Community
TORTUGA ESCONDIDA
Residency Center
The Hidden Turtle Residency
Hidden Turtle Residency
for
Scientists, Artists, Makers and More
This program has been temporarily suspended.
A time out of the ordinary to experience the extraordinary, Hidden Turtle Residency is an immersion opportunity in a very unique, exquisitely gorgeous and delicate ecosystem along the Southeastern coast of Mexico in the jungle adjoining the Caribbean coastline. We invite a global range of individuals working across a range of disciplines including visual/media/literary/performing arts,
natural and social sciences, scholars, makers, designers.
The Hidden Turtle Residency is time out of the ordinary in a PLACE that is extraordinary. Research, practice, play, make work, dream, ask questions, collect data, explore, find stillness, discover.... Experiment. Dialogue. Collaborate. Bear witness to yourself in relation to Place. Make a difference.
Tortuga Escondida Residency Center in Akumal, Mexico exists at an intersection of a unique region on the planet during volatile times that leave us all impacted. Environmental concerns, social disparity, incredibly, profoundly, prolifically beautiful nature world of jungle, reef, rare and endangered species all are in the mix. The intersection of art and science lies in the practice of observation, of seeing, in asking questions, designing the experiment, creating variations on a theme. We are at an intersection of secluded jungle yet 15 minutes away from services, restaurants and the Caribbean Sea.
Why this residency? Akumal will change your life.
Residency Guidelines, Application, Gallery
Photos: Scott Brown Photo; Trish Beddows
Akumal is in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, on the Caribbean coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is approximately 1 hour ½ from the Cancun International Airport. In the Mayan language the name Akumal means "Home of the Turtle", or "Place of the Turtle". In Spanish Tortuga Escondida is "Hidden Turtle".
This region is rampant with unique archaeological, cultural, and scientific significance. It holds incredible beauty. The Mesoamerican Reef lines the shore, a major nesting grounds for endangered Green and Loggerhead turtles. Where undeveloped, mangroves form the borderlands between sea, dune and jungle. The world’s largest underground river system runs under our feet, flowing towards the sea. The Mayan jungle is the home of Tortuga Escondida Residency Center.
While it feels as if we are very secluded in dense forest, the Center is approximately 15 minutes to the beach side and pueblo of Akumal, close to "town" for money exchange, medical assistance, restaurants, laundry and markets.
It is almost impossible to imagine, or mentally prepare for our jungle oasis. A slow mile into the Selva Maya forest on a dirt road towards Tortuga Escondida Residency Center is a journey into an ancient, dynamic environment full of wonder where rare and protected species can be seen. Nestled only a mile from the highway it is a hidden hacienda, green and tranquil. Immersed in nature, residents experience a myriad of flora and fauna; birds, insects, plants are more than abundant.