The residency is based in Christchurch, though it is open to artists from around the country. The recipient receives a stipend for the year — currently around $NZ30,000 — and a studio in Christchurch for the year of the residency. Until 2011, the studio was located within the complex of the Christchurch Arts Centre, but since the Arts Centre was damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake other studio space was sourced for the time period. Amanda Newall, the 2022 grant recipient, was the first since 2011 to have her residency inside the Arts Centre."Award terms", Olivia Spencer Bower Foundation. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
