WORCESTER—The Worcester Cultural Coalition, in collaboration with the city’s Cultural Development Division and the College of the Holy Cross, has announced the expansion of its summer creative residency program for Worcester artists.
Following a successful inaugural year in 2024, the HC x WCC: Creative Residencies for Worcester Artists at The Prior program offers three local artists or artistic groups a paid summer residency at Holy Cross’ Prior Performing Arts Center in 2025. The initiative is funded through the college’s Scholarship in Action (SIA) program.
“The impact, collaboration, and dynamic engagement of our first cycle of residents encouraged our team to continue exploring opportunities to grow this program and expand our reach,” said City of Worcester Cultural Development Officer and WCC Executive Director Fabian Barracks in an announcement. “We look forward to offering three new creative individuals or groups access to The Prior’s state-of-the-art space to delve into their creativity and to connect with our Worcester community.”
The residency is designed for artistic development rather than performance. Selected artists will have access to The Prior’s concert hall, theater, and multi-use studios to advance their work. Last year’s residents, filmmaker Cyrille Vincent and musician Daniel Gay, used the space to develop their respective film and musical projects.
“We were inspired and moved by the remarkable works of our first residents in 2024,” said Kyle Frisina, interim director of the Prior Performing Arts Center, in the press release. “Given the high demand we observed for those opportunities, we have decided to expand our 2025 program by an additional project to create a cohort of three artists or companies.”
Artists from various disciplines, including theater, dance, music, film, literature, visual arts, and interdisciplinary arts, are encouraged to apply. Each selected artist or group will receive a $3,000 stipend, along with up to $1,000 in additional funding to support technical or production needs.
Residencies take place over 5-10 consecutive days between July 7 and Aug. 1. The deadline for applications is March 18. More information is available at Prior Performing Arts Center.
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