Designing a Visual Arts Residency Programme for Emerging Nigerian Artists in the South South Zone

Artist residency programmes provide critical career development infrastructure that remains scarce in most Nigerian geopolitical zones outside Lagos, and a professionally designed residency programme for emerging South South artists would address a significant gap in the regional creative ecosystem. This study designed a visual arts residency programme for emerging artists in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States, South South Nigeria. A programme design methodology was employed, drawing on needs assessment interviews with 25 emerging artists, 8 established visual arts practitioners, and 6 arts administrators across the three states, alongside benchmarking of successful artist residency models from Ghana's Nubuke Foundation, South Africa's Centre for the Less Good Idea, and Senegal's Raw Material Company. The needs assessment confirmed that practical studio space (cited by 88 percent), professional mentorship (cited by 76 percent), documentation support (cited by 72 percent), and market access introduction (cited by 64 percent) were the highest-priority unmet needs among emerging South South artists. The designed programme encompasses a three-month residential format accommodating six artists per cohort, with professional mentorship pairings, structured critique sessions, public engagement programming, and an end-of-residency exhibition. Funding models incorporating state arts council support, corporate sponsorship from oil and gas sector CSR funds, and international arts foundation grants are specified. Expert review by six arts residency management specialists confirmed the programme's professional viability. Recommendations include pilot hosting at the University of Port Harcourt's visual arts centre.

Keywords: artist residency, emerging artists, South South Nigeria, visual arts development, programme design