Welcome to your LongWay Residency
The LongWay Residency is an invite-only, no-charge residency for artists and culture-makers/keepers to spend time in a family home near the ocean in Newport, RI.
Jed and Rebecca live in the house, and it’s also the house where Jed grew up.
“This house has incubated wonderful work over the years, and it would be an honor to be part of incubating anything you're making. You don't have to show us anything, but you can. If you spend the whole time here and never make anything, we really don't care. The artist process is strange and wonderful. No matter what you do here it's influencing something somewhere. It’s a privilege to be part of your story.”
Past Residency Reflections
If you could sum up the Long Way Residency in one sentence, what would it be?
Exploring myself and my work in a vessel built of and adorned by affection, taking walks by the ocean--in whatever mood she may be in--these are the conditions under which I always want to be in development.
Kat + Maren, March 2025
How was the community of Newport vs the house itself?
It's really lovely to have so many places to walk to (cliff walk, neighborhood, grocery & other staples) or drive out to take a walk. It looks like the bus system is really good for anyone not coming with a car or not wanting to use a car. For a longer stay (we did only five days) and weather permitting, I would one thousand percent bring a bike next time. I found Maren and I benefited from breaking up our workshopping sessions with walks around the neighborhood. The room we rehearsed/workshopped in was a good size and the high ceilings do let the body breathe & extend in a way that is helpful to the work. If given another go, I'd also try doing some of our work in the backyard.
What are the blindspots you imagine we have in the offering that would be good to illuminate?
I can't think of any, because I felt the responsibility of thinking through how to fill in the experience was entirely mine.
Has the time helped your work?
Absolutely. Maren and I really needed dedicated time to do both the talking part of talking and the moving part of talking. I think that having access to a precious resource (space, time) is a state of being that can be transformed into a container. I think the devising part of our work (developing community engagement intentions and the theatrical protocol that will serve those intentions) is so dynamic that it can be difficult to discern the forms/structures that are revealing themselves to us... so a container provides that temporary structure, like a scaffold. For example, if we only have so many days that we've set aside, sure.. time can provide constraint but the structure of hospitality can be an even more compelling motivation to be as brilliant and fun and incisive as we can be... and certainly more nourishing than "I can only take so many days off of work" or the like.
What was it like to share space with us?
At times it was hard because I just wanted to hang out with Rebecca & Jed. Making art is work and it's hard to work when your cool friends are around. I found that structuring (in this case, roughly scheduling) a time when we would get to hang out and gab was helpful for someone like me, who loves to talk and has to actively reign in my focus and attention. I found the early to bed / early to rise rhythm of their home helpful. Being able to bring my small dog was a big deal. I really appreciated the way that Jed & Rebecca seem to prioritize nervous and embodied needs (i.e. it's okay if the dog is kind of barky, trusting that she'll stop when she feels more settled, as artists we get to enact flexible structures, etc). Overall, very good balance of priorities, boundaries and flexibility and great at negotiating and communicating all of the above. Sharing food was easy. Jed occasionally randomly putting together a beautiful dish and sharing was really nice, and I wish I had more opportunities to reciprocate. I hope the macaroni salad we left was okay! Overall five days just felt too short and left me with some yearning for more interaction, and I think more visits are the only way I will figure out how to articulate a clear ask, lol.
What To Expect
MONEY
We won't charge anything, but we also can't pay anything. If what you need is space and time, we have that. And who knows. Maybe you'll get a grant or something sometime that will fund your flight to Newport or help you be here for a little while. We will never ask about your financial relationship to the Long Way Residency, but don't mind if you give us feedback on how we could make it easier for you or what makes it hard.
WHAT
A chance to be away from your home in our home near the ocean. A bedroom and all the fixin's plus the rest of the house and all its beautiful dusty Victorian chaos. We will most likely be home and maybe other friends or family will be around, but in many ways we hope that's what is also appealing about the Long Way Residency. A confluence of energy, an abundance of surprise.
WHEN AND HOW LONG
Anytime, as long as we have room for what and who you need. Stay as long as you want. We'll have a conversation before anything is firm. Summer is a really choice time to come out, of course, but perhaps you need a residency in a different season. We are 100% down for it. Throw out your proposal and we'll talk.