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Sundress Academy for the Arts Now Accepting
Residency Applications for Summer 2018

The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is now accepting applications for short-term writers’ and artists’ residencies for our summer residency period, which runs from May 7th to August 12th, 2018. These residencies are designed to give artists time and space to complete their creative projects in a quiet and productive environment.

The SAFTA farmhouse is located on a working farm that rests on a 45-acre wooded plot in a Tennessee “holler” perfect for hiking, camping, and nature walks. Located less than a half hour from downtown Knoxville, an exciting and creative city of 200,000 in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, SAFTA is an ideal location for those looking for a rural get-away with access to urban amenities

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The residency bedrooms are 130 sq. ft. with queen-sized beds, closet, dresser, and desk. There is also a communal kitchen supplied with stove, refrigerator, and microwave plus plenty of cook- and dining-ware. The office and library have two working computers—one Mac, one PC—with access to the Adobe Creative Cloud.  The library contains over 700 books with a particularly large contemporary poetry section and, thanks to The Wardrobe, many recent titles by women and nonbinary writers. The facility also includes a full-size working 19th century full-size letterpress with type, woodworking tools, and a 1930’s drafting table.

Each residency costs $250/week, which includes a room of one’s own, access to our communal kitchen, bathroom, office, and living space, plus wireless internet and cable.

For the summer residency period, SAFTA will be offering the following scholarships: one full and one 50% scholarship for writers and artists of color. For either of the two writer/artist of color fellowships, the application fee will be waived for those who demonstrate financial need. Please state this in your application under the financial need section.

Partial scholarships are also available to applicants with financial need.

The application deadline for the summer residency period is February 1, 2018.

The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is an artists’ residency on a 45-acre farm in Knoxville, Tennessee, that hosts workshops, retreats, and residencies for writers of all genres, visual artists, and more. All are guided by experienced, professional instructors from a variety of creative disciplines who are dedicated to cultivating the arts in East Tennessee.

Web:     http://www.sundressacademyforthearts.com                Facebook: SundressAcademyfortheArts

Email:   safta@sundresspublications.com                                 Twitter: @SundressPub

SJU Summer Program – South Africa 2018

SJU’s newest Summer Study Program will launch next summer in South Africa with a course of special interest to English majors and minors.  Taught by Dr. Shenid Bhayroo and assisted by Dr. Jenny Spinner, ENG 495: Media & Cultural Studies offers students three different study options, depending on interest; one in journalism, one in research-based creative writing and one in academic research.  Students interested in journalism will have an opportunity to work as foreign correspondents in South Africa. They will propose, research and produce weekly multimedia stories, which will focus primarily on historically marginalized communities and on issues that receive inadequate or no media coverage. In previous years, South Africa study abroad students have covered stories about:

    1. the enduring impact of apartheid-era education policies on schools in the township of Soweto, home to a mostly black working-class population;
    2. the women who work for an NGO that provides services to women who are victims of gender-based violence;
    3. the Jozi Cats, Africa’s first openly gay, men’s rugby team and the work they do to promote LGBTQIA issues.

Students who wish to pursue a study track other than journalistic narrative have the option to do research-based creative writing or academic research on topics related to politics, culture, economics, mass media or communication technology in post-apartheid South Africa.

In addition to weekly group field trips, which include destinations such as the Apartheid Museum and The Cradle of Humankind, students will have the opportunity to travel to Durban and Cape Town on the weekends. Our home base will be in the Melville neighborhood of Johannesburg.

This course can get upgraded to a graduate course for students in the Writing Studies Program.

Travel dates are June 1 to July 1, 2018. Applications are due Feb. 21.

Three informational sessions will be held in the coming weeks.

Nov. 2,  4 p.m., Merion Hall 174

Nov. 8, 3 p.m., Bronstein Hall Sun Porch

Nov. 14, 11 a.m., Campion Dining Hall entrance

For more information, contact Dr. Bhayroo at sbhayroo@sju.edu or Dr. Spinner at jspinner@sju.edu.