Creative Sabbaticals and Themed Residencies at Ragdale
Ragdale's Creative Sabbaticals
2026 Schedule
July 7-10: Session A
The application portal for the July 2026 session is currently open. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should apply as early as possible.
Click here to APPLY for a July 2026 Creative Sabbatical
December 1-4: Session B
The application portal for December 2026 Creative Sabbaticals will open in August.
Program Information
Ragdale's Creative Sabbatical program was established to broaden access to our historic campus, offering individual artists, curators, designers, and arts administrators dedicated residency time outside of our juried sessions. Ideal for those seeking to re-engage with their work, venture into new creative territory, or step away from daily demands to reconnect with their practice, these four-day, three-night stays offer the focused time and supportive environment that Ragdale is known for.
Creative Sabbaticals are open to first-time and returning Ragdale participants alike. The application process is intentionally streamlined, requiring a brief work plan that describes the project or focus an applicant hopes to pursue during their time at Ragdale and a current resume. Work samples are not required. Selection is made with the goal of building a diverse and balanced community of participants, with consideration given to artistic discipline, geographic location, background, experience, and a mix of new and returning residents.
Participants are provided with private accommodations, including accessible rooms for artists with disabilities, and access to workspaces suited to their practice, including writing rooms, visual art studios, the Sybil Shearer Dance Studio, and a state-of-the-art music studio. Dinners are prepared nightly by a professional chef and served communally, with dietary needs accommodated and basic provisions available for self-service breakfast and lunch.
2026 Creative Sabbaticals are offered at a flat rate of $800 per person for the full session, inclusive of housing and meals. There are no sliding-scale rates or fellowships available for Ragdale Creative Sabbaticals.
Creative Sabbatical participants arrive beginning at 10 a.m. on Day 1 and depart no later than 4pm on the final day.
If you have additional questions, please email admissions@ragdale.org.
Ragdale Themed Residencies
There are currently no available dates for Themed Residencies in 2026.
Ragdale's Themed Residencies program was established to extend the organization's mission into the broader creative community, offering partner organizations, artist groups, and collectives dedicated time on the historic campus outside of our juried residency sessions.
Unlike Creative Sabbaticals, which are designed for individual practitioners, Themed Residencies are collaborative by nature, bringing together groups of emerging to established artists, arts administrators, and advocates around a shared focus, creative inquiry, or organizational need. Past groups include dance, theater, and performance companies, writing groups, visual artist collectives, and arts administrators. As with all programs at Ragdale, exploration and experimental use of time together is encouraged.
Themed Residencies are generally offered as five-day, four-night sessions and, at full occupancy, can accommodate a maximum of 15 participants. Group members are provided with private accommodations, including accessible rooms for artists with disabilities, and access to a range of workspaces suited to their practice, including writing rooms, visual art studios, the Sybil Shearer Dance Studio, and a state-of-the-art music studio. Dinners are prepared nightly by Ragdale's in-house chef using fresh produce sourced from the property's own gardens, and served communally, with dietary needs accommodated and basic provisions available for self-service breakfast and lunch.
Updates and additional information on 2027 Themed Residencies will be announced late 2026.
