Towards the end of 2023 I wanted a break! I had curated and project managed two major exhibitions (Middlesbrough and Brighton) and I needed to reset and recharge. I searched for a residency that might offer space to reset, but nothing quite fit. What I found instead was a spark: if the right space didn’t exist, perhaps we needed to build it instead.
Over the next year, I worked hard to shape this idea. I reached out to artists, grassroots groups, community organisers and cultural organisations to explore and develop its possibilities.
Artists with mental health challenges and other disabilities face systemic barriers within the arts in the UK, with research showing that around 60% feel isolated from mainstream art communities due to a lack of understanding and inclusivity. Research by Arts Council England indicates that 68% of mentally ill and/or disabled artists feel that there are significant challenges to accessing creative opportunities.
We will confront and counter these inequities by developing an ambitious and experimental residency programme designed to support artists who face systemic barriers, enabling them to reclaim space, resources and recognition.
To effectively test parts of our proposed model, we have secured space at SAFE Regeneration in Bootle, Liverpool, where we will run a series of pilot residencies.
The project is called Back Room – ‘two out of three.’ Because the space is quite literally in the back rooms of the building. And from our research we discovered that two out of three artists consider quitting due to the barriers they face.
Over the next 12 months, we will conduct research through creative workshops, focus groups and community collaboration, enabling us to shape a space that offers both artistic and emotional support.
This phase is crucial. It will allow us to gather meaningful feedback and evaluation, helping us to understand what works—and what doesn’t—as we continue to work towards securing a permanent space.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing more information on this new direction and on the 20th March, our artist residency open call will go live. More details about that coming soon!!
beautiful analogue image created by Phoebe Thomas 02/26