The first residency

Mothers.

Apply for residence.

Our first residency is for mothers.

Eight mothers. Two groups of four. One week each.

Each mother will have her own private room for the week.

Dates will be announced once patronage for the residency has been secured.

What is provided.

Your residence at Ottaway Landing.

Your own private room for the week.

Your food.

A generous childcare stipend.

What to expect.

There is no required outcome.

Nothing to complete.

Nothing to bring home and show for your time here.

For one week, let somebody else tend the conditions.

You reside.

Apply for residence

Mothers Residency at Ottaway Landing

Dates will be announced once patronage for the residency has been secured.

Four mothers each week.

Each resident has her own private room.

Your residence and food are provided, along with a generous childcare stipend to help make it materially possible for you to come.

There is nothing you are required to accomplish while you are here.

You don’t need an impressive reason to apply.

You don’t need the best story.

You don’t need to prove that you need this more than somebody else.

We just want to meet you.

Tell us what’s true.

About you

Your nameEmailPhone numberWhere do you live?

Tell us a little about yourself.

Whatever feels relevant. There is no particular thing we’re looking for.

Your life right now

Tell us a little about your life as a mother right now.

Not your whole story. Just where you find yourself these days.

What has been taking up most of your time, energy, or attention lately?

When you imagine having one week in the Garden where very little is required of you, what do you notice?

This residency

What about this particular residency made something in you say, “oh”?

Is there anything you imagine wanting room for while you’re here?

Sleeping counts. So does reading, walking, writing, making something, staring at the river, being alone, laughing with strangers, or having absolutely no idea.

Is there anything that would help you feel especially cared for or able to settle while you’re here?

Making it possible

Part of this residency is tending some of what might otherwise make leaving home for a week difficult.

Tell us whatever would be helpful for us to understand about your childcare needs while you’re away.

We’ll work out specific logistics and amounts directly with selected residents.

Would travel expenses affect your ability to participate if selected?

YesNoMaybe / I’m not sure

Is there anything else practical we should know about what would make this week possible for you?

Time away

If selected, are you able to be in residence for the full week?

YesI’d need to talk with you about this

Living together

Four mothers will share the house during each residency, with each woman having her own private room. There will be plenty of room for solitude and plenty of room to be together.

Is there anything you’d like us to know about what helps you feel comfortable sharing a home with other people?

Do you have any accessibility needs, dietary needs, allergies, or other considerations we should know about as we think about hosting you well?

One last thing.

Is there anything we didn’t ask that you want us to know?

That’s it.

Really.

There is no perfect application.

We’ll read these slowly.

We’ll listen.

We’ll pay attention.

And we’ll choose the particular mothers who seem to belong here this time.

If that isn’t you, it doesn’t mean you needed it less.

It doesn’t mean somebody else told a better story.

It just means this wasn’t your week.

There will be other gates opening.

What you write here is read by us, and used to consider and communicate with you about this residency. Nothing else. Write to home@ottawaylanding.com any time to correct or delete an application you’ve sent, subject to records we need to keep. More in our Privacy Policy.