Printer in residence

About the residency

The Printer in Residence program is intended to:

• increase awareness of the Library’s Albion letterpress printer, affectionately known as the Piscator Press
• encourage ongoing enthusiasm for book arts within the University
• foster a creative dialogue between print and digital processes, experimentation and engagement with the Library community.

The successful resident will be required to produce a publication or artwork for the Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections as a contribution to the growing archive of artist’s books available in the Library.

Residence applications for 2026 open in December 2025.

About the workshop

The printing workshop is located on level 1 of Fisher Library on the Camperdown Campus.

The workshop has a direct affiliation with the University Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections, and residents are encouraged to utilise spaces throughout Fisher Library.

Technical abilities and available equipment

Candidates must:

• demonstrate knowledge and skill in using an Albion letterpress (or similar)
• use the equipment and type available in the Press (see Inventory for indicative images of the space and equipment) as well as any materials they may supply.

The library cannot offer technical support in using the available equipment. We are working towards an environmentally friendly print workshop, so only soy or water-based inks and non-toxic cleaning agents are to be used.

Download Piscator Press workshop and equipment inventory (pdf, 1367KB)

What the residency provides

• A gross payment of $10,000 to be paid in fortnightly instalments in respect of the 8-week residency period.
• Access to the Rare Books and Special Collections of the University Library as a community user
• Research support from relevant library staff.
• Use of the Piscator Press workshop.
• Standard qualities and quantities of ink and paper.

Terms of the residency

• The residency must be arranged for 8 weeks during the University of Sydney Semester 2, 2025, between August–November.
• The residency is acquisitive, so a copy of the publication/creative work will be supplied to Rare Books and Special Collections. The resident also grants the University Library a non-exclusive license to reproduce the work for the purposes of teaching and research activity and promotion of the Residency.
  
• An offer from the University to take up the residency is dependent on agreement on the dates of a residency of 8 weeks.
• The $10,000 residency payment is to cover all costs associated with the residency period, including any additional materials required to complete the work (aside from provided standard ink and paper stock) and payment to any collaborators.
• The University cannot provide any travel or accommodation support for the artist. Any travel or accommodation requirements are to be arranged by the artist at their own expense.
• The Printer in Residence will be asked to participate in a variety of outreach and engagement activities. The proposed program will be arranged in agreement with the Library and include a minimum:

-  two Open Studios, proposed in week 3 and week 6 of the residency

- a public talk and exhibition (including work in progress) at the culmination of the residencyo  

- a workshop with Sydney College of the Arts print media students  

• Any external collaborators or visitors to the workshop must be arranged in agreement with the library.
• The resident will be responsible for keeping facilities and equipment in the Piscator Press workshop clean and tidy, and must adhere to University Work Health and Safety guidelines.

Important note

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position – applicants must be an Australian Citizen or have Permanent Residency or existing work rights relevant to the term of the position. Sponsorship is position-specific and is not transferrable between roles.

The Library would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of Friends of the Library and The Penrith Print Museum