Writers’ and artists’ residencies
Hosking Houses Trust is unique in the UK in offering free residencies to older women of acknowledged ability who would benefit from a period of peace and privacy. Occasionally we also offer financial help.
Retreats
We host our residents at Church Cottage in the Warwickshire village of Clifford Chambers, near Stratford-upon-Avon. The length of each residency is based upon what women request; many have complicated domestic, personal and professional lives and ask to make several short visits, while others have no home in the UK and ask for a longer stay. We strive to accommodate all these factors.
In late 2022/ early 2023 we invited a number of Ukrainian women, whose professional lives were disrupted by the war, to take up residencies at Church Cottage. This was made possible by a fundraising campaign organised by our founder, Sarah Hosking, who, having witnessed the bombing of Coventry during World War II, knew that a quick response was needed to help those affected by this current war.
Most of our residencies range from two weeks to two months and we take care to ensure the comfort and welfare of everyone who stays with us. On arrival at Church Cottage each resident is welcomed by Sarah Hosking and usually visited by one of our trustees during the course of their stay. Residents may request up to three stays at Church Cottage.
Since 2018 we have collaborated with Coventry University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities to provide two residencies per year. These fellowships are highly prized by university academics. From 2024, we sponsored a prize of a residency for a winner or shortlisted artist of the Women in Art prize.
While our residencies are based on excellence and need, very occasionally we make different arrangements with specific writers who have no financial need but who wish to pay us for the privacy and convenience of Church Cottage.