Announcement: The Watermill Center Program

March 19, 2011

The Watermill Center is currently looking for artists of all disciplines between the ages of 18 and 40 to apply for The 2011 International Summer Program running from July 18 – August 21, 2011 in New York City.

The program is looking for emerging and mid-career artists including architects, visual artists, directors, actors, dancers, choreographers, costume/scenic/lighting designers, performance artists, graphic designers, archivists, landscape artists, dramaturgs, and writers.

Photo by Lovis Dengle

About the International Summer Program

For the past 17 years, The Watermill Center has hosted an International Summer Program led by Artistic Director, Robert Wilson. Each summer, approximately 65 artists from over 30 countries gather at Watermill’s Long Island, NY six-acre campus. Selected participants spend two to five weeks in intense creative exploration which provides a unique opportunity to learn from established professionals, particularly the development and performance methodologies of Robert Wilson and his peers; forge lasting relationships with other artists from a broad range of experience levels and disciplinary specificity; develop networks of US and international professional contacts; focus on new work, and embody what it means to be a “global artist.”

Participants receive access to an extensive collection of resources central to the Watermill experience: ongoing apprenticeships and daily workshops with Robert Wilson and his collaborators; lectures on various subjects from theatre and opera innovation, installation, design, and science led by international cultural luminaries, established artists, and scientists; opportunities to develop new work for public presentation during the annual Watermill Summer Benefit and Discover Watermill Day; access to 20,000 square feet of rehearsal/performance/design spaces; a theater production archive; a 6,000 volume library; outdoor stages; the Watermill Art Collection; and the Center’s landscaped grounds.

In addition to workshops, all participants share in the responsibilities of daily life: housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the Watermill grounds and gardens. Daily physical labor, including landscaping and the construction of site-specific installations is an integral part of the Summer Program. This live/work environment reflects the Watermill idea that an artist works differently in an environment that he or she has helped to create and maintain.

All participants are lodged in shared rooms in either the Center’s dormitory or rented summer houses. Shared vans are provided for transport to and from the Center. All participants spend the entire day (from 9am to 10pm, seven days a week) at the Center. All meals are prepared with trained chefs and served at the Center.

About The Watermill Center

Watermill is a laboratory for performance founded by Robert Wilson as a unique environment for young and emerging artists from around the world to explore new ideas. Watermill draws inspiration from all the arts and cultures as well as from social, human and natural sciences. Watermill is a global community of artists. Living and working together among the extensive collection of art and artifacts lies at the heart of the Watermill experience. Watermill is a haven for the next generations of artists, supporting their work among a network of international institutions and venues that embrace new interdisciplinary approaches. For more information about Watermill please visit: www.watermillcenter.org