Arts Leaders Winter Residency

Get Sh*t done, differently.

Monday 2 - Friday 6 December 2024 - APPLICATIONS CLOSED

Are you an arts leader who wants to, or is finding they need to, work differently? Do you need space to think, reset and reconnect? Improbable’s first ever Arts Leaders Winter Residency could be for you.  

A residential programme at our new home-to-be: the beautiful Bore Place, in the North Kent Downs. The week is focused on bringing together a community of arts leaders who want to connect, converse and grapple with their knottiest topics. The week will be a mixture of sharing ideas and issues, getting sh*t done together and if you need it, giving you space to get sh*t done alone. 

Arts leaders are not often afforded the time and space for connection, reflection and action. Our unique approach will use Improbable’s acclaimed practice to enable you to step away from the day to day to zero in on the important work that never gets done. 

At the heart of our practice is improvisation; this binds together all of our work. Whether on stage, in someone else’s workplace or our own, the practice and philosophy of improvisation is at the core of our creative process. This process has led to award-winning productions like My Neighbour Totoro, Akhnaten, Lifegame and many more. It is also used in our work with business, charities, councils and across the cultural sector to hold space for people to have the time they need to make positive change. 

By 'improvisation' we mean any emergent or iterative process that seeks to bring awareness to each unfolding moment and an understanding that positive change comes not from one person, group, or ideology but will grow from the symbiotic interactions between us.  

This flows through to how we view leadership, not as a top-down dictation but a ground up, empowering, collaborative process that welcomes the unknown and embraces change rather than shutting it/people/spirits down to meet the mission statement.   

This inaugural Winter Residency is for everyone who considers themselves a leader – anyone who has an idea, a spark, a need to do or to dream. 

Join us for the week and become part of a transformative journey that will shape the future of the arts sector, one inspired leader at a time. 

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

 

Other Improbable Workshops

Chrysalis retreat

20-24 January 2025

A space to rest and transform. Supported by Varshini Pichemuthu and SL Grange, this nurturing space is a cocoon for your own ideas and projects.  

Through the Door

17 November 2024 - 19 January 2025

Workshops for women, non-binary and trans people who are actors, improvisors and theatre-makers at all levels of experience led by Creative Facilitator Angela Clerkin with guest facilitators.

Feedback from previous Improbable residencies:

“Overall, my week spent with all these amazing people in the most beautiful setting was most certainly 10/10 and with the opportunity to return, I'd be there in a heartbeat.” – Summer Workshops participant 2024 

“There were a lot of invitations for reflection, and a lot of the time this reflection had the potential to become rather deep, maybe leading to a door you’d missed in your mind because you’d been too busy walking up and down the mental corridor to notice it. Patience gently started entering my body and a space to express myself the way I express myself, which in other spaces is a hell of a lot harder to do. The learning from the week has continued on after.” - Summer Workshops 2024 participant 

  • Monday 2 – Friday 6 December 2024

    The week will run from Monday lunchtime – Friday lunchtime with time to travel to and from. Further details on the schedule will be shared as applications open.  

  • The Arts Leaders Winter Residency is residential at Bore Place. We will stay in the Old Stables and sessions will take place in the Large Barn and across the site.  

    All food is provided in partnership with Bore Place and communal cooking and eating will be part of our time together. All dietary requirements can be catered for.  

    Transport will be provided from Sevenoaks station at the start and end of the week or you are free to make your own way to us, there is free parking onsite.  

    Address: Bore Place Road, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge TN8 7AR

  • We will use Open Space Technology to guide our week and together will make our timetable. This will be a mix of provocations, collaborative and solo working sessions. You will be able to move in and out of these at your choosing, it will be flexible. The week will include;  

    • Up to twelve sessions across the five days led by Improbable’s Executive Director Ellie Claughton and Executive producer, Kathryn Bilyard along with other members of the team.  

    • 4 nights’ accommodation at Bore Place. There will be options for single or shared rooms with different price points. You will be able to make preferences for this as you apply. Bathrooms are shared.    

    • All meals and refreshments throughout the week are catered for. You will also have access to the kitchen if you wish to use it too. Communal cooking and eating will be part of our time together.  

    • Transport to/from Sevenoaks station on arrival and departure days.

    We will be running an online information session on the week commencing 1st October 2024. To sign up for the session, please click here.

  • £1495+VAT for a single room  

    £995+VAT for a shared room  

  • Full information on the accessibility of the site at Bore Place can be found on the Bore Place websitehere.

    There will be a section on the application form for you to let us know what you need to work best. If you would like to discuss your access requirements, or have any questions about the site or the week before you apply then please get in touch with us on kathryn@improbable.co.uk.  

  • Applications are now closed.

    Check out our next retreat, Chrysalis, here.

  • This is a summary of key and repeated questions following our Q&A session at the start of October. If you have any questions not covered here please get in touch on office@improbable.co.uk

    1. How many people will there be in a group?
    There will be a maximum of 20 people for any week.

    2. What are you hoping people will get out of the week?
    I am hoping that attendees will feel they've had a really productive week, a different kind of productivity than you might feel ticking a lot of things off a list or finalising a budget. The kind of productivity that makes you feel unlocked with space to think bigger and more able to tackle the issues you're facing as a leader. I hope people will feel they have learnt something new, not just from Improbable's practise but from across the cohort. I really hope that people make connections through this week, maybe as a group but also maybe in smaller groups and partnerships. We've seen that across our residencies so far with new projects and partnership starting and it's great to see that.   

    3. Can the cost be reduced?
    Unfortunately not. We don't have the finance in place for bursary or subsidised spaces for this week. We are hoping to in future and we will be doing more residentials at Bore Place so if finance is a barrier please sign up to the mailing list to be kept up to date on future opportunities.

    4. What is the length of the day? Can I step in and out if I need to?
    Our longest days will be three session days, morning, afternoon and evening sessions. You will be able to step in or out at any time as you need and our staff team will support this, no sessions will be mandatory. You will be able to tell us about your access requirements in your application form and we'll be in touch if you're offered a place to discuss any access requirements in advance. The schedule and agenda will be created with the group, we will all shape this and follow what's alive for the group throughout the week so you will have agency over the way your time is used.

    5. What is Open Space?
    Open Space Technology was created by Harrison Owen and is facilitation method which supports groups to self-organise. Improbable use this methodology to run our company and also lead open space events such as Devoted & Disgruntled. You can read more about it and watch a video here. We will not do the whole week in open space, but we will use the principles to guide us throughout. 

    6. Are there any criteria applicants need to meet, like how many years of experience as a leader for example? 
    No, there are no specific criteria. We will be looking to bring a diverse mix of people together who we think will bring different experience and challenge as a group. There are no individual criteria to meet, if this sounds like you would get something out of it, then apply.