With thanks to a generous sponsor from the Wairarapa community, ?the 2019 RAK Mason Fellow will live in a self-contained cottage hosted by people with an interest in supporting the arts.

The purpose of this RAK Mason Fellowship?is to encourage creativity, to explore the different literary forms or genres and their potential, and to honour one of New Zealand’s foremost writers, RAK Mason (1905-1971), with his intense energy, commitment to literature, and his interest in the ways different literary forms inform each other.

NZPS welcomes applications from writers of all cultures.?Applicants can be working in any way and do not have to relate to RAK Mason in terms of style or content. As part of the supported residency, the Fellow is encouraged to offer an activity for the community, such as a reading or workshop.

Selection of the 2019 Fellow will be based on the nature and strength of an applicant’s proposed project and the degree to which both the Fellow and the local community will benefit from it, although the focus remains on supporting the writer by providing the necessary time and space for sustained work. Applicants can be at any stage in their creative ‘careers.’

The fellowship provides free accommodation and transport within Wairarapa. The successful Fellow would need to cover their travel costs to and from the Wairarapa and buy their own food while in residence. In addition, they should bring necessary equipment and supplies with them, or liaise with NZPS about purchasing them once in residence.?An applicant is welcome to propose a project of more than three weeks in duration, but accommodation and transportation costs beyond the sponsored period would have to be met by the applicant.

The Fellowship is available to an individual.?If the project is a collaborative project, other members would need to cover their accommodation costs.

NZPS may host an Open Studio Day during the residency period, at which the fellow will be asked to give a short presentation/performance to visitors.

Fellows may choose to donate a book/chapbook to NZPS or to the sponsor.

NZPS is a registered charity and offers fellowships whenever possible — please visit our website that discusses other fellowships:?http://www.artistresidency.org.nz/460028/

For more information and how to apply, visit here.