– Residenza Lago Scuro –

[ TERZA RESIDENZA ]

Residenza Lago Scuro is a self-directed Interdisciplinary residency offering creatives the chance to explore their practice, exchange ideas, and make work while living on, and learning about, a beautiful regenerative farm in Northern Italy.

The program emphasizes the exchange between practitioners of the cultural and agricultural arts, and the value that is created when different minds and like-hearts come together and collaborate in a space dedicated to nature, nourishment, and creativity.

See the video below of our 2022’ Residency Experience.

You can also read about our first cohort experience here.

THE program

10 international creatives
living, learning, and making
on a regenerative farm

DATES

August
15-25, 2023

LOCATION

Cascina Lago Scuro
Stagno Lombardo CR, Italy

About The Residency

This will be the third cohort of Residenza Lago Scuro, continuing on from the program's revival in 2022, after the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Residenza began in 2019 as an experiment, asking what might happen if we invite diverse creatives to a unique environment focused on food, family, farming, and artistry. What we have continued to find is that not only does this experience deeply resonate with the immediate participants of the residency, engendering a deep sense of inspiration and reciprocity to the group and to the farm, but it also speaks to larger themes of what it means to live more slowly, thoughtfully, and sustainably - especially in a world where it’s all too common to experience the opposite.

Our goal this year is to provide a platform for creatives to learn from one another in a more focused way and to explore ideas around the main challenges of our time. By bringing together an interdisciplinary group of individuals who are passionate about the work found at Cascina Lago Scuro, we hope to create a community that will continue to grow and inspire positive change long after the residency ends.

We invite ten global citizens to bring their passions, skills, inspirations, and questions to Italy this summer. Together, we hope to celebrate the overlaps of art, design, education, sustainability, food, agriculture, community, ingenuity, and craft.

Mural by Nicholas Toll // 2019 Cohort — Painted mural by Nicholas Toll / 2019 Cohort

About The Farm

Cascina Lago Scuro is a home, farm, dairy, vegetable garden, laboratory, and restaurant.

The property dates back to the 18th century, and is comprised of many distinct environments: the church, the farmer's house, the manor house, a Neo-Gothic courtyard, the stables for horses and cows, and the dairy. A garden rich in oaks, magnolias, hazels and other tree species surrounds the rear of the farmhouse; its infamous bell-tower preserving the atmosphere of an imposing, ancestral manor.

Lago Scuro was born from the will of Fabio and Paola who, in 1990, returned to the farm from city life to do what they call ‘real agriculture’ - using biodynamic farming practices to grow organic, sustainable, and quality food. Their son Luca with his wife Federica have carried on the tradition and have since grown the Cascina to become a place of continuous transformation and innovation.

The salon inside the main farm house — The *salon* inside the main farm house

Our chefs for the week - Matteo and Leonardo

La tipografia - one of the many available workspaces on the farm

The annual tomato harvest for making passata sauce

The Residenza Program

Although not required, residents are encouraged to observe and participate in the work happening on the farm - such as harvesting from the gardens, milking the cows, making cheese, or baking bread. We will organize some structured time for residents to learn more about these activities and better understand how this type of farm operates.

We’ve seen from both cohorts that participation in these activities informed new perspectives about farming practices and the way-of-life on a farm, and in-turn, it informed the work residents were making, the stories they were telling, and the relationships they were making with the friends and family of Lago Scuro.

Residents will be required to lend a hand in preparing dinner throughout the program. We will organize a sign-up sheet for each night, and residents can opt-in for what they want to do and what fits their comfort level.

As organizers, we will also be available onsite to help with project and program needs as they come up, this includes trips to town if residents need specific materials, ingredients, comforts, etc.

At the end of the residency we will host an open-house party and will invite locals and friends to come meet the residents and celebrate the outcome of our experience together. For requirements on where residents need to be by the end of the week, all we ask is that you provide some type of digital documentation of what you’ve spent your time on, and that you leave something of your project on the farm. In the past this has been unique objects, murals, sculptures, quotes painted on buildings, or even digital environments that could only be accessed by augmented reality!

*Un altro finale é possibile* by Mili Narayen / 2019 Cohort

– Application are now closed –

[ applications are now closed for the 2023’ cohort. Click below to sign up for our mailing list, to be informed about future opportunities. ]

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– What’s Included? –

accommodations

The living space includes five shared-rooms within the main house on the property - a beautiful two-floor villa built in the 1800’s. Accommodations include bed linens, bath towels, shared bathrooms with showers, laundry facilities, and a shared kitchen located on the main floor. Accommodations are assigned before arrival and guests will share a room with one other resident.

WORKSPACES

We encourage residents to use the entire property of Lago Scuro as their workspace. The grounds cover roughly 30 acres including an industrial kitchen, a letter-press studio, multiple gardens, an open courtyard, a large barn, stables, and a dairy, as well as a large salon with multiple rooms on the first floor of the main house. We will work with every resident to make sure they have the right space to focus on their work. In addition to space, there is an abundance of available raw materials on the farm – such as old tractor parts, paint, wood, food crops, etc. – that you are welcome to incorporate into your work.

We are able to offer wifi but be advised that the network can be slow at times and is only available in certain parts of the property.

FOOD

The food at Lago Scuro is sure to be some of the best you’ve had in your life - organically grown greens and produce, fresh bread and pastries baked daily using locally milled grains, homemade pasta, cheese, and salami. As a resident, breakfast and lunch will be provided everyday - breakfast will consist of coffee, fruit, juice, yogurt, and pastries. Lunch will vary depending on what’s happening in the kitchen but will be prepared by Lago Scuro’s talented team of chefs, Leo and Matteo. For dinners, we will self-organize group dinners and cook together. There will also be select items available for purchase, such as natural-wine, beer, and specialty products, like soups and granola, that are made on the farm.

A note on dietary restrictions: Traditional northern Italian courses will be provided throughout the week, most of which will have been lovingly cultivated from the farm. As the farm is a bustling place with many mouths to feed, dietary restrictions must be self-managed. There is a separate kitchen that residents will have full access to where they can prepare meals independent of what the chefs are making.

– Program Fee & Logistics –

The Fee for the Residency is
$850 USD

Fees include all accommodations listed above such as sleeping arrangements, prepared breakfast and lunch, and fresh ingredients for dinner, offsite activities, as well as pick-up and drop-off from the Cremona train station (pick-up August 15th and drop-off August 25th).

Residents are responsible for their own international transportation and we recommend that you schedule your arrival the day before and the day after the pick-up and drop off in Cremona.

Once accepted, residents will secure their intention of participation with a 50% non-refundable deposit.

click here to read more about our operating budget rationale and what your program fee goes towards.

Materials

Residents are given open space and support to explore their work but are asked to bring as much of the materials they will need for their work. We will have a small budget for odds-and-ends and can help residents pick up supplies in town if they need.

Scholarship Fund

This year we have made the decision to add a $20 dollar application fee for all applicants (you can read more about that decision here). In short, every dollar that we receive this year over our operating budget will go towards a scholarship pool to support residents in need of financial aid.

During the application process, applicants can share their desire to receive a scholarship* and then, once accepted, the applicant will be informed of what we’re able to grant based on the size of the fund we collect.

*Note: Requesting a scholarship will in no way impact the selection process for applicants.

– Application –

[ applications are now closed for the 2023’ cohort ]

Who Should Apply?

Cascina Lago Scuro is a functioning farm that will still be in operation while the residency takes place, We are looking to host self-sufficient residents who are curious, want to share, are respectful, and most of all, who think this environment and this community would be additive to the questions and practices they’re currently exploring in their own lives.

When we say creative people, this applies to all backgrounds and disciplines. Seriously, we’re looking for open-minded and respectful people who want to create and explore things in dialogue with the farm and those around them. Whether you’re a dancer, fine artist, muralist, musician, sculptor, writer, chef, designer, film maker, architect, or engineer, you are welcome here! We’re looking forward to bringing new and positive energies to the farm that can expand its potential.

COVID-19

We require every resident to be fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus before arriving at the farm. As part of the application process, you will need to show proof of vaccination.

As we get nearer to the residency, we will be keeping an eye on the global status of the virus and international travel considerations. On the chance that the situation develops in such a way that it would inhibit us from running the program, we would issue full refunds to all participants.

STAGNO LOMBARDO, CR

The farm is located just 15 minutes outside the city of Cremona. A 70,000 person mercantile town located in the fertile Po Valley of Italy. Cremona is best known as the birthplace of Stradivarius, with a long heritage of violin making. It also hosts the Torazzo bell tower which is the third largest brick tower in the world, and has the worlds largest astronomical clock.