Background

The Creative New Zealand Berlin Writers’ Residency was set up in 2000 by the Arts Board to provide a unique opportunity for a New Zealand writer to live and work in Berlin for up to eleven months.

The timeframe covered by the residency currently being offered is September 2013 to August 2014. The Writers’ Residency alternates biennially with a similar residency for visual artists.

Aim

The primary aim of the Writers’ Residency is for the successful applicant to work on an approved project while in a new environment. On returning, the successful applicant will be expected to have completed, or substantially completed, a body of writing.

In addition, transporting the artist to a different environment is expected to have many other benefits including developing the potential of an artist through exposure to new cultures and new ideas. Ideally, the residency will also result in an increased awareness in Berlin of New Zealand literature.

Creative New Zealand Support

Creative New Zealand will offer the resident:

• A stipend of NZD$40,000 for the eleven-month residency to cover travel to Berlin, insurance and living costs.
• A one bedroom, 60sqm apartment in the district of Friedrichshain in former East Berlin, which has a reputation as a lively and dynamic district. The Creative New Zealand apartment is close to the last standing section of the Berlin wall. The apartment can accommodate a partner but is not suitable for additional family members.

It is necessary for the selected writer to have health insurance that covers the period of the residency.

Eligibility

The Writers’ Residency is open to any established New Zealand writer who has been resident in New Zealand for at least three years prior to making the application.

More about eligibility

How to apply

For details on how to apply please see the application guide (doc) or more on this page.

For more information contact:

Jill Rawnsley (Senior Arts Adviser – Literature)
Phone: (09) 373 3077
Email: jill.rawnsley@creativenz.govt.nz