Exploring artists' residencies

- Artists' talk and discussion.Friday 26 February 2016 10.00am - 1.00pm at the Old Fire Station, University of Salford, off The Crescent (A6), Salford, M5 4WL Admission: Free, please register https://weareresident.eventbrite.co.uk

Artists Nicola Smith, Helen Knowles, Jason Wilsher-Mills and Pool Arts will talk about their individual experiences of residencies and some of the barriers they overcame to undertake them including: undertaking an international residency in Qatar from your sickbed; going to Santa Fe to work with indigenous native American Midwives; with your partner and baby in Finland or in a shed on an allotment in Manchester.

During the event artist Nicola Smith will also talk about an artist residency opportunity in Tampere, Finland, which she is currently developing in partnership with Islington Mill, Salford, and the Artists Association in Tampere.

In 2014, Nicola participated in a 2-week artist residency in Finland with her husband and then 6-month old baby in tow; an opportunity she found rare given that most residencies tend to cater for the individual, with few accepting partners let alone children. As a result this got her thinking as to “who else feels unable to participate in artist residencies?”  

Nicola set-up this event, with support from the University of Salford, as part of her research for developing a fully supported artists’ residency opportunity for those who feel unable to participate within existing programmes. Nicola’s research and development project is funded by Art Council England.