What is an ‘artists residency?’
An artists residency means putting yourself in a new place in order create new connections and to give yourself time and space to explore fresh approaches to your creative work. So if you would like to find ways to inspire new work and extend your creative practice read on….
Artists Residencies take many forms, from going away on a solo retreat for an extended period, to a short intense time with other people, and everything in between.
Hosted residencies
Some artists residencies are hosted by an organisation, which is set up to provide support and a structured experience for artists. This type of residency may involve working collectively as part of a group, or just on your own. There is a huge variety out there!
At the end of this post I have included links to sites with artist residency opportunities – I find just reading these gets me thinking and helps me feel inspired.
If you have taken part in a hosted residency it would be interesting to hear more about it – please leave a comment below this post to share your experience.
Self initiated artist residencies
In this post I am focusing on self initiated residencies, either with a group or as an individual. These are often in connection with a particular place or organisation.
The diy approach means that the residency is designed by you, so the work will fit in with your own life and existing commitments.
Collaboration and partnership
Artits residencies have taken place on ships, in factories, in care homes, nature reserves, farms, train stations, and pretty much anywhere you can think of!
You may be able to set one up through your existing contacts, or alternatively by approaching an organisation you find interesting. Most are flattered to be asked, and are willing to make adjustments to accommodate you.
When successful, an artists residency is a mutually beneficial process, where everybody involved gains something positive from the partnership.
Usually no money changes hands, the benefits are in-kind; the artist benefits from access to new source material, publicity and possibly work or exhibition space, the organisation also gains from unique publicity opportunities, community engagement and potentially staff development.
Sharing your work and process
An artists residency can be a brilliant way to share your work with other people. For instance if you make an arrangement with a local factory, (or in fact any local enterprise which is not connected to the arts), you will probably find that people are very interested to see how you, the artist, work, and will be full of questions. For many people it may be a rare chance to see and interact with an artist at work. If the residency leads to any sort of exhibition, your audience will be enlarged by many of the people who have been drawn into the process.
If you create work that has clear connections to familiar people/places your new audience can feel quite profoundly affected. I think this is partly because their everyday experiences are being recognised and valued, and also the artists work enables others to see every-day things from a different perspective.
Talks and workshops by the artists are an important aspect of many residencies, and help to make the creative work more accessible to the public. Sometimes people are even inspired to develop, or take up, new creative activities as a direct result of meeting with artists working in community settings, so in some ways you are an ambassador for creativity!
Artists residencies provide a well-spring of inspiration
At first it can be daunting to work ‘in public’, but if you can enable people to feel welcome to approach you in your role as an artist in residence, you will be amazed at the breadth and depth of conversations that ensue.
You yourself will most likely find endless inspiration through connecting to people with very different life/work experiences from your own.
The opportunity to talk about your work with a variety of people, artists or otherwise, is a really good way to push you onwards to new developments, as well as gaining precious insight into your own creative work.
Most residencies provide years worth of source material for the artist, and influence your ongoing creative work beyond the timeframe of the residency.
Inkers printmakers artist residencies
Inkers printmakers have existed as a group of Yorkshire based printmakers for 25 years. Over this time we have done a lot of group projects, workshops, exhibitions, weekends away and also four Artists Residencies as a group.
Our residencies are the result of a close partnership with Bradford Museums, starting back in 2014 with our first residency at Bradford Industrial Museum. We went on to work with museum staff and the collection at Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley, and the Textile Archive at the Dyehouse Gallery. Venturing further afield to East Yorkshire we also worked with The Ropewalk in Barton on Humber.
Responses Exhibition
The inspiration for this post was our current exhibition with work from all the four residencies, covering the last ten years.
The ‘Responses’ show is on at Trapezium Arts in Bradford from 22nd Feb – 15th March 2025.
“In our response work, we’ve been inspired to push the boundaries of printmaking. You’ll see woven prints, layered prints, 3D constructions, artist’s books and more, on a vast range of topics: landscapes, machines, mills, looms, ropes, working men and women, birds, bees, mummies …. all inspired by the museums, galleries and collections of our city, district and region.”
The work being shown responds to the rich industrial, educational and creative heritage of Yorkshire and in particular the Bradford District, which seems apt in its year as City of Culture.
Artists taking part are: Cath Brooke, Shelley Burgoyne, Tony Carlton, Julia Clegg, Janine Denby, Ruth Fettis, Annie Fforde, Lucy Hainsworth, Emily Harvey, Paul Hudson, Sammy Palfrey, June Russell, Ian Wrench, Susan Wright.”
Structuring the Inkers residencies
Each residency generally spans several years of ‘work in progress’. This involves group and individual museum visits, research in the archives, and interactions with staff and visitors.
The venues have all welcomed us and given access to the collections, hosted ‘artists in the museum’ sessions, some public workshops, and mounted final public exhibitions as the culmination of each residency.
Being able to work with a particular place over an extended period means that the creative process has time to flourish. Time to think, digest, and experiment leads to the production of a wide range of multi layered work.
This flexible structure means that the residency fits in with ‘normal’ life, and participation is accessible for everybody in the group regardless of other work/life commitments.
Public Exhibition deadline
Often having a deadline of a public exhibition before you have created any work can be daunting, and even terrifying.
However, there is nothing like an exhibition deadline to help clarify your purpose and get you working.
The nerves are mitigated by being part of a group, we encourage each other and trust each other to actually produce something in time for the final show!
Personal creative development
Personally I have found that each residency gave me a really helpful structure for developing creative and collaborative work, and this had a definite positive influence on my own creative practice.
At the start of each residency I had absolutely no idea what would happen – we all turned up with an open mind and no expectations. Each one was truly a creative response to the place, which developed and deepened over time. Sketchbooks, as always are a fascinating record of the development of ideas.
There is always an initial period of exploration, (some would call this faffing around), but time for false starts and trips up blind alleys makes the final work more robust.
New work made during Inkers Printmakers residencies
Some of the work I have made during Inkers Printmakers residencies has already been featured in the blog, so here is a brief description of the four residencies with links to more info.
Bradford Industrial Museum
Loom weights and spindle whorls were both useful and sacred, since weaving was thought to be a gift from the goddess.
They were often made from precious stone like amber or coloured marble, and would have been valuable objects handed down through the generations.
These prints explore loom weights with intentional and incidental marks. I wanted the prints to look quite 3d, glowing and mysterious.
Follow this link for more information.
Cliffe Castle Museum
I have always loved dolls houses and the idea of a complete alternative world in miniature. At the museum I sat in the corner of the gallery with the displays of dolls houses and noticed how children played with the contemporary dolls house, photographing the different results after each group had left it.
The scenes ranged from total mayhem to very ordered arrangements with everything in its proper place. The children talked as they played, creating characters and situations, and I noted down some of the things they said; these varied from suggestions for funny or forbidden activities to re-enacting comfortable domestic routines.
Follow this link for more information
The Ropewalk
In the past rope makers walked miles everyday twisting their rope, and the idea of their steady footprints inspired the design of this printed sculpture.
The prints, which join together in lots of different ways, are all made from etched lino and printed using both intaglio and relief techniques to get layers of colour. Some are mounted on flat wooden tiles, others are on boxes. Each box has a sound reminiscent of foot steps.
Follow this link for more information
The Textile Archive
Textile weaving patterns: the hanging pieces are suspended so they rotate randomly, moving with even tiny air flows and constantly altering the whole pattern.
Jewel beetles escaping: inspired by Indian fabric from the Dyehouse collection in Bradford. The fabric is made with beetle wings to create glitter; I imagined the beetles coming to life and escaping from the cloth.
Websites with links to hosted Artists Residencies
Artquest: Some residencies listed, as well as other useful info for artists surviving and thriving.
Artist communities: “An artist residency field that shapes a world where people have the freedom to unleash their full creative potential and prosper in inclusive, just, joyful and accessible environments.”
Resartis: comprehensive listings of a global network of artists residency centres – most inspiring!
ArtConnect: “a platform that helps artists find the opportunities they need to move forward in their careers.”
Transartists: “Artists and other creative professionals can stay and work elsewhere temporarily by participating in artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities. These opportunities offer conditions that are conducive to creativity and provide their guests with context, such as working facilities, connections, audience, etc.”
Don’t wait – try being a resident artist!
If you are feeling stuck in a rut, devoid of inspiration or just fancy something a bit new and different the perfect prescription could be an artists residency.
Once you start looking for opportunities you will be spoilt for choice. Whether you take the diy route and begin just by yourself, or maybe with one or two artist friends, or if you decide to jump in and join an existing residency scheme – I hope you will make space for an artists residency in your plans before too long.
If you are a seasoned ‘resident artist’ do let us know about your experiences of artists residencies, please leave comments below – you may inspire others to try something new.
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2 thoughts on “Artists residencies”
thanks for this inspiring post Emily.
yes I love the way the place & limitations with materials gives good focus & imagination.
I’ve taken myself off on solo retreats for a month at a time – a remote small Scottish island in winter & a cottage in Spain also in winter. teaching myself new methods & giving myself lots of time to experiment. working with plants gave extra limitations in the winter. I find it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the exciting possibilities & I’m easily distracted, so time alone with such limitations worked well for me in so many ways. I love the idea of generating your art from place & hadn’t really considered what you said about how it can effect & connect with the people who are a part of that place/ it is a part of them, to be celebrated! thanks for all your inspiration & generous sharing.
A month alone in the wilderness sounds like heaven! thank you for sharing your residencies/retreats Jo