Artist-in-residence (AiR) programmes are organised temporal and/or spatial opportunities that allow artists and creators from the cultural and creative sectors to focus on the research or production process. The role of these programmes in an artist’s development and practice is paramount, but they do not merely provide infrastructure for an individual’s artistic engagement.
By placing the artist in a specific spatial and/or temporal context, AiR programmes inevitably connect him/her to the environment and communities. In this way, they develop into intensive opportunities for intercultural encounters and dialogue, the exchange of information and the acquisition of skills and knowledge. AiR programmes are thus also meeting points, catalysts of creativity in a community and drivers of social sustainability. They can help revitalise local creativity, encourage social cohesion and enhance care for the built and natural environment. To better understand their role today, this article traces their development across different historical periods and contexts.
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