La Nueva Fábrica (La Nueva Fabrica)

Benefits: Very generous stipend, beautiful accommodations, it's located in Antigua, Guatemala - both the town itself and the surrounding area is stunning and very inspirational (there are two volcanoes - one that is often active!). I was treated very well by the foundation's family - they took me around the area, invited me to dinner, made sure I had everything I needed, helped me scout some locations for video work I wanted to do etc. Also, Guatemalans are some of the nicest (and politely reserved/respectful) people I've met! Challenges: I was at the residency alone - there were no other artists in residence. At most, they can house two artists in the two-bedroom cottage that is on site. I believe it is mostly one artist at a time though. I found this quite isolating compared to other residencies as there was nobody to chat with at dinner most nights or to do a critique with etc. If you love alone time this would be a great residency for you. I also don't speak Spanish, which was further isolating. In retrospect, I would have done a better job of learning Spanish before I went. A big challenge for some folks would be noise. The studio and accommodations are situated within a textile mill, which is right on the edge of the town square. Many nights the townsfolk play soccer in the square (and play music) until quite late, and the local roosters are up and crowing early in the morning. I'm a pretty sound sleeper and have lived right next to a train stop in London, so I can generally handle busy-city noises. However, the soccer merriment and roosters were new to me and I struggled a few times to fall asleep/stay asleep. If you're a light sleeper, this is probably not the right residency for you. Practical Advice: Learn (or know) Spanish, bring earplugs, bring any supplies and equipment you need as Antigua only has one art store that I could find and it was very limited. Costs vs Gains: Undoubtedly, the gains far outweighed the costs. Although I didn't make many professional connections during this residency, I did develop my creative process/practice significantly, in part because my work is site-specific and I was faced with an entirely new kind of environment. The stipend also really helped me to be able to take time away from work without too much lost income. Since my residency, the foundation has built a purpose-built project space and they appear to have regular events in this space, which significantly improves both the available resources and the issues of isolation and professional development opportunities (I imagine). Overall, once I got out of my own way and learned to handle the feeling of isolation, this was a fantastic residency. It's one of those residencies that is what you make of it. The people running the program leave you to do your work - they are available if/when you need help but otherwise respect your space and time.

This is a great residency for someone who wants to develop a specific project with a lot of time alone. You're the only resident and you have a house for yourself, so it's great for focusing on your project. If you are not a textile artist and want to learn about making textiles, this is a great place to start. You get to practice and learn with people from the indigenous communities, which is also a great experience. If you want to travel, there is enough time to visit very nice places around the residency and there is a budget to do it. The staff takes you to visit the capital for a day, see galleries and other buildings, museums, etc. That was a lovely part of the trip. The staff is great. If you don't like to be on your own, or you're looking for a place to interact with other artists, this is not the place for you. Considering all this factors, I totally recommend this residency.