Connect to Art and change in Northern Ireland

Artist residences

havungresidences having just come back from my first artists residences I want to ask what residences have you been on? what ones would you recommend? and what have you go out of doing them?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by rosie mcgurran on June 27, 2012 at 13:58

Bundanon, New south Wales was one of the best I ever did, I had to change my entire palette to adjust to the light.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Susan Mckeever on June 29, 2012 at 13:53

The Curfew Tower in Cushendall is an amazing one. Run by Bill Drummond and Marcus Patton, 'In You We Trust'.

Susan Philipz has been on this residency and I think was involved in setting it up.

I would advise applying to go with another artist friend (there are two bedrooms in the tower) if you can, as it might get a bit lonely being there on your ownsome in the small town. But then again, some artists might love that.

Pro's:

The tower is a brilliant folly of a building, comfortable, crazy, well located for Johnny Joe's pub, the spar and chipper.

Friendly locals

Spectacular Glens of Antrim landscape all around you.

Beautiful coastline

Ulsterbus to and from Belfast passes by daily

Lots of cool art inspiration in the tower from previous residents

You might win the bronze Curfew Tower award as voted for by the Cushendall villagers once a year.

Your own personal dungeon

Con's:

Not suitable for disabled artists (surreal staircases!)

Can be noisy at night as the tower is on the village central crossroads and a meeting place for local teens. (Burning rubber in ford fiestas up and down the street til all hours seems to be the best craic ever for the lads.)

You might feel a bit isolated if you are there on your own for a number of weeks.

Bill Drummond has been known to show up once a year, light a bonfire in the garden and throw most of the previous years art on top of it. lol (I am not sure if this still happens, but it did when i was there some years ago. He makes a big party of it tho and provides loads of food and booze, invites all the villagers and that year's artists in for the party. So fair play to him, its his tower.)

Your own personal dungeon

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Susan Mckeever on June 29, 2012 at 19:31

I have recently participated in one other residency and that is The Inishlacken Project based in Roundstone, Connemara, County Galway. Run by Belfast artist Rosie McGurran, this is another amazing residency usually lasting one or two weeks each summer. It is a group residency and a great way to meet up and network with other artists as you are all housed together in Roundstone and can hang out, have a laugh, good discussions and see how other artists go about their practice.

Some images and info here from artist Caroline Wright's blog:

http://www.carolinewright.com/Project5.html

Also, this is probably the only art residency in the world where you get to do a white knuckle speedboat trip twice a day between the mainland and the uninhabited island Inishlacken.

Inishlacken famously was the place Belfast artist Gerard Dillon lived in the early 1950's, painting the islanders and their lifestyle in the years just before they resettled on the mainland.

Today the island is empty except for some sheep and a few wild donkeys. A very tranquil and inspiring place.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by rosie mcgurran on June 29, 2012 at 20:42

The whiteknuckle speedboat ride is not for the fienthearted!

Susan Mckeever said:

I have recently participated in one other residency and that is The Inishlacken Project based in Roundstone, Connemara, County Galway. Run by Belfast artist Rosie McGurran, this is another amazing residency usually lasting one or two weeks each summer. It is a group residency and a great way to meet up and network with other artists as you are all housed together in Roundstone and can hang out, have a laugh, good discussions and see how other artists go about their practice.

Some images and info here from artist Caroline Wright's blog:

http://www.carolinewright.com/Project5.html

Also, this is probably the only art residency in the world where you get to do a white knuckle speedboat trip twice a day between the mainland and the uninhabited island Inishlacken.

Inishlacken famously was the place Belfast artist Gerard Dillon lived in the early 1950's, painting the islanders and their lifestyle in the years just before they resettled on the mainland.

Today the island is empty except for some sheep and a few wild donkeys. A very tranquil and inspiring place.