Applications are now open for an early-career artist based in Aotearoa New Zealand to undertake an eleven-week, fully funded residency at Gasworks in London from 30 September – 15 December 2026.
The Gasworks residencies programme supports professional development, cultural exchange, and artistic experimentation. Hosting up to twenty residencies each year, Gasworks bring artists from all over the world to London. All their residencies are self-led, non-prescriptive and process-based; they are about enabling artists to research and develop new work, engage with the city, and build their networks.
Gasworks provide administrative, pastoral, and curatorial support throughout the residency, but expect residents to be self-motivated, and to lead on the research and production of their own work, during their time at Gasworks.
Application deadline: 1 June 2026, 1pm (UK time)
About the Residency
The selected artist will receive:
- 24-hour, 7 days a week access to a fully accessible private studio at Gasworks, alongside other resident artists, and a community of London-based studio holders
- Single room accommodation in Gasworks’ Residency House: a two-story house, with three communal bathrooms and a kitchen, shared with three or four other resident artists
- Economy return flights and taxi transfers from the artist’s home country to London, including one cabin and one hold luggage
- All visa costs and support with the visa application process
- A weekly stipend of £175 to cover living expenses in London
- A materials budget of up to £800
- A prepaid travel card (TFL zones 1+2) for unlimited travel within central London throughout the residency
- Studio visits with Gasworks’ staff, external curators, artists, and educational groups
- An Open Studio event and presentation introducing the work and research developed during the residency, which will take place on Saturday 5 December 2026
- Access to Gasworks’ basic tools and AV equipment, subject to availability.
- A dedicated residency page on Gasworks’ website, including short video interview introducing the artist’s work, filmed and edited by Gasworks during the residency
- Networking opportunities and at least two individual studio visits with other artists, curators and arts professionals
- Administrative, pastoral, and curatorial support from Gasworks’ staff during office hours, from 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Eligibility
- The open call is for early-career contemporary visual artists based in Aotearoa New Zealand only.
Selection Procedure
- The artist will be selected based on their application by a selection panel including representatives from Gasworks and external advisors with specialist knowledge of the contemporary art scenes in Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK
- Artists making high quality work and who have not had the opportunity to work in London before will be prioritised
- It is important that all applicants research Gasworks thoroughly before submitting their application, so that they are fully aware of the context that they would, if successful, be entering, and the kinds of artists we have supported before. You can see our residencies archive, here
- A shortlist of four artists will be invited to a short online interview with Gasworks staff before a final decision is made.
Accessibility
- Gasworks encourage eligible artists from all backgrounds to apply. Their building is fully accessible, and they can make arrangements to provide fully accessible accommodation, if required. Due to limited facilities, unfortunately Gasworks are not ableto offer residencies to artistic duos or collectives, as the funds available for each residency, and the rooms available in their shared accommodation, are for one person only. For the same reason, they are also unable to accommodate partners or children, though artists wishing to spend time in London with their families may still apply, if they are able to arrange their own travel and accommodation separately.
- Gasworks welcomes all enquiries and are open to discussing how their residencies programme can be adapted to better cater to artists’ needs. If you have any questions about access requirements and their facilities, please contact rachel@gasworks.org.uk.
How to Apply
Gasworks only accepts digital applications. Please use the online application form at the end of the opportunity page on Gasworks’ website, here. Your application should include the following in one PDF file:
1. A cover sheet with your legal name, home or contact address, e-mail, and telephone number, as well as any relevant social media handles or website links.
2. A 250-word statement describing your artistic practice and interests.
3. A 250-word statement on your plans for the residency, outlining the work or research you would like to undertake in London, even if this is subject to change.
4. Up to 15 images or video/sound clips of recent work, with clear captions and short descriptions, if necessary (up to 100 words per artwork).
5. A CV/Resume (no more than 3 pages).
6. Any relevant documentation, such as articles about your recent work, exhibitions, or publications
Please note that there is a 15MB limit on submissions. If your file is not in PDF format or is over 15MB, you will not be able to submit it.
If you would prefer to provide spoken rather than written answers for points 2 and 3, please include these in your PDF application as sound or video file links.
Timeline
Applications close 1 June 2026, 1pm UK time
Online interviews with shortlisted candidates: week beginning 22 June 2026
Successful applicant notified: week beginning 6 July 2026
About Gasworks
Gasworks is a leading non-profit arts organisation based in south London. Working at the intersection of UK and international contemporary art, Gasworks have supported more than 600 artists from over 80 countries since their founding in 1994.
Gasworks commission and produce exhibitions by emerging and underrepresented artists, and host residencies that enable artists from all over the world to research and develop new work. They also provide subsidised studios for London-based artists and co-design participation projects for local children, young people and families together with community partners.
Above all, Gasworks is a home for artists. They are committed to building long-term relationships with all the artists they work with. Thanks to their award-winning history, they have developed an unparalleled reputation for cultivating new artistic talent.
Gasworks is a registered charity, the London hub of Triangle Network, and part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.
Partners and Supporters
The Gasworks residency is delivered through a partnership between Gasworks, the Jan Warburton Charitable Trust and the Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa, and is made possible by the incredibly generous support of many individuals and trusts, including the Jan Warburton Charitable Trust, Jenny and Andrew Smith, Shirley-Ann and Rick Mannering, Dame Jenny Gibbs, Bath Street Arts Trust, Rosemary and Tim Auld, the Gow Family Foundation, the British Council Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, Anne Tattersfield, Tim Melville Gallery, Lett Thomas, Coastal Signs, Gow Langsford Gallery, Brown Bread, Samantha Male and Piupiu Maya Turei.