Who is curating the 2026-27 Base Residency?

Berette S. Macaulay and Juliana F. May are curating this year’s Residency and will review finalist applications to select a cohort of seven artists/duos/groups. 

I'm based outside Seattle. Can I apply?

Yes. Three residency slots are reserved for artists based outside the greater Seattle area (within the United States). National residents receive travel and lodging support in addition to the residency artist fee. Travel and lodging expenses cover two round-trip tickets and housing for two.

How many artists are selected?

Seven artists, duos, or collectives will be selected. Four residency slots are reserved for artists based in the greater Seattle area, and three are reserved for artists based elsewhere in the United States.

Is the Base Residency right for my practice?

The Base Residency is designed for movement-based artists taking experimental approaches to performance. We welcome artists seeking dedicated time to deepen an existing or emerging body of work through artistic inquiry, experimentation, and process.

What kinds of projects are the curators hoping to support?

The curators are interested in supporting artists who are using the residency to investigate questions, test ideas, and expand their practice. They aren't looking for finished projects—they're interested in understanding why this particular moment matters in your process, how a residency at Base could support your work, and why this feels like the right environment for what you're exploring.

What are the curators looking for in an application?

There isn't one single formula for a successful application. The curators work with a set of guiding criteria and considerations. Please reference the application here to view the full criteria and considerations.

How can I submit a strong application?

Help the curators understand how you think, work, and make decisions. Be specific about the questions you're exploring, why they matter to your practice, and how you hope to use your time at Base. Choose work samples that reflect your artistic practice and support the proposal you're submitting. The residency is designed for exploration, so you don't need to have every outcome figured out, but they are interested in your thinking just as much as the project itself.

What is the Entry Point?

Every residency includes an Entry Point, a public event designed by the resident artist. Rather than presenting a finished performance, the Entry Point invites audiences into your process in a way that feels meaningful to your practice. It might take the form of a conversation, open rehearsal, installation, meal, showing, or another participatory experience. Think of the proposal as a starting point—it could evolve before and during your residency.

What support does the residency provide?

Each resident receives two weeks of unrestricted access to Base, a $2,000 unrestricted artist fee, production, marketing, and administrative support, technical orientation, access to Base lighting, sound, and video equipment, a public Entry Point, and travel and lodging support for nationally selected residents.

I'm applying with collaborators. How does that work?

Artists may apply individually or as duos or collectives. The residency provides one $2,000 artist fee per residency, regardless of the number of collaborators.

Can I invite collaborators who aren't part of my application?

Yes. Artists may invite collaborators into their process. However, travel and lodging are only provided for residents selected through the national residency slots. For each national artist residency, Base will cover travel expenses for one collaborator or performer.

How much time will I have at Base?

Residencies last two consecutive weeks. Residents have 24-hour access to the studio throughout their residency. The residency is intentionally immersive and cannot be split across multiple date ranges.

Can I develop a performance during the residency?

Many artists use the residency to develop new performance work. While projects often move significantly forward during the residency, Base is designed to support the development of works, rather than finished premieres. If you are developing a large-scale performance, please note that your Entry Point cannot function as a full-tech show. 

What can I do with the space?

Residents are encouraged to shape the Base space to support their practice. You may bring props, scenic elements, and equipment, use Base's lighting, projector, and sound system, and leave materials in the studio for the duration of your residency. Heavy rigging is not permitted.

What happens after I apply?

After the September 10, 2026, application deadline, Base staff will go through an initial round of review, identifying a group of finalists. These individuals will move on to a full review process with our curators. Applicants who did not advance to full review will be notified by the middle of October. Finalist and Awardee notifications will be sent by November 30, 2026. 

I can't commit to the residency dates this year. Should I still apply?

Please apply only if you can commit to one or more of the seven published residency periods. If this year's dates don't align with your schedule, we encourage you to apply during a future application cycle.

I’ve participated as an artist (performer/renter) at Base in the past—does that help me get awarded a Residency? 

We always appreciate seeing familiar names in the application pool, but prior involvement with Base doesn't give an applicant a direct advantage. Every year's residency is shaped by that year's curators and the cohort they're hoping to build in line with the guiding principles and considerations.

I am a Base Resident Alumni—am I eligible to apply again? 

Yes, however, to create opportunities for new artists while maintaining meaningful relationships with our alumni, we ask past Base Residency awardees to wait three application cycles before reapplying. For the 2026–27 Residency, artists who completed a Base Residency between 2016 and 2022 are eligible to apply.

Who do I reach out to with more questions? 

You can reach out to our Programs and Operations Manager, Tariq Mitri, at tariq@thisisbase.org.