Applications for Snape Residencies are now closed and will re-open in January 2024.

The Snape Residency programme is for creators who want to re-focus their practice or take their work in a new direction, set in the unique environment of east Suffolk.

Britten Pears Arts welcomes applications from musicians, composers, dancers, visual artists, producers, filmmakers, writers, sound artists, researchers, directors, and everything in between – as long as your idea has a strong element of music. We are excited by all genres of music and we encourage interdisciplinary projects, site-specific work, and collaborative practice. Creators at any stage of their career are welcome.

If this sounds like you and you need time for your own development needs, a Snape Residency could be for you.

A Snape Residency at Britten Pears Arts is a hugely valuable experience that provides an unrivalled opportunity to focus on your own ideas and development. We provide an equipped space to work for 5-6 days, accommodation, travel, and lunch expenses. Depending on individual need, other benefits of a Residency might include (but are not limited to):

• Equipment to test out ideas
• Producer support before, during, and after your residency
• Technical support and advice
• Mentoring or facilitation of your process
• Wellbeing support during your Residency
• Connections with new collaborators
• Opportunities to get involved in other aspects of Britten Pears Arts
• Time and space in nature and the ever-changing Suffolk landscape

We don’t pay fees, but we can advise on support should financial viability be an issue for you or your collaborators. If you have a low income and feel you genuinely cannot participate in a Residency for financial reasons, we have a limited budget to provide financial support, including for those who need to cover costs such as BSL interpreters or childcare. Please read the self-assessment supporting document on the Residency application form and select ‘yes’ if you consider yourself eligible for financial support.

Residencies are all about entering into the spirit of this special place, as originally conceived by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears and imagined afresh by everyone who visits and creates here. We encourage you to be open, curious, and willing to engage with us beyond your own idea, which may include taking some time away from your project to meet with other creators on site. We may ask you to allow public access to the work you’re creating; this would be in the form of an informal Open Session. Additionally, some projects may also be invited to participate in an upcoming Aldeburgh Festival or concert series, including the Festival of New.

Introducing the shortlisting panel for Snape Residency applications – Euella Jackson, Nabihah Iqbal and Caleb Madden. Find out more information on this page.

We are working to remove financial barriers to our programme. We are now improving how we support artists who might not otherwise be able to access a Residency. Please download and read the PDF below to make a self-assessment and let us know in your application if you think you are eligible for this support.

We are so grateful to our supporters, without whom none of our work would be possible. Visit Support us to find out how you can help.

Supporters contributing towards Residencies include

Genesis Kickstart Fund and PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund.