Dresden: HELLERAU

One house, countless new impulses: Discover new aspects of your creativity at one of the most important centres of contemporary arts in Europe!

Musicboard Berlin in cooperation with HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts grants two four-week residencies to Berlin-based interdisciplinary pop music soloists and duos in 2023. The residencies in HELLERAU in Dresden offer an international, active-collaborative and interdisciplinary atmosphere. Beyond the work on own projects, HELLERAU’s internationally oriented residency programme offers its resident artists the opportunity to get in touch with the local scene as well as other resident artists working in the fields of contemporary dance, theatre, performance, music and media art. On site, the Musicboard residents are supported in the implementation of their project by an individual artist mentoring.

The residencies in HELLERAU are intended for artists of all pop music genres. With the term »pop music« Musicboard refers to all genres of popular music as well as cross-genre or experimental pop music that cannot be clearly assigned to the categories of jazz or classical and new music.

The Musicboard residency programme intends to be accessible to everyone and as inclusive as possible. If you have special needs or questions about the accessibility of this residency, please contact Maureen Noe before applying: maureen.noe@musicboard.berlin.de.

Eligible to apply are:

• soloists and duos living and working in Berlin
• pop musicians that work professionally and stand out through their creative achievements
• musicians with a high level of independence and personal initiative
• musicians who are particularly open to interdisciplinary exchange
• musicians who reflect on their own social position and are critical of power imbalances and discrimination

Musicboard grants two four-week residencies at HELLERAU from November 11 – December 17, 2023.

The periods are set, the residencies cannot be shortened or postponed. Presence of the residents in Dresden during the residency period is required.

HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts is an interdisciplinary co-production and guest performance house in Dresden. HELLERAU promotes debates on art and society with thematic focuses, festivals and audience formats. The objective of HELLERAU’s residency programme is to offer opportunities for artistic research in order to deepen and expand one’s own working methods as well as to develop new projects.

In HELLERAU the resident artists are accommodated in single apartments with shared kitchens and have various work studios and a large garden at their disposal for rehearsals, experiments and training. Residents can receive technical support as needed. There is no permanent recording studio in the house and limited technical equipment is available. However, HELLERAU offers various rooms which can be equipped and used accordingly in consultation with the resident artists. During the residencies, the artists are supported by mentors in the development of their own projects and artistic careers and through access to relevant networks. In addition, the residents can expect a diverse programme on HELLERAU’s stage.

The Musicboard covers:

• the round-trip travel costs as well as costs for accommodation, rehearsal and project space, mentoring, technical support, provision of technical equipment and the entrance to HELLERAU performances
• weekly stipend in the amount of 250 EUR per person
• a singular contribution to project-related costs in the amount of 500 euros per residency

The following information and documents must be supplied, in German or in English, using exclusively the application tool that can be accessed via the button at the end of this page:

• Completed Application Form
• Artistic project & motivation
  motivation and presentation of the planned artistic project in the context of the residency
• Artistic resume
  including a list of artistic milestones such as shows, productions, releases, collaborations, awards and grants
• Three music samples
  to be uploaded as mp3s
• Scans of certificate of registration or personal ID (front and back)
  indicating Berlin as place of residence. For bands, the registration certificate of the applicant band member is sufficient.
• for non-EU citizens: Passport scan
  including residence permit, duration of stay, and type of work permit. For bands, the document of the applicant band member is sufficient.

In each round of funding, applicants may apply for more than one residency. In this case, separate applications must be submitted.

Only fully completed documents can be considered. All applications will be handled confidentially and used exclusively for decision-making and funding purposes. Publication of certain relevant details is granted by the applicant as part of the application process.

The residencies are awarded through Musicboard Berlin GmbH upon recommendation of an independent jury of Berlin-based pop experts and in consultation with the Senate Department for Culture and Community. Jury members are usually appointed for a period of three years. The following jury is appointed to the Scholarships & Residencies programme in 2023:

• Aida Baghernejad
  cultural journalist
• Ji-Hun Kim
  Editor-in-chief Das Filter, freelance lecturer, DJ and music producer
• Katja Lucker
  Managing Director of Musicboard Berlin GmbH
• Thien Nguyen
  label owner, DJ, music and film producer
• Pamela Owusu-Brenyah
  A&R, music consultant and curator Pop-Kultur Festival
• Misla Tesfamariam
  artist manager, label owner

A short description of the jury members is available here.

We’ve collected here some frequently asked questions about Musicboard’s residencies. This information is intended for general advice, is not legally binding, and does not take the place of an examination of individual circumstances. We will gladly answer further, detailed questions on the funding programme by phone or by email. Please read the FAQ and other explanatory notes on this website carefully before contacting us. We also recommend the free services of the Kulturförderberatung by Kreativ Kultur Berlin, which supports artists in all disciplines in their search for possible funding, can offer tips for preparing applications and can provide review of applications.

What is meant by »living and working in Berlin«?

In this residency programme, Musicboard funds exclusively musicians and bands who live and work in Berlin. Residency and creative focus must be verified with residence permits or personal ID (front and back). The nationality of the musician is irrelevant to the funding decision. Anyhow, for non-EU citizens filing an application, it is necessary in addition to the Berlin residence certificate to provide a passport that includes residence permit, duration of stay, and type of work permit. Please note that Berlin residence must be officially verified. Rent contracts etc. are not sufficient for proof of residence. We kindly ask you to refrain from submitting such documents containing sensitive personal data.

I’ve just submitted another application to Musicboard. Can I still apply for the residency?

In general, it is possible for musicians to be funded repeatedly and in successive periods. In each round of funding, applicants may apply for more than one residency. In this case, separate applications must be submitted. It is important that a statement of purpose is submitted for each residency site. Applications without a statement of purpose cannot be considered. It is also possible to simultaneously apply for a scholarship and one or multiple residencies. In this case, several applications must be supplied as well. In general, due to the large number of applications in a given funding round, the jury will recommend only one grant per artist.

How do I submit my letter of motivation?

Since 2023, the motivation can be entered into fields in the online application form. In the application form, applicants must explain, among other things, why they are applying for the residency and what artistic project or type of collaboration they would like to pursue as part of the residency. In addition, they are asked what they expect to gain from the residency for their own artistic and professional development.

How do I submit my artistic resume?

Since 2022, the artistic resume can be entered into fields in the online application form. It is meant to describe the applicants’ artistic career. In the application form, we also ask for milestones in the artistic career in the form of a brief list of artistic milestones such as shows, productions, releases, collaborations, residencies, awards and grants. You are welcome to voluntarily provide information about your social position here (e.g. self-description, gender, disability, age, sexual identity) if it plays a role in your artistic identity and your work and you would like the jury and partners to be aware of it.

What songs can I submit as music samples? Are demos acceptable?

The music samples should be three songs that represent you and your art. They need not be the newest songs, or the ones that you want to work on during your project. Demos can be submitted. Depending on their quality, it may be wise to provide in addition one or two fully produced works.

Are your residencies accessible and/or family-friendly?

The Musicboard residency programme is intended to be accessible to everyone and as inclusive as possible. Whether a residency is accessible or can be taken up accompanied by family depends very much on the particular location and the individual needs of the applicant. At HELLERAU, accommodating family members might be possible, but must be considered on a case-by-case basis. HELLERAU is not accessible for wheelchair users. If you have special needs or questions about the accessibility of this residency, please contact Maureen Noe before applying: maureen.noe@musicboard.berlin.de.

When exactly is the application deadline?

The application deadline for the residency is June 1, 2023 at 6 p.m. Until then, applications can be received online and will be posted as received before the deadline. The application is successfully received as soon as it appears in your user profile in the »Submitted Applications« section. We recommend allowing plenty of time for the application and its attachments to upload, and not waiting until the last minute to apply. If technical problems arise, please make a screenshot, save the application draft and advise us by email at: maureen.noe@musicboard.berlin.de.

What are the jury’s selection criteria?

The jury makes its recommendations primarily on the basis of the quality of artistic work, the chances of success and the conclusiveness of the proposed project. A particular focus of the jury is the music samples provided. In addition to these general criteria, transcultural criteria play a major role, especially in the awarding of international and Co-Creation Residencies, e.g. whether applicants have familiarised themselves with the residency location and its cultural context, whether they already have personal or professional connections to the local music culture or whether transculturality is reflected in the applicant’s proposal. Funding decisions are made with a view toward building the diversity of Berlin’s music scene. Musicboard and the appointed jury place great value on diversity, inclusion and gender balance.

When will I be informed of the funding decision?

The jury’s decision follows the application deadline by 4 to 6 weeks, and applicants are informed by email. Acceptances and declines are sent at the same time. Usually, more applications are received than can be funded, and Musicboard is not obliged to explain its decision. There is no legal entitlement to funding.

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