Narrative, documentary, nonfiction, writing, sound, film, and hybrid forms.
A space for people who want to focus deeply on their creative practice. It’s designed for filmmakers, editors, writers, sound makers, and anyone working with story—whether nonfiction, hybrid, or exploratory. The emphasis here is steady, thoughtful craft.
Story Ark supports the full spectrum of narrative development: idea generation, research, structure, writing, editing, sequencing, visual clarification, sound exploration, and refining a piece until it says what you need it to say. Participants can work on active projects or use the time to reset their creative process, build skills, or reconnect with why they make things in the first place.
Participating here means removing noise and distraction so attention can deepen. You get uninterrupted time for drafting, cutting, reviewing, revising, and reflecting—supported by simple workspaces, review tools, and opportunities to share work when needed. The environment is set up towards a focus that’s hard to access.
You will also create a relationship with the space and surroundings, one that you define. The environment will inform an experience but does not need to appear directly in the work.
Some residents may spend their time shaping a film sequence or rough cut. Others may outline a longer project, revise a script, gather field recordings, experiment with interview techniques, build a sound bed, or map out a story’s emotional arc. The goal isn’t speed—it’s clarity, direction, and an honest relationship with the work.
This stream offers a mix of independent work time and optional practices: reflection sessions, small feedback circles, structured screenings, creative prompts, games or check-ins about process. Nothing is required but much is made available.
At its core, this is an invitation to take your story work seriously enough to give it — and yourself — space to think, listen, be, and move forward with intention. It’s a chance to reestablish the craft beneath the project and to leave with momentum, insight, and a deeper connection to the work you came to develop.
