About
The Lavender Residency
We created the Lavender Residency to contribute to the creation and sustenance of creative and artistic community.
The house is open to all who are aligned with our vision and our values, but especially queer and other marginalized creatives, who are engaged in social justice and liberation creative work and are looking for a space where they can focus on developing their projects.
The Lavender Residency is guided by…
Solidarity
Vulnerability
Social Justice
Liberation
Creative Engagement
Inclusivity
Inspiration
Community
If these values resonate with you, this space was created for you.
Who This is For
The Perfect Fit
The Lavender Residency welcomes writers, translators, scholars, and artists looking for quiet solo time to devote to their creative practice.
While the residency is open to everyone who aligns with our values, we especially want to make the space available to queer, BIPOC, and other marginalized creatives who have limited access to other residencies and are engaged in social justice and liberation work—projects that are underfunded or actively under attack these days.
You might be in academia (as a professor, student, or recent grad), or you might work remotely or have the flexibility to take time off for a multi-week creative residency. It doesn’t matter what stage of your creative journey you are in. What matters is that you’re ready to devote serious, concentrated time to your creative practice.
If you’re from a marginalized community and looking for a supportive space to create, this residency was designed with you in mind.
The People
paparouna
Founder
paparouna is a greek-american queer nonbinary writer, translator, editor, and educator and the creator of the Lavender Residency. They write queer speculative prose, translate Greek literature into English, and daydream about life as a marine mammal. They hold an MFA in Translation and Fiction from Antioch University—Los Angeles. paparouna is also a graduate of the Princeton Hellenic Translation Workshop, the Lighthouse Book Project, the Bread Loaf Translators Conference, and the British Center for Literary Translation Summer School.
Mya
Host
Mya works as The House Therapist, helping clients transform their domestic sanctuaries to be both fully functional and full of soul. She provides house management for The Lavender Residency, as a steward of this beautiful and unique home, since 2021. She has her own community-facing homestead, and uplifts those who wish their home to have a legacy of purpose and impact.
Sydney
Program Coordinator
Rumor has it, Sydney Fowler is multiple fairies in a human suit. They are a white, queer, nonbinary writer living in Colorado. Sydney facilitates writing, publishing, and divination workshops for youth and adults. After earning a degree in Queer Studies and Psychology, they graduated from the Lighthouse Writers Workshop Book Project and were a 2024 Tin House Summer Scholar.