BR Whiting Studio residency
Key dates
Applications open: Tuesday 24 June 2025
Applications close: Tuesday 5 August 2025 at 3:00pm (AEST)
Notification date: November 2025
Please note: To apply you must be registered in our application management system a minimum of two business days prior to the closing date.
Details
Art form: Literature
Location: Rome, Italy
Residency dates:
28 December 2026 – 22 March 2027 (3 months)
29 March – 26 April 2027 (1 month)
3 May – 25 October 2027 (6 months)
Amount
$5,000 for 1 month residency
$12,500 for 3 months residency
$25,000 for 6 months residency
Contact
If you would like advice on your application, please contact an Artists Services Officer or the Creative Australia International Team.
Please note: To apply you must be registered in our application management system a minimum of two business days prior to the closing date. Technical and administrative support will not be available after 5pm on the closing date.
About the residency
The BR Whiting Studio residency is an opportunity for writers to direct their own program of activity and expand their practice and networks. There are three residencies on offer of varying duration: 1 x one month (with $5,000 support), 1 x three months (with $12,500 support), and 1 x six months (with $25,000 support).
The Studio is an apartment in the Roman neighbourhood of Trastevere. It was given to Creative Australia by Lorri Whiting, an Australian abstract painter who was embraced by the Italian art scene. She spent many years living in Rome and exhibited in prestigious galleries across Italy, the UK and New York. She established the BR Whiting Studio as a gift to Creative Australia in honour of her late husband, the writer B.R ‘Bertie’ Whiting. The residency was originally established for the benefit of Australian poets and poets are encouraged to apply for the residency.
Due to its location, the apartment can become hot in the summer months. Please take this into consideration when selecting your preferred residency period.
Rome is a city rich in history, culture and religion. There are many opportunities for a writer to connect with bookshops, literary societies, universities, academics and translators. Residents are encouraged to make contacts prior to the commencement of their residency. Several previous residents have organised readings through universities and institutions such as the Keats Shelley House.
You can learn more about the studio, accommodation, local area, and travel arrangements by downloading the Information Pack PDF.
Eligibility
Who can apply
- Only individuals may apply to this category.
- You must be a practicing artist or arts worker and an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.
Who cannot apply
You cannot apply if:
- You received a grant, or administered a grant, from Creative Australia in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted
- You owe money to Creative Australia
- We will not accept applications from legally constituted organisations
Assessment
Industry advisors and Creative Australia staff will consider applications according to the assessment criteria. Successful applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by mid-October 2025.
Applicants must address the following assessment criteria:
- Artistic merit
- suitability of your practice to the residency program and its artistic environment/offer
- quality of work previously produced, and public and peer response to your work
- Viability
- suitability of your proposal to the residency program
- the skills and artistic ability of your collaborators (if applicable) and their relevance to the proposed activity
- realistic and achievable planning, resource use and evaluation.
- Impact on career
- how the proposed activity strengthens your artistic practice
- the relevance and timeliness of the proposed activity
- how the proposed activity strengthens your capacity as an arts professional, particularly in relation to international development and collaboration.
Support material
You should submit support material with your application. Assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.
What you should provide
We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online, or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact us.
There are three types of support material you may submit:
1. Artistic support material
This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work.
Types of support material we accept
Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).
You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.
These URLs can include a total of:
- 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
- 10 images
- 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).
Please note: Our assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.
If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.
Other accepted file formats
If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:
- video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
- audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
- images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
- written material (Word and PDF).
2. Biographies and CVs
You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.
Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.
3. Letters of support
Individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants, or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.
If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.
You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.
Location, accommodation and workspace
The BR Whiting studio is situated near the River Tiber and within walking distance from the Roma Trastevere train station and the old district of Trastevere, which alongside its historic significance, boasts some of the best pizzerias and bars in Rome.
The studio is located on the eighth floor of a security building. A lift travels to the seventh floor, where there is a short set of stairs leading to the studio. The apartment consists of a spacious multi-purpose room, a bedroom, bathroom, and library annexe. It contains a collection of more than 2,000 books that previous residents have added to over the years. A door from the main room leads onto a leafy terrace that overlooks the rooftops of Rome and its surrounding hills. The main room contains the kitchen and dining area, a desk, sofa, sofa bed, storage cupboard (containing vacuum cleaner, ironing board etc.), coffee table, electric heater and wood stove. There is also a printer and a television. The bedroom contains a clothes cupboard and a double bed. Bed linen, towels and blankets are supplied. There is a washing machine in the bathroom, a telephone and ADSL internet connection.
Residents are responsible for cleaning the apartment and for purchasing cleaning materials.
Access and inclusion
The BR Whiting studio is not wheelchair accessible and has limited flexibility regarding physical access needs. A guide dog, and/or a carer could accompany the artist for the residency, as the living quarters can accommodate two people.
Families and guests
While the studio would accommodate a couple and a small child over five, it is not recommended for families. There are no parks or facilities in the area and the apartment is quite old.
Protocols
Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.
Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts
All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.
Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
Previous residents
2024-2025
- Kirsten Tranter
- Michael Fitzgerald
- Izzy Roberts-Orr
- Eileen Chong
- Katherine Lilley
- Jessie Tu
2023-2024
- Jane Harrison
- Susan Anderson
- Mireille Juchau
2022-2023
- Eunice Andrada
- Louris van de Geer
- Bella Li
- Gretchen Shirm
2020-2021
- Lisa Gorton
- Fiona McGregor
- Robert Lukins
- Sandra Thibodeaux
2019-2020
- Gabriella Coslovich
- Stuart Cooke
2018-2019
- Fiona McFarlane
- Emily Bitto
2017-2018
- Kristel Thornell
- Josephine Rowe
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Are the residency dates flexible?
No. The dates for this residency are fixed.
If successful, am I able to extend my stay abroad?
Yes, but this will be at your own cost and we will not be able to provide additional funds towards the extension.
Do I have to provide a budget?
No. You are not required to provide a budget with your application.
Do I have to provide a timetable of activities in my application?
There is no requirement for you to provide a timetable of your activities, unless stated otherwise in the individual residency program guidelines.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes. If successful, you are required to take out travel insurance for the duration of your residency. It is recommended you pay for this from your grant.
If I am successful, am I able to take my partner, child or both?
The studio can accommodate a couple and a small child over five. However, the space is not recommended for families as there are no parks or facilities in the area and the apartment is quite old.
Is the grant I receive as part of my residency considered taxable income?
Yes, the grant to an individual that accompanies a residency is considered income and taxable. Please visit the Australian Taxation Office website for more information.
Will the same residencies be offered every year?
The International Residencies Program is dynamic and responsive and the programs on offer may vary from year to year.
Can I still apply to Arts Projects Grants for Individuals for a self-organised residency?
Yes. Please refer to the Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups guidelines for details on applying.
I have already received a Creative Australia residency, am I eligible to apply for another residency?
Yes, as long as you have satisfactorily acquitted the previous residency grant.
If I have to take time off from my job to do a residency, what sort of compensation will I receive?
The grant is not intended to cover lost income or rent at home and applicants will need to consider their capacity to undertake the residency prior to applying.
What information, resources and contacts will Creative Australia provide if I am successful?
We partner with established and reputable residency providers and each program is unique. Successful applicants will be provided with detailed information about each residency and introductions to the residency providers who will assist artists with making local connections. Our staff are able to provide further advice and contacts, as requested. Artists are also expected to have their own resources, contacts and project plans for the residency.
What can I use the grant for?
The grant is a contribution from Creative Australia toward your travel (including airfares and travel insurance) and living costs during the residency period. Applicants are expected to research the cost of living in the residency location they are travelling to. You may need to supplement the grant with your own funds depending on your projected costs for the residency period.
Can you provide assistance with applying for international visas?
We cannot provide any advice on visa or immigration matters. You must contact the relevant country’s visa service to get current information. We suggest you allow plenty of time to apply for all international visas.
Is this residency accessible to artists with disability?
The BR Whiting studio is not wheelchair accessible and has limited flexibility regarding physical access needs. You can contact the Creative Australia International Team to discuss your access needs and receive additional information.
