*SCAPE COMMUNITY ARTS RESIDENCY 2025 – 2026

*SCAPE is calling for proposals for the *SCAPE Community Arts Residency. Youth artists, designers, and arts technologists are welcome to apply either as an individual or collective (of up to four persons). Interested parties are invited to apply via this link by 9 June 2025, 2359HRS.

Register Here

A. ABOUT THE *SCAPE COMMUNITY ARTS RESIDENCY

The *SCAPE Community Arts Residency aims to support practising artists in advancing the field of community arts in Singapore. Through the Residency, the appointed artist/collective will have opportunities to inquire, develop arts-based collaborations, and co-create with a youth community (or communities) on an arts project that reflects upon the stories of these youth and what matters to them.

One youth artist/collective will be appointed from 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jan 2026 (six months), during which they should actively and consistently engage with one or more youth community group(s) of their choice in a collaborative art-making process. Some support will be given by *SCAPE for the appointed artist/collective to engage community groups, connect with stakeholders, and exchange ideas with peers in the arts community. The appointed artist/collective will be expected to document the process and work towards a public showcase to be held at a space within *SCAPE or the Somerset Belt district in Jan 2026.

The final showcase can be in one of the following formats: exhibition, guided tour, talk, lecture, workshop, screenings, or temporary artwork installation. Applicants may also propose other formats of presentation.

The final showcase will be held as part of *SCAPE’s signature creative arts festival COMMA in Jan 2026. It must be ready to be presented to the public for the entire duration of the Singapore Art Week 2026 (22 – 31 January 2026). The showcase’s Start Date may also begin before 22 January 2026 and its End Date may extend beyond 31 January 2026.

B. RESIDENCY PACKAGE 

• A budget of up to $30,000 covering the artist/collective’s honorarium, project materials, and costs for the final showcase.
  • $15,000 (50%) will be disbursed upon appointment to the Residency.
  • Up to S$15,000 (50%) will be disbursed upon completion of all deliverables and submission of reports. Amount to be reimbursed will be based on receipts of actual expenditure.
• *SCAPE will facilitate link-ups with interested participants from our community, partners in the Somerset Belt and public, and provide spaces for the Residency, subject to availability, as well as provide publicity support.
• Community Artist Sharing Session – a small, casual gathering where artists may share their process and plans, and receive feedback from peers.
• Consultation sessions with Resource Panelists, who are experienced community artists, for feedback and guidance if needed.

C. RESIDENCY DELIVERABLES 

• A Residency project that involves sustained, regular interaction[1] with one or more youth community group(s) during the six-month Residency period, with documentation (video, photo and/or writing) and monthly updates of key milestones.
• A public showcase at a space within *SCAPE or the Somerset Belt district in Jan 2026 presented as a conclusion to the Residency.
• An Evaluation Report and Financial Report, submitted within one month of the Residency’s completion, together with all supporting documents and receipts for verification purposes.

All deliverables must be met to receive the full Residency package.

[1]Suggested commitment: 60 hours of engagement with the community for a six-month residency.

D. COMMA 2026 THEME

Applicants should submit proposals that show a thoughtful engagement with the theme of the COMMA 2026 creative arts festival, as unpacked below.

‘Softer Systems’

At a time when technology shapes not only how we create, but how we connect, communicate, and dream, COMMA invites young artists to delve beneath the surface of our evolving relationship with tech and humanity.

Framed by the theme “Softer Systems”, this residency asks:

How do we hold onto the essence of what makes us human in an increasingly digitised world?

Can technology become not a barrier, but a bridge — to vulnerability, connection, and reflection?

In our open call, artists are invited to explore how systems — digital, emotional, organic, or social — can be reimagined through creative practice, and how technology can reveal, reshape, and even heal the human experience. Artists are encouraged to experiment with mediums both familiar and emerging — be it digital, sonic, choreographic, interactive — or through entirely new forms.

In “Softer Systems,” we recognise that creativity, like human experience, resists simple solutions. Inspired by ideas from systems thinking, this residency invites artists to navigate, sense, and reshape complexity — treating art itself as a living, adaptive process.

This is a space to pause at the crossroads of innovation and introspection — questioning, rewiring, and reimagining the systems that frame our lives, in search of what it means to be deeply, radically human.

E. ELIGIBILITY

Who may apply?

• Individual artists or arts collectives of up to four artists.
• Individuals who are at least 18 years old and at most 34 years old at the time of application.
• Arts collectives (up to four members) in which half or more of the members are at least 18 years old and at most 34 years old at the time of application.
• Applicant must be practising artists with at least 2 years of relevant arts experience.
• Applicant must commit to the entire duration of the Residency.
• Only Singaporeans or Permanent Residents of Singapore may apply.
• Arts collectives (up to four members) in which half or more of the members are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents may apply. The Primary Applicant will have to undertake legal and financial responsibility on behalf of the collective.

Who may not apply?

• Groups or collectives that are constituted for non-secular purposes.

F. APPLICATION 

Required Information

You are required to prepare and submit the following information at the time of application:

• Your artistic objectives
• Residency Proposal – Write-up of your arts engagement plans
• Estimated itemized budget
• A calendar of monthly milestones
• Curriculum Vitae of key parties involved
• Two referee contacts
• At least two samples of past work in the last two years / a link to your online portfolio

Application Deadline

The table below lists the key dates:

All applications must be submitted by 9 June 2025, 2359hrs. You may submit your applications early, in advance of the application deadline. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.

Register now

G. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

*SCAPE’s assessment will consider:

• The applicant’s track record and potential in contributing to the community arts practice
• Artistic and conceptual strength of the proposal
• Quality of the proposed engagement process
• Project management – budget and feasibility of plans

 H. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

By submission of the Residency application form, the applicant agrees to all of the above mentioned as well as the following terms and conditions:

1. *SCAPE reserves the right to record all or part of the proceedings of the Residency and related activities for broadcast and promotional purposes without payment to the applicants or the applicants’ consent. *SCAPE retains all rights to the recorded materials.
2. Any applicant who knowingly gives inaccurate or misleading information will be disqualified.
3. In case of any disputes, *SCAPE’s decision shall be final.
4. *SCAPE reserves the right to amend the rules and terms and conditions of the Residency.

J. HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants are required to register via the Microsoft Form at this link and submit the following documents as links (within the form itself), by 9 Jun 2025 (Wed), 2359hrs:

• PROPOSAL (ANNEX A)
• BUDGET FORM (ANNEX B)
• Any other supporting documents

If you would like to discuss your proposals with us ahead of the submission deadline, please feel free to contact the *SCAPE team at programme@scape.sg.

PAST RESIDENTS TESTIMONIAL:

		“*SCAPE’s Community Arts Residency gave us a meaningful platform to connect with youth—a key demographic in the work we do. Through the residency, we gained deeper insight into what drives and inspires young people today, and how to shape programming and curation that genuinely resonates with them. It was also incredibly rewarding to experiment across disciplines—dance, art, and music—while bringing together artists from diverse backgrounds into a shared third space created by and for the community. The experience reaffirmed the importance of inclusive, youth-centered programming in shaping vibrant cultural ecosystems.” Clare Chong & Moira Loh, Artist-in-residence 2024/25 Collective Name: PLAY!
		“We felt that the most meaningful aspect of the residency was that we were able to have a safe space for both members of the public and the participants to share their experiences in these novel times, while also being able to use art as a platform to express themselves – a form of creative Placemaking.” Teo Annjee, Artist-in-residence 2021/22