The extended residency programme at Britten Pears Arts brings together a variety of development opportunities for interesting artists and researchers across our two sites at Snape Maltings and The Red House. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat or more intense development time, our Creative Retreats and Residencies are designed to enable creativity and opportunities to re-focus.

The extended residency programme provides a safe and supportive environment to be creative, curious, to play, to make and to take risks. The focus of our residencies is to give performers, creators and collaborators the space to develop new ideas, skills and ways of working that will enable a step change in your career, or reveal new insights about music’s place in the world. Creative Retreats provide a peaceful change-of-scene, to hunker down and write or create individually or in small groups.

Britten Pears Arts is uniquely positioned between Snape and Aldeburgh in the beautiful Suffolk countryside, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that inspired many of Benjamin Britten’s great works and ideas. The extended residency programme draws on Britten and Pears’ vision for invaluable artist development opportunities, and there are a range of amazing projects that come out of the programme and go on to be successful and life-changing for the people involved.

As we emerge from the pandemic, and whilst restrictions are in place, we will work with you to ensure you and your collaborators are able to work safely on one of our sites.

To apply for one of our Residencies, please go to the application form and select which strand you’d like to apply for. You can either submit a written, recorded audio or video application. If you would like to discuss alternative ways to apply, please get in touch. Please also provide us with relevant material that supports your application (this may include audio or visual recordings of previous work that demonstrates your practice effectively). We’ll advertise our availability within the application form – please indicate your preferred or available dates.

If you have any questions about your application please book a slot at one of our application drop-in sessions.

The drop-in sessions are:
29 April, 3pm – 5pm
6 May, 10am – 12pm
13 May, 10am – 12pm

If there are no drop-in times which suit your availability, then please email us.