ACTivate Residency

The Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is launching the 2027 ACTivate Residency, a seven‑day, site‑responsive artist residency held in the historic Cyclorama building at 539 Tremont St., Boston, MA. The program is designed to support artists in exploring an idea or concept at various stages of development, with a focus on process over product. Two residents—individuals or small collectives—will be selected to expand work that is performative and/or visual in nature. Applicants must be Boston‑based visual, performing, or interdisciplinary artists belonging to historically under‑represented and under‑resourced groups in the United States, including Black, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander, Arab, Immigrant or New American, LGBTQ, working‑class, and differently‑abled artists. Lead artists must be current residents of Boston or the surrounding area; students in undergraduate or graduate programs are ineligible. The residency offers a $3,000 stipend for the Lead Artist, a $500 travel stipend, access to the Cyclorama for seven days, staff support up to eight hours per day, in‑house resources such as tables, chairs, and lighting, documentation of the residency process, and an opportunity to share a work‑in‑progress with a small private audience. The application process is open from August 19, 2027, with materials due by September 23, 2027, and notification in October 2027. The residency dates are scheduled for January, February, and March 2027, with two separate weeks each month.

The program emphasizes equity, diversity, and accessibility, requiring applicants to demonstrate a commitment to these values. The BCA staff will provide support during working hours and will document the residency process for the artists’ discretion.

Applications are submitted via an online form linked on the BCA website. The residency is part of BCA’s ongoing annual series of ACTivate residencies, making it a recurring call with a fixed deadline each year.

Opportunity to be in another context, Unstructured time, Art production support, Access to studio space to create new work, Access to equipment, specialized facilities and/or technical support, Inspiration from cultural context, Opportunities to develop relationships with local or regional artists/arts organizations, Opportunities to collaborate with local or regional artists/arts organizations, Opportunities to collaborate with other artists/residents, Opportunities to develop relationships with other artists/residents, Opportunities for work with the local community, Opportunities to exhibit or perform new work

ACTivate is open to all Boston-based visual, performing, and interdisciplinary artists with priority given to BIPOC, Immigrant, and New American artists, and their collaborators. The collective or lead artist(s) must live or work within the City of Boston, with preference given to artists who live in Allston-Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale, and Roxbury.