It is a fundamental part of our mission to personally connect our participants and the liminal spaces with which we work in a manner that fosters active witnessing and respect rather than exploiting tragedy or emphasizing trauma. We feel that this strongly benefits the spaces in which we hold our events, providing a way to honor the histories and encroachment of nature within their walls. In a time when many historic sites find themselves relying on ghost tours and paranormal investigations to prevent closure, or worse, demolition, 18Hz Arts Collective provides an additional methodology for interaction with these spaces by encouraging exploration through art and story and the creation of works that share this experience.

What community support makes possible:

Art Residencies and Independent Study

Residencies and similar opportunities are generally awarded through an application process. While some Artist-in-Residence programs (AiR) pay a stipend, and agree to reimburse certain expenses, the vast majority do not. In most cases, creators are applying for a working space and entering into a contract to provide interaction with the visiting public for a required number of working hours during the residency. Asking creators to apply to work within specific parameters for no compensation or any support systems provided is unacceptable, especially when the word “exposure” is used to justify unpaid labor. With your support, 18Hz makes it possible for participants to completely immerse in their creative work at our locations during their stay, completely supported so they can concentrate on what is most important. Once their application for one of our limited spaces is approved, participants will only need to arrange their own transportation to and from the event. Upon arrival, they will be provided lodging, meals, a collaborative environment, direct mentorship, and access to unique and storied locations. Creators will be required to plan a timeline for and actively work on site toward completion of a work or series inspired by their experiences, to be shared with the location’s managing organization and on our website once finished. No catch, no strings, and no other requirements. Just a commitment to show up and do the work.

Visiting Lecturers and Guest Educators

In order to inspire learners to move past their comfort zones and provide connections for possible future working relationships, 18Hz regularly engages professional creators, educators, researchers, historians, field scientists and IT specialists in order to provide our participants with access to new knowledge, strategies and the voices of experience. Since there is such a wealth of information available through our locations, their related historical events and the creative techniques we use to explore them, being able to connect with experts in all of these areas and more is an incredibly valuable opportunity. We place great value on the expertise and skills of our guests and the time it has taken to acquire them. With your support, 18Hz is able to provide coverage for all expenses, rates and speaking fees to be sure our visiting experts are properly compensated for making the time and space in their schedules to spend some of it with us and our learners.

Materials, Research Tools and Technology

Providing access to the best tools for creative work and the gathering of resources and data is fundamental to our mission, especially in the areas of observational art, gathering data and research methods. In our work, 18Hz makes continuous use of art supplies, laptops, tablets, WiFi hotspots, communication devices, and related accessories and subscription packages to keep them all up and running. Keeping hardware up to date, maintaining and streamlining our productivity and using the best and most cost-effective software and database solutions is of vital importance to us. Many of the platforms and resources we use for organizational management are free to nonprofits, and we also make use of open source software and programming language interfaces such as R as part of our programs and educational curriculum. Combined with this, your support enables us to provide the most current resources to our learners and educators makes it possible for our programs to run more effectively and positively impact a greater number of participants and locations alike.

Collaborations and Collective Work

Bringing together different resources, people and organizations can build incredibly transformative events and experiences. Our participants spend time in small groups during events, forming close connections that can be maintained once the event is concluded. We encourage the formation of local and virtual groups to continue together, completing the work they’ve begun and then beginning new projects locally. Since many of our locations are also managed by nonprofits, connections made during events can lead to other more expanded opportunities for everyone involved. Doing this sort of outreach in an open honest manner is critical. In a world filled with cultural appropriation, doing the work to make sincere connections for the purposes of education, empowerment and understanding is more necessary than ever. 18Hz actively seeks out individuals and organizations concerned with the preservation and the passing on of archival information and practices, especially in the areas of folklore, local legends and traditional usage of liminal spaces. This opens up many new opportunities to collaborate and expand the scope of our work. Your support helps to give our participants access to source material openly communicated by knowledgable and experienced practitioners and personnel from a wide range of organizations around the world. Using our growing platform to shine light on other organizations with similar missions and needs is a cornerstone of our present vision and our plans for the future.