Apply to Stay at Varuna

The Varuna Apply to Stay program has now closed for 2024. We were only able to offer a limited number of residency spaces in this format, and we encourage you to browse the Fellowship and Course programs on offer.

Who can apply?

If you have previously been awarded any Fellowship at Varuna, you do not need to apply for an Apply to Stay residency, as you are eligible for an alumni residency instead. If you have stayed at Varuna between 2021 - 2023 on either an Invited Residency or an Apply to Stay residency, please email varuna@varuna.com.au.

The Apply to Stay program is otherwise open to writers at all stages of their careers, both from Australia and overseas. You will need to have an identified creative writing project on which you are working, as well as a commitment to an ethos of concentrated work and collegial support. 

Key Dates

Applications open: 11 April 2024 at 10am

Applications close: 1 May 2024 at midnight

Applicants notified: By 31 May 2024

If successful for this year’s Apply to Stay callout, your residency will need to be taken on one of the following weeks in the second half of 2024:

• July 8 – 15

• July 29 – August 5

• September 23 – 30

• September 30 – October 7

• October 7 – 14

• December 2 – 9

• December 9 – 16

• December 16 – 23

Fees

The application fee is $25 and goes towards the assessor fees for this program. If this is unaffordable for you, you may select to have this fee waived.

If your application is successful, the residency fee is $1,100 per week. This fee includes accommodation, all meals, and a private working space in the special environment of Varuna. You will also need to pay for your own travel expenses to and from Varuna.

If your application is successful and these residency fees represent a barrier to you, we can provide you with a letter of support for funding. Most state-based arts bodies have quick-response funding for opportunities of this kind; please see the Quick Response Grants linked below.

What this residency includes

An Apply to Stay residency includes seven days at Varuna in the company of five other writers, with your own bedroom and workspace. Breakfast and lunch ingredients are provided on a self-catering basis; dinner is prepared by a chef each evening.  

An Apply to Stay residency does not offer a pathway to alumni membership. To be eligible to join Varuna’s alumni association, you must first have been awarded a Varuna Residential Fellowship or partner Fellowship. (Click here to view our Fellowship programs.)

After completing an Apply to Stay residency, you can request to return on the same payment structure. However, you would still need to meet a set of criteria based on your work plan and the overall merit of the project.   

To apply

You will need to send us a short description of the project you intend to work on, a brief bio, and a 10-page sample of your work.

Consultations during a residency

Writers often book a Writer Conversation to have a one-on-one consultation with Carol Major, Tegan Bennett Daylight or Mary-Anne Butler during their residency - click here for details about mentoring and Varuna Conversations.