1 OPENING AVAILABLE FOR 8/1/08-
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Inquire/Collect/Discuss. Work together/Work apart. Produce/Connect/Curate. |
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About Us
UnionDocs is a non-profit documentary arts collaborative. We've been operating in different forms in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for over five years, always presenting new work and engaging subjects that interest us.
The UnionDocs Residency (UDR) combines an excellent and cooperative living situation with an opportunity for immersion in independent cultural production. It's a structure for working together, for a curatorial and creative practice that engages social and political issues. It's an environment meant to foster both critical discussion and strong community.
Six carefully selected people live together in a historic building at a great location and collaborate to produce a festival-quality documentary arts series in the first floor storefront space/screening room. Led by a founding UnionDocs member, they work directly with directors, artists and producers, bringing new films, lectures, exhibitions, concerts and workshops to local audiences, and publishing original content online.
The Building322 Union is a great place to live. It has a lot of shared resources and a lot of opportunity for fun while also having adequate privacy and a comfort (not always found in NYC communal living). There are three floors, a basement, a grassy backyard with a grill and deck, a big second story porch, and skyline views from the roof. The location is close to excellent transportation making most cool spots in Manhattan and Brooklyn within a short subway ride. The front of the building is covered with an original artwork commissioned in 2007 by UnionDocs.The first floor is a commercial space run by the program director. It includes the screening room, 2 studios for working media artists, the UnionDocs director's office, and access to the basement which has been sound-proofed for music rehearsal and audio recording. Resources on the first floor are readily available to UD Residents with approval from the Exec. Director. On the floors above, there are two nicely-sized three bedroom apartments with a living room, kitchen and bath. Both have wood floors, get lots of light, and were recently renovated. Bedrooms can be locked, but common spaces are shared by the six residents. One is better for cooking large meals and socializing and the other more appropriate for reading, working, and watching films. The common spaces are furnished, so residents need only bring the contents of their bedroom. The building has high-speed internet, a VOIP phone, and washer and dryer. The BodegaWe call this series The Documentary Bodega because, though now renovated and tricked out with hi-def technology, the space was once a typical NYC bodega. At a max of 50 people, the audiences at UnionDocs are small but very dedicated and composed of aspiring documentary producers, critics, and new media artists. Sophie Fiennes, who screened her newest film The Pervert's Guide to Cinema in the series to a packed house, wrote us that "It is these kinds of screenings that I really like... as I believe in the collective event of cinema... its how I prefer to see films myself at any rate." And though the screening is small, thousands of people visit our website monthly to read our blog and subscribe to our podcast.We take the screening to be an event, which is itself worthy of documentation. Post-show audience discussions are recorded, produced and presented online. The goal of this activity is to create a media piece of value for the filmmaker and to really engage audience reactions. In our past screenings series, the intimate and somewhat non-conventional environment has made for great conversations. The PeopleAs important as good structure and resources are, it's the people that really make the space work. We aim to bring together an active, intelligent, and cooperative community that will be capable of producing a full roster of excellent events and high quality content. Flexibility, self-motivation and a generally positive attitudes are key.The ideal candidates for the residency will have recently recieved a bachelors degree and be working in the city or are currently enrolled in a graduate program. The group is selected to represent a diverse and complementary skill set. All applicants, however, should have good computer skills, be quick learners and good communicators. While experience in media and cultural production will definitely be useful, don't hesitate to apply if these things are new to you. What we're most looking for is a genuine desire to be in the midst of a constant flow of content, conversation and production. The program will also be the ground for many connections to artists, academics, directors, musicians, and producers. Some of the people we've worked with and met along the way include: |
Details1. Weekly Sunday Night Events--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The foundation of the collaboration is curating and producing The Documentary Bodega Series. The structures in place allow the program to be run by the residents with support of the Executive Director and the UnionDocs Board. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Committment --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Residents are expected to commit roughly 8 hours per week to the program, primarily in the following activities: 3. Costs & Building Details --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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UnionDocs Building
UnionDocs Screening Room
Discussion during Documentary Bodega Series
Porch and Backaryd
Bikes and Backyard BBQ
Living Room
Kitchen
View of Brooklyn and Manhattan from the roof