Opportunity details | The Artist Book Online Residency 2027

The Artist Book Online Residency 2027

Deadline: 15/11/2026

City: online | Hilke Kurzke

Expenses paid

Call for book artists to participate in TABOR, a year-long online residency bringing together eight book artists from varied backgrounds to infuse each other’s work, develop their professional practice, and make new work for an online joint group exhibition at the end of the residency.

The artist book online residency (TABOR) is a year‑long online residency offering book artists a sustained peer network, social connection, professional development, and a shared project to work towards.

Residents take an active role throughout the year: weekly social meetings, peer support, and focused professional development sit alongside co‑organising a group exhibition and its accompanying public programme.

It is designed to fit around existing commitments and does not require time away from your work or workshop practice, family, or support networks.

Structure of the residency year

Quarter 1

Residents get to know one another through body‑of‑work presentations and regular social meetings.

Quarter 2

The focus shifts to learning and skill‑exchange. Artists teach each other techniques, support one another’s developing work, and choose which workshops to invite from a confirmed list of external experts.

Workshops cover topics such as photographing and presenting books, delivering online bookbinding sessions, curation, time management, securing funding, and navigating setbacks.

Quarter 3 +4

In the final two quarters artists turn their attention towards external impact. From September onwards, the cohort designs and delivers outreach activities, culminating in a joint exhibition and public programme, while continuing the familiar peer support that runs throughout the year.

Exhibition and Public Impact

The final group exhibition (alongside with an open call for additional artwork) will take place in an online gallery, and residents will contribute to public‑facing events such as artist talks, panel discussions and exhibition tours.

In addition to the online exhibition we will also organise some local, physical exhibitions, and residents will be encouraged and supported in offering similar in their communities.

Programme Team

TABOR is delivered by

Hilke Kurzke -- book artist, organiser of Notts Book Arts,
Frances Day -- book artist, gallerist in the online gallery Fevered Imagination
Pippa Hennessy -- poet and aspiring printmaker, manager for regional, national and international literature-related projects.

Who should apply?

We welcome applications from book artists at all career stages and aim to bring together emerging, mid‑career, and established practitioners working across a wide range of approaches to book art.

We are looking for artists who are eager to develop and experiment within the field, who consider book arts part of their current or future professional practice, and who are happy to share knowledge and skills with peers.

Applicants should have created two pieces of book art as a minimum, so that they have at least a rough idea what it is they want to develop in the next year. All stages of experience are welcome, from beginners to professional book artists.

Fees, Expenses, and Payment

There is no tuition fee.

We have funding in place to reimburse reasonable costs incurred by participating artists. This includes materials needed for skillshares or workshops, postage for sending work or handouts, and other small expenses directly related to the residency.

We are currently fundraising to provide fees for artists’ contributions to the programme, including work for the final exhibition, and outreach activities. Final fee levels will be confirmed once funding decisions are announced.

Eligibility:

applicants must be 18 years or older
applicants must reside in the UK
participants must be regularly availabe on Thursdays 7pm UK time for group meetings
participants need a stable internet connection and access to a camera and microphone are required for regular online meetings.
participants should be comfortable being on camera, willing to contribute actively, and ready to engage in a collaborative learning environment.

(Artistic) Background of candidates:

We are seeking to choose a cohort that is diverse both in terms of professional background and lived experience.

One of the eight residencies is earmarked for a book artist with a background in craft bookbinding (sponsored by the Society of Bookbinders) and one for a neurodivergent young adult comes with additional support and mentoring. (See FAQ for more information on those).

Access Support:

We are committed to supporting artists from all backgrounds and circumstances, and we want to hear from you.

This form helps us identify the best candidates, but it is not intended to exclude anyone from participating.

We recognise that application forms can be a barrier for some artists.

If you find this format difficult, please let us know: there is a field in the form here to request adjustments; check our website to discuss access support or alternative application formats and get in touch so that we can help you.

More information and other ways to contact us, if needed, can be found on our website : TaboResidency.

Please make sure you also read the FAQs since there is further important information.

Make a submission Contact the curator

What is an online Residency? Isn't that a contradiction?

Not at all. A residency is defined by what it provides — peer connection, support, professional development, time and space to focus, and a shared project to work towards. TABOR offers all of these, but in a format that is accessible to far more artists.

Traditional residencies often require artists to step away from employment, caring responsibilities, established support networks, and accessible environments. For many people, that makes participation impossible.

TABOR keeps the benefits while removing those barriers.
The residency runs over a full year, with a limited weekly time commitment which allows artists to flexibly organise their work-time in a way that fits around their lives. Because it is online, artists can participate from a space that already meets their access needs, using the tools and technologies they are familiar with — including captioning, screen readers, and other personal access setups.

Rather than being a contradiction, TABOR is a modern expansion of what a residency can be: structured, supportive, professionally meaningful, and genuinely accessible.

Who is eligible for this opportunity?

Participants must be 18 years or older and either identify as book artists or see themselves as a future book artist.
Applicants must have made at least two books before.
Candidates must live in the UK; but you do have a chance in the form to argue why you should be considered even if you don't formally meet this requirement.
Artists must be available on Thursday evenings, 7pm UK time.
A stable internet connection and access to a camera and microphone are required for regular online meetings.
Applicants should be comfortable being on camera, willing to contribute actively, and ready to engage in a collaborative learning environment.
Everyone should bring a willingness to be inclusive and curious about how other artists work differently, so that we can all inspire and infuse our respective practice

How much time does the residency require each week?

During the first two quarters, residents attend a weekly one‑hour online meeting and are expected to attend, take active part in discussions, critiques, and sharing work. This may involve light preparation, such as looking through a fellow resident’s work in advance.

Over the course of the year, residents will:
* teach one skill session to the group. -- Preparation time varies depending on how you choose to deliver it, and you can schedule this at a time that suits your other commitments.
* create at least one artist’s book for the final exhibition. -- The time required depends entirely on your own working methods.
* design and deliver one outreach activity during the November/December outreach phase. -- Again, the scale and time commitment are up to you.
* optionally organise a local physical exhibition, which will require some offline planning and coordination.
* offer peer support, which may include occasional group chats or informal exchanges outside meetings.

The residency is designed to be flexible and to fit around employment, caring responsibilities, and other commitments. Most weeks require only the one‑hour meeting, with additional work scheduled by you according to your own pace and practice.

What if I miss a meeting?

We ask residents to keep the weekly meeting time free as much as possible, as your presence supports not only your own development but also the learning and wellbeing of the group. However, we fully understand that illness, caring responsibilities, work commitments, mental health, and unexpected events can make attendance difficult at times.

All meetings are recorded, so you can watch back and catch up on anything you missed.
You can still offer feedback or encouragement afterwards through the group chat or by contacting fellow residents directly.

TABOR is designed to be flexible and to fit around real lives. We value consistency, but we also recognise that life happens.

Are there payments to artists?

Resident artists are asked to create a piece of work for the final exhibition, lead a skillshare session (for follow residents) and lead a public outreach activities to support the exhibition. We are currently fundraising to be able to pay artists a fee for these activities. Final fee levels will be confirmed once funding decisions are announced.

When is the deadline?

Applications on curatorspace close on the 15th of November.

If you need an extended deadline as part pf your access arrangements, please get in touch before the deadline so that we can discuss how to do that.

What access arrangements for the residency or the application are in place?

TABOR is designed to be accessible to artists with a wide range of needs, and we are committed to lowering barriers wherever possible. If you have difficulty accessing the application or the residency, please let us know so we can discuss what adjustments would help.

We already offer:
alternative application formats,
extended application deadlines where needed,
automatically generated captions for all online meetings,
reminders and short summaries before and after sessions,
options to catch up if you cannot attend live due to exceptional circumstances,
a supported residency place for a neurodivergent artist which includes additional mentoring,
additional arrangements like BSL interpretation can be arranged for special occasions (something we had in the past and we can explore again if needed or wanted).

If you need something different, we will work with you to explore what’s possible. We aim to be open, practical and realistic about the support we can provide, and we encourage applicants with access needs to get in touch so we can discuss what would help you participate comfortably.

Is there a private view / opening or finissage?

Yes.

Online finissage
----------------------
The main exhibition runs online from 1 November to 31 December 2027.
On 30 December, we will hold an online finissage: a celebratory end‑of‑residency gathering where residents, family, and friends meet, revisit the exhibition together, and mark the close of the year. Resident artists are expected to make time for this.

Local physical exhibitions
--------------------------------
During the online exhibition period, resident artists are encouraged and supported to host their own outreach activities. One option is to organise a local physical exhibition featuring their residency book and selected works from the exhibition and open call. Three such exhibitions are already planned by the TABOR organisers.

These outreach exhibitions are intended to support and promote the online exhibition. They are optional and artist‑led: residents decide whether to host a private view, opening, or finissage for their local event. Planning takes place in the second half of the residency, and artists receive support in organising and budgeting for these activities.

Do I need to have exhibited before I can apply?

No.

How many works can I submit?

For this application you can submit 5 photos which could be all of different works or different views of the same book.
You are not submitting your work in the usual sense, though. These images are meant to help us understand in which area of book arts you work and what quality of work you can produce.
If successful, you will be making at least one new work for the final exhibition as part of the residency, which we will expect to be of comparable quality.
If you should then wish to include more works in the exhibition, (if you produced more during the year, or include previous work) will be up to a group decision during the residency.

What information do you want to see in the CV? And what should I put if I am a beginner?

A list of events you have participated in recently, with dates, titles, and location.
Possible headers are:
recent solo exhibitions, recent or most important group exhibition, juried entries, prices won, publications in which your work appears, or public collections who hold your books. Only include headers/sections where you have something to enter.
Please curate your list to make it relevant to TABOR, and list either the most recent, most relevant, or those that you are most proud of. It is meant to give us an idea where in your career to place you.
If you are a beginner, and you have not shown any books at all, just say so. You can still list relevant qualifications, like courses you have taken whether they are in person or online, or maybe activities that show other relevant skills like teaching or learning something else online.

You ask me to upload a CV and I can upload two more files. What other files should I upload?

You don't have to upload more than your CV, but we want to give you the chance to submit something else that you find relevant. Uploading just one file is perfectly fine. You do not have to make something up to upload three files. We just want to make sure you have the chance to get to us what you want us to see. This could be an artist statement (if you are an established artist we would highly welcome that, but it's not necessary if you are a beginner).

Who is eligible for the Society of Bookbinders Residency Place?

If you have a background in craft bookbinding or in the history of bookbinding, or if you are keen to develop that knowledge during the residency year, you are eligible for this place. Please mention any book structures you have worked with, or would like to learn, in the section that asks about your aims for the year and your relevant experience.

Who is eligible for the supported residency?

None of the following are hard requirements. They more describe who we currently have in mind rather than who we would restrict it to. If you feel that you would benefit from the extra support of weekly mentoring sessions alongside the group session, then please get in touch with us to discuss, and tick the box.
Please note that on our website, there is more in depth information about this supported residency.
We are looking for a book artist who
identifies as autistic, ADHD, and/or PDA, or otherwise neurodivergent,
has experience with self-directed learning, and might have been out of school/in alternative provision for a stretch of time
is eager to learn and experiment in the field of book arts, considering this as their future career
does not hold a formal qualification like a university degree or apprenticeship yet

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