Creative spaces and residencies
Resident artists, residency programs and associated exhibitions and creative practices supported and cultivated by Montsalvat.
We are excited to announce a new chapter of creative vitality and activation at Montsalvat. Established in 1934, Montsalvat has fostered a deeply connected community and provided thousands of artists, musicians, writers, philosophers, poets and makers with the time, space and support to further their artistic practice.
Once a private semi-rural retreat for artists, Montsalvat has evolved into a public hub of creative opportunity; a place where art is made and taught as well as exhibited and performed. It is an inspiring and living home for art, culture and ideas, where artistic pursuits are created, learnt, exhibited and performed. With a heritage that is nurtured for future generations, Montsalvat is engaged with its community. It is a collage - not one single narrative.
While we remain financially challenged in the post- COVID environment, we have a renewed vision, informed by Justus Jorgensen’s original bequest of providing a place for artists to live and work, but with a contemporary approach as a place for making, sharing and learning across diverse art forms.
Montsalvat is increasing access to and its offering of art classes, studio places and short-term residencies to a wider variety of experienced and emerging artists, alongside numerous events and private function facilities across its three dozen Heritage-listed buildings.
Designed to expand community opportunities to engage with the arts, Montsalvat has developed a new suite of bookable spaces and residency programs for creative and community use. The Creative Spaces Project presents a three-tiered structure of accessibility
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Creative Bookable Spaces
Montsalvat are developing a suite of shared, bookable spaces designed to increase day-to-day activity across the grounds, better support the needs of our artistic community and create more opportunities for public engagement with the arts. These spaces will be well maintained, furnished and available for a diverse range of community and artistic use.
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Project Spaces
The Project Spaces are clustered around the Great Hall and other iconic buildings constructed in the 1930-40's. It was here the founders enjoyed a frugal hedonism spending their days laboring, afternoons developing their creative practices and evenings swimming in the pool, dining together and sharing conversation.
Suitable for short-term residencies with a range from single rooms to self-contained dwellings, the studios are suited to project-oriented work and those seeking a period of focus for their practice. In support of socialising and collaboration, all studios are connected to shared amenities and bookable spaces.
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Makers Studios
The Makers Studios are suited to long-term tenancies. These studios are clustered together in the ‘Makers Quarter’ - the lively productive heart of Montsalvat. The ‘Maker's Quarter’ is the vitality that brings Montsalvat to life and the long-term tenancies are the first and foremost reciprocal relationships between this community and this place.
To support creative development, tenants have access to shared and bookable spaces for meeting, exhibiting, teaching and socialising.
