I realise that a residency would mean a lot of day to day interactions with people which may not be my strongest suite, however I have found in working with other people who are passionate about learning about photography and have thoughts and opinions on work and different perspectives than myself create a rich environment for discussion from which both parties can learn, I enjoy sharing pieces of knowledge and interesting facts with people.
I feel if this were the case I would be introduced to a lot of different people and approaches to photography which would, I feel, allow me to find new directions for my work and explore new areas and places.
Should I go down the residency route I need to start researching galleries, colleges etc that my style of work would either fit in with or be beneficial to and find out how to apply. I would also need to consider how long a residency I would like to apply for, and work out realistic budgets. Should I go down the funding route I need to start developing some very clear proposals that are accurate and feasible as well as approaching arts councils and private companies.