I started on the Creative Business Development course in September at MMU and it has helped me realise what goals I have for the future.
I have been searching for artist residencies over the last few months as I feel this would be a fantastic opportunity to experience creativity in a different cultural environment and possibly lead to developing my work in a different way.
I have been saving up for the last 3 years for a trip to New Zealand with my boyfriend, but he returned to university in September and so we have had to put the trip back 3 years. However, I don’t think I can wait this long to go and I am hoping to work out a way of combining the artist residency with going to New Zealand.
I have many relatives in New Zealand and my Great Great Great Grandmother was Mary Jane Bennett who was lighthouse keeper at Pencarrow Lighthouse near Wellington, and interestingly still NZ’s only ever female lighthouse keeper. I am very interested in discovering more about my family history in NZ and also exploring the beautiful landscape of the islands, which I am sure will influence my work greatly!
I sent off about 20 emails to different potter associations, universities, galleries etc and have had 5 centres say yes within 3 days! Great result, but has also made me rethink how to do the residency. Now thinking of touring the different centres spending 2/3 weeks at each rather than staying at just one. That way I get to see the different areas of NZ and meet more people over the 3 months I plan on being out there.
I’ve never organised anything like this before, so am taking it one step at a time. If anyone has any advice, has completed a residency or even been to New Zealand would love to hear from you!
