Could you use some quiet and private time to focus, reflect, and reboot?
Our Residencies happen during the off season in our old house in the south of France. Residencies are ideal for up to three people at a time: designers, project curators, postgraduate students, researchers, or writers – anyone working on a plan, project, text, or thesis.
John will usually be available to cast fresh eyes on your project – or not. Those interactions are optional. It’s your call. For the most part you will be left alone to work.
Also important: you get to breathe clean air, shop at the market, walk in the Cévennes.
Our guiding principles as hosts are: simple, convivial, and affordable.
What’s involved in a Residency ?
The beauty of an off season residency is that you can stay focused and take care of yourself without any pre-defined schedules. We provide all necessities to make coffee, tea and cook in the ground floor summer kitchen and/or the kitchen in the apartment on the second floor. Think cooker, refrigerator, oven, microwave, pots and pans etc.
Our surroundings are magnificent and can be enjoyed on foot. You can also rent bikes (regular and electric) from the rental service around the corner.
We’ll invite you eat with us occasionally, but you won’t be under any obligation to join. We will be living in the house like good neighbours: borrowing, sharing, chatting, eating and meeting when the need occurs.
How to apply
Tell us who you are, what you’re working on, why you want to come and what dates you’re applying for.
- To apply you can fill out this form.
- Or you can use our contact form on this website
- Or you can drop us a short email and send it to:
meeting [ at ] thackara [ dot ] com
Subject Header: Thackara Residency
When your application has been accepted, we will inform you within one week;
Successful applicants will be directed to an Eventbrite web page where you sign up and pay. Your spot is only secured after payment.
Residencies are available from
November 2022 – June 2023
you determine your dates with us.
edible forest garden (Canada)
knowledge sharing platform for art teachers (UK)
launching a fashion podcast (Japan)
pivoting out of the consulting industry (USA)
future of a fifteenth century castle (Romania)
book about energy transitions in Africa (Germany)
book about ecoliteracy (USA)
design thesis on mending as connecting (England)
rural hub in a former brick factory (Portugal)
village revitalisation (Italy)
relational design masters (Wales)
rural social innovation (Poland)
municipal urban farms (China)
ecotourism and wellbeing (USA)
school in a forest (Ireland)
sustainable mobility lab (Pakistan)
Pricing
included:
Time with John Thackara, kitchen(-s), fridges, washing machine, pantry basics and a hamper to get you started, bathrooms, toilets, 2 friendly dogs, your own key, bedding, linnens, beach towels and more.
The pricing is set on a weekly basis but we’re flexible so do get in touch with us if you want to stay longer or shorter.
Testimonials
Dear John and Kristi, you’ve created an amazing place, filled with peace and unique energy. A place that adjusts to the pace of the visitor, and inspires on so many levels. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences, for the walks in nature, and for the hospitality that created a feeling of home. It was a great and unforgettable experience.
Dear John and Kristi, you’ve created an amazing place, filled with peace and unique energy. A place that adjusts to the pace of the visitor, and inspires on so many levels. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences, for the walks in nature, and for the hospitality that created a feeling of home. It was a great and unforgettable experience.
John and Kristi, your house is an absolute dream! I felt so welcomed and comfortable. You allowed us to take everything at our own paces, and gave us access to some beautiful places around Ganges. The mixture of one-to-ones and group conversations provided a loose but effective framework to help push my design practice forward. I’m coming away feeling refreshed, excited to work, and with a whole new set of amazing friends!
The Thackara Meetup was a wonderful experience overall and a unique opportunity to develop a better understanding of my personal-professional practice. After a week spending time with John and Kristi, the other meetupers, in Ganges and nature, and on my own, I was able to develop a more cohesive story to define my personal-professional practice and goals. I am forever grateful for this opportunity.
Dear Kristi and John, thank you for hosting us for our annual Holis retreat. We enjoyed our stay in your beautiful house. The nearby market is a festival for any food lover. The walks in the surroundings gave us an opportunity to have deep talks. Your hospitality made us feel at home. I’m grateful for that experience.
Hope to be there again soon.
the perfect place to hide out and finish writing that thesis, project proposal, or book
I was working on my first book and it was amazingly helpful to have the space (both mentally and physically) to concentrate on this whilst getting constructive input and advice from JT and other participants.
I genuinely enjoyed the every single moment I spent during the week. Thanks to not only the fantabulous Thackara team but also amazing talents from diverse backgrounds who all were absolutely lovely, I had a very productive week. It was just a right balance of fun & work time in the absolutely gorgeous environment, which contributed to the great creativity/ satisfaction
For me, the meet-up was truly life-changing; brilliant content, group company, accommodation, food and the waterfalls were to die for! John gave me the boost I needed and input from the group kickstarted a project so dear to my heart — thank you John!
