the residency will soon be in the last month and as this approaches i want to reflect how the year has split into four quarters for me.
to begin, i reiterate this was a student residency within the creative incubation space of the university of derby known as banks mill. the period of time for me occurred as i was in the last few months of studying on the ma arts (fine art pathway) programme at the university.
august through october saw the degree show work being finished off, presented and then moved for public display. during this time the degree show was very much the focus and settling into the studio space at banks mill did take second place to the study. what i enjoyed was having a space where i could think and safely leave ideas scattered about. the degree show took place at the artcore gallery in the center of derby. having the studio at banks mill (about a 10 minute walk) was a bit of a dream.
link to crosspoint ma degree show exhibition instagram account
into second quarter – progression.
when we signed up for the year long residency it came with some caveats including being present at university open days and the banks mill open studios. the open studios event took place at the end of november and features the entirety of the building occupants opening their studios for 2.5 days to members of the public and invited guests.
while preparing for the event i was also coping with the emotional roller coaster of graduation day and what came after that.
with a studio for a year i knew i was going to be ok for a place to practice. what i wasn’t so ok for was an income. my business model is based on the working with people and knew that any project work with an accompanying funding application would take sometime to set up. it was time to be real about my portfolio practice and see what work was available that i was suitable for.
november through january saw me being successful in being selected for a part time role at a nearby fe college and an 80 hour internship (through the university careers service). i was also still communicating about the project in york by zoom and participating in some unsuccessful interviews; all from my studio space. it felt good to plan my week around the times i was in the studio. i started to get to know other studio holders (on the fourth floor) and the weekend of the open studios felt really good in terms of being in community at banks mill.
in contrast was the time between february and april. i had started the fe college role, the internship was in full swing, and the weather was wet and cold. keeping a regular pattern of going to the studio became a struggle.
the time i did have to spend on my practice was predominately occupied with work developing a research degree application. this had started as a seed a few months before the end of the ma and during the degree show it was planted and watered. at first it was slow to germinate and at times it did look like it might not shoot or take root.
with the internship completed, the extra time and impending end of residency really started to get me focused in the last three months of the residency. from facilitating a session in york i realised i had a working title for a collection of works. from the open studios research i saw a work potentially for exhibition and so it has continued, seeing sketches/works/ideas i can present. its going to be an experimental body of work.
another thing on my mind for the last few months has been what to do about staying a studio holder at banks mill. i’m in conversation about this and time will tell what i go onto do. one factor needing to be considered is when i might finalise and submit my research degree project proposal.
so after a difficult third quarter, the end of the year is looking better with good prospects of exhibiting a body of experimental work as a result of the residency. there’s still work to be done to fully realise this and i am confident i can complete it in time.
overall, my experience has been good and if i’m honest i don’t really want it to come to an end. it will though because it was always going to, like rachel whiteread’s 1993 work house.
so for the next few weeks, in amongst all the other goings on in the practice, i’m getting ready for an exhibition !!!!
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the exhibition was entitled the art of being with people, documentation of it can be found on the practice website
