A place to write and film and compose. To find and renew creativity while surrounded by spiral-vined gardens, creaky wraparound porches and towering magnolias. To walk among the whispers of friendly ghosts and pastoral splendor. Quiet nights and productive, inspiring days, imaginative minds awakening, sweet music originating, the savory aroma of a country meal, the satisfaction of a finished page or canvas. The Bowers House Creative Retreat now offers customized workspace for artists and academic residency programs in literature, music and some fine art disciplines. We are currently accepting applications for one-week group or single residencies, where baths and kitchens are shared and personal clean up is essential. Resident members agree to provide for film and audio programming a recap or focus of their creative work via readings, concerts, public performances interviews workshop directorships or lessons for BOWERS HOUR, the fundraising programming program that keeps the facility on a perpetual operation. Visiting guests or Ambassadors, members or alumni may be present during your residency. These room and facility rentals keep the lights on in the 100 year old hotel, and cooperation and quiet consideration of work day time is observed by all who stay here. We welcome collaborative production and cosponsorship when possible with the mission of one day being able to provide this opportunity to those who might night be otherwise able to afford this residency experience. Often residents share dinner preparation and clean up, but there is a small kitchen upstairs that will seat four to five comfortably. Program Director Dorjan Williams and Family Custodian of The Bowers House, Charlie Read, prefer a link or pdf presentation of your work discipline and bio/resume. Organization directors and retreat and residency housing and grant managers may also apply in this format OR call or TEXT 954-888-8948 Charlie Read for retreat residency proposals. In either case it is essential that you provide a proposal for your contribution of your work focus for audio/video recording and artistic license for usage for the fundraising arm of the facility, BOWERS HOUR. Be creative and original and thank you for your interest in The Bowers House.
Residency Eligibility
Residency Experience Summary
Application Information
We have begun to accommodate music, film, theater and group arts residencies to augment our founding as a writers retreat 12 years ago. We accommodate bed and breakfast type guest housing in our facility from time to time to help finance residencies and keep housing costs as low as possible for artist residents. We consider each artist individually and each proposal fully, and give priority to minority, multicultural, LGBTQ, and underserved resident applicants that show promise at any stage in their career. Group residency and retreat proposals provide a greater resident discount per person up to ten with shared rooms or six single rooms with 4 shared baths, 2 kitchens. We sometimes cosponsor an event and preference is also given to unique or valuable programming proposals during the residency. The average residency weekly rate is $300 including use of a full kitchen. An automobile is necessary during your stay.
One week intervals up to one month possible. $300 week. There are scheduled musical events on some Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons that are recorded with small audience for the benefit of BOWERS HOUR, artistic and musical/educational programming produced by The Bowers House. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 1-3PM dining room allocated for Writers Guild, Residents may attend if they wish as observant guests or participant. An automobile is required for this residency for grocery shopping or visiting the nearby towns and attractions. There is a general store within walking distance with many grocery items but no produce and meats are available there. two grocery stores are approximately 5 miles away in each direction in Royston or Lavonia GA. Residents often share or coop meals. Rooms with a private bath are approximately $500 per week. We will not book writers and musicians at the same time and writers are apprised in advance if music is taking place during any of their stay. A week begins on Monday noon and ends Sunday noon unless otherwise previously arranged for an individual or group residency.
Please call 954-888-8948 to discuss possibly fee reduced residencies in exchange for administrative assistance in literary workshop instruction lesson archiving and streamlining for online access or production related video archiving and administrative data input at a $15 hourly credit to qualified artists. 4 hours per day in exchange for residency and cold lunch and hot dinner, limited space for this arrangement in January/February 2023. The rest of the day/night is yours for retreat and creativity.
Residents are expected to provide a recorded and or filmed interview, lesson plan, workshop, live audience reading concert or performance of their area of focus of their art or creative output during their stay that will be incorporated into future programming for fundraising purposes of The Bowers House (BOWERS HOUR), the particulars of this to be discussed during an application interview. Please call 954-888-8948 Charlie Read with any questions or booking date requests or questions of bartered or fee assisted residencies, considerations give to a creative residency and performance/workshop oriented proposals and arts housing and lodging requests.
We also accept proposals for 3 day group residencies and group retreats at approximately $75-120 (with meals) per participant per night with some advance booking 6-10 persons.
We offer groups entire facilities rental (6 minimum) with onsite staff and full meal preparation and transportation/local tours and outings in some instances at approximately $120 per participant. Call Charlie Read, Family Custodian at 954-888-8948 or Ellen Bowers Davenport 404-358-3678 (Program Manager) to discuss Writers retreats and Residencies or for Local or Resident Internships with The Writers Guild Thank you for your interest. We hope to hear from you and will call you back quickly if we do not pick up your call. Text if preferred.