La chambre d'eau

La chambre d'eau is a space for experimentation which is committed to rural environments. It provides artists with regional, national and international resources and networking opportunities. It also supports the emergence and development of a wide range of artistic and cultural projects, the constant focus of which is their links to local communities and their inhabitants.

All our residencies have one thing in common: devoting time to artists in residence, enabling them to develop an artistic project. Trips of varying lengths back and forth from La chambre d'eau and the area in which it is situated allow for preconceptions to be reshaped, inviting artists to follow their intuitions and to develop their ideas. Indeed, the other significant feature of these creative residencies is the space provided to both artists in residence, as well as to those who live and share the area on a daily basis. Far from passing judgement on current practices and customs, the artistic presence creates an opportunity for encounters during which views and opinions are shared and compared.

We have established four categories of art residencies that respond to different needs:
Lab residencies give artists and acting troupes time to develop a project or to reflect upon their practice. Artists in residence are independent and have access to the Moulin des Tricoteries, a conducive environment for concentration, research and experimentation. Other venues may be made available. At the end of the residency, artists have the opportunity to give a public presentation of their work.

Two residency programmes, lasting on average one week, are organised per year. 
Travel and accommodation costs are covered by the organisation, as well as copyright loyalties, where applicable.

The open workshop residencies are research and creation programmes with a particular focus on issues concerning the Avesnois-Thiérache region. Regular meetings are held with La chambre d'eau’s artistic director and team in order to support the working process and the implementation of projects. All of this is designed to provide the best possible support for the construction of projects, in its processes and implementation, in connection, where possible, with different venues and relevant local partners.

Two residencies are organised per year, both of which last an average of three weeks which can be spread across a period of time. Travel and accommodation costs are covered by the organisation and a residency grant of €1,500 is provided. Depending on the project requirements, workspaces on or off site can also be provided.

Production residencies take place over a longer period of time and inevitably lead to the production of one or more works. Artists may submit a project proposal or be invited by the organisation to participate in a programme. More often than not, programmes are conceived and developed in close collaboration with local facilities and partners. They take the form of a period of time involving creation, public events, formal and informal exchanges, reflection, construction, analysis and production. These residencies are offered in conjunction with major events organised by La chambre d'eau, providing significant visibility and exposure.

Three residencies of this type take place every year and last an average of three weeks, which can be spread across a period of time. The organisation pays for travel and accommodation, contributes to production costs and provides a work space. A residency grant of €2,000 is provided and production costs covered vary according to the project.

Our research residencies which are open to artists and researchers is a format we are experimenting with, the aim of which is to create exchanges between research and artistic practices. This programme allows multidisciplinary artists and researchers in the arts and humanities to find common ground and develop a joint research project in order to rethink conventional approaches to production and reflection.
We would like to develop new artistic, theoretical and methodological proposals. Our aim is to initiate collaborations, with the intention of discussing and producing new methods and narratives in a rural setting.

This programme takes place once a year and lasts for an average of four weeks. Travel and accommodation are paid for by the organisation and a residency grant of €2000 and work spaces are provided.  

WHAT’S INCLUDED

- Two 50 m² and 40 m² indoor workspaces and a one-hectare outdoor area,
- Two bedrooms with internet connection,
- A 60m² yurt,
- Numerous natural wooded areas,
- A 4-bedroom flat with internet connection in a neighbouring town,
- Video and sound equipment can be provided. If required and depending on the project and the resources available, musical, multimedia, stage equipment, a 3D printer etc. can be borrowed or hired from partners,
- artists have access to a library of art books, literature and exhibition catalogues,
- La chambre d'eau works in partnership with a wide range of key players in the area and it can provide a stage space for some projects. What's more, in its residency projects, La chambre de l'eau seeks to put the region and artists in residence in touch with each other and, if they so wish, artists can work in all kinds of spaces and in contact with a wide range of people (businesses, forests, farms, tourist attractions, local residents, heritage and/or natural sites, etc.), whether it be for the production or dissemination of their work,
- The team has a wide range of skills and is on hand to help residents with the artistic process, any administrative formalities and in their search for production resources.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications can be submitted at any time of year. The selection committee is made up of La chambre d'eau’s artistic director and team. In the context of the Eclectic Campagne(s) festival, candidates are chosen by a programme co-curator. Applications must include:
a letter of intent, a project proposal of no more than 3 pages (for research residencies only), a cover letter, a short biography (for artists and researchers), a portfolio detailing previous work and a list of publications (for researcher residencies only).

CONSIDERATION FOR RESIDENTS' FAMILY LIFE

Residents have the possibility of:
- bringing a spouse (most rooms have double beds);
- bringing a young child who is to stay in the same room as the artist (a cot can be provided);
Depending on availability and as long as it does not interfere with any other participating artists, a second room nearby can be provided for children requiring an adult bed;

Residents can be put in contact with nearby childminders and childcare facilities;
The residency can be split into one-week periods;
Possibility of partial coverage of costs incurred by the presence of additional children or spouses (to be determined on a case-by-case basis).

RESIDENTS' COMMITMENTS

Open workshop residency: artists are expected to immerse themselves in the area.
Production residency: artists are expected to present the work completed during the residency during an event open to the public.  

ACTIVITIES AIMED AT THE PUBLIC 

- “Rendez-vous au moulin” event, during which artists discuss a stage of their work, a completed residency programme or their previous work,
- Presentation of works at “Les Échappées”, a series of events which take place in various locations in the area, as well as site-specific installations at Eclectic Campagne(s), a biennial transdisciplinary contemporary arts festival 
- Outreach activities designed around residents’ artistic proposals.