Programs
In-Person Residencies
Our in-person residencies are built to nourish your entire creative being: mind, body, and soul. Our residencies vary in length and location, and are only open to past Seventh Wave contributors or digital residents. We view them as a space for members of our community to get to know one another, and to deepen their relationship to their own work. They are what we call quiet collaborations, with opportunities for solo creative sessions, as well as times for connection and meaningful exchange.
About
Whether it’s four days or two weeks, take the time to center yourself, your writing, and your work.
In addition to publishing new voices each year through our magazine and our community anthologies, we also bring artists, writers, and activists together so that they can exchange ideas, share resources, and nurture their creative practices with one another through our in-person residencies. So that they can dig deeper into the hard conversations that impact how we view our lives, our environments, and our relationships. Are you a writer or artist who requires collaboration as a part of your process? Then join us. We invite you to be a part of the community we are building, one conversation at a time.
Since 2016, we’ve found buoyancy in the act of gathering writers together in beautiful, remote places, where they can unplug from the busyness of the world and turn their attention to their craft. Our in-person residencies — Rhinebeck, Bainbridge, and Normandy Park — are currently only open to past contributors, digital residents, and staff. Meaning, once you get published in our magazine or a community anthology, or have been a part of a digital residency cohort, you are eligible to apply. Presently, our residencies are free to apply to, as well as to attend. The only cost to you is your flight or other transportation expenses (taxi, rental car, ferry, etc.), and any groceries for the meals you cook, as our residencies are all about what we collectively bring to the table.
Specific Residencies
We offer different types of residencies to meet writers no matter where they’re at in their creative journey.
Normandy Park Retreat
A one-week retreat at our headquarters in Normandy Park, WA, for those who need to recalibrate their inner compass. Two writers/artists at a time.
Rhinebeck Residency
A two-week residency in Rhinebeck, NY, for those working on longer-length work. Four artists/writers at a time.
Bainbridge Residency
A four-day residency on Bainbridge Island, WA, for those who can’t take as much time away. Four writers/artists at a time.
FAQ
No question is too small; below are a few questions we often get asked about our in-person residencies.
What is a writing residency, and what makes Seventh Wave’s different?
There are many kinds of artist and writing residencies and retreats. The main commonality across most residencies is that they provide some amount of uninterrupted time for a writer or artist to work on a piece or project. Some are catered more toward solitude — where a writer might have their own studio to work in — whereas others may involve more social infrastructures and collaborative spaces. Some may include built-in mentorship, whereas others are simply meant for you to generate as much as you know you need. We call our in-person residencies “quiet collaborations,” as there are no studios, just shared spaces. Conversation and exchange are key to our experiences.
CloseCan anyone apply to an in-person residency?
No. Presently, our in-person residencies are reserved for Seventh Wave alum, meaning that only folks we have published or worked with in some capacity are eligible to apply, which helps us strengthen the ties within our community.
CloseAre your in-person residencies separate from your publications (the magazine and community anthologies)?
Yes. Once you get published in our magazine or a community anthology, or partake in our digital residency program, you are eligible to apply for our in-person residencies. Our residencies are for you to work on your work and connect with other creatives. We do not publish work produced at our in-person residencies.
CloseWhat does it cost to attend an in-person residency?
Presently, there is no application fee and, if accepted, no cost to attend our in-person residencies. The only cost is in securing your transportation to and from the residency, which could include flights, taxis and trains, rental cars, or ferries, depending on where you’re coming from. We also ask that each resident cook a meal or provide a side dish for everyone (details depend upon which residency you are attending), and you are responsible for paying for those groceries. See more on our individual residency pages.
CloseIn 2019, at our inaugural Bainbridge Residency, we asked our four residents to share with us a bit about their experience — what they worked on, what they got out of the four days, what they would be taking with them post-residency.
With deep gratitude to Callum Angus, Yasmin Boakye, D.A. Navoti, and Courtney Young for their reflections and insights.
Programs
We’re creating nurturing spaces for our community to flourish.
Our digital residency is a cohort-based incubator for artists and writers to create alongside each other.
We make literary spaces more accessible via one-time talks that encourage conversation across disciplines and identities.
“There is a different feeling to being published as part of a cohort, all writing toward the same theme.
“Whatever that feeling is — community, care, solidarity, grace — Seventh Wave, in its gestures, is holding this space, a space where our words can not only sit side by side but as part of a shared vision.”
— David Naimon, 2023 “On Rivers” Community Anthology contributor
