The Bag Factory's residency programme is split between visiting artist or curator programmes and project focused residencies.

The internationally focused programmes, which began in 1996, has already welcomed more than 200 artists, researchers, and curators, from around the world, to Johannesburg.

Visiting Artist/s or Curator/s Residencies are programmed each year, inviting mid-career international practitioners to work alongside a community of Johannesburg-based peers for one to three months. Residencies are self-directed and focus on enabling artists to research and develop new work in a supportive environment. Through public events, outreach, and Open Studios, these opportunities encourage interaction and dialogue between the visiting artists and local audiences.

Programatic driven residencies, are primarily focused on South African born and based emerging cultural practitioners in our effort to provide professionalisation and network opportunities through modest funding for the production of new work, an environment for experimentation and peer support. Our annual Awards, also feed into the provision of residencies as the format of each programme.