Spring Fling X Wigtown Book Festival Residency

SUMMARY – PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT RESIDENCY

Spring Fling and Wigtown Book Festival are seeking to appoint a visual artist or maker as
artist-in-residence for a two-part public engagement residency at Wigtown Book Festival
26 September – 5 October 2014 and Spring Fling 22-24 May 2015.
The deadline for entries is Friday 9 May 2014.

Deirdre Nelson's WordBespoke as part of the 2010/11 Residency

BACKGROUND

Following a pilot artists’ residency project that took place during Wigtown Book Festival in 2009, Wigtown Book Festival and Spring Fling have collaborated on this annual residency project ever since: Deirdre Nelson in 2010/11; Kim Ayres in 2011/12; Joanne B Kaar in 2012/13; and Astrid Jaekel in 2013/14. The results of the each residency have been on display in an open studio setting in Wigtown during the following Spring Fling.
There is potential for strong connections between the audiences of Spring Fling and
Wigtown Book Festival, and they are likely to be interested in both events. The aim is that the residency project will enhance this relationship and encourage visitors to Dumfries & Galloway more than once a year.

THE RESIDENCY

Please note this is a Public Engagement Residency.
We would like to invite a visual artist or craft maker to carry out a 12-day residency in
Wigtown where they will make and show new work inspired by Wigtown Book Festival
2014, and by the meeting of people and minds that happens during this annual 10-day
celebration. This will culminate in a new body of work to be shown over the three days of Spring Fling 2015.
During their 12-day residency the selected artist will be expected to engage fully with the book festival, attending festival events and engaging with festival visitors and speakers. The final work should include the book festival itself but may also include its engagement with the town, local inhabitants, visitors and ideas. We will prioritise original work that encourages participation across a range of ages, interests and social backgrounds and encourage proposals from artists using social media and digital media either as part of their work or alongside their work.

Kim Ayre's Spring Fling studio 

THE FEE

The successful applicant will receive a fee of £3,000, to include any materials and travel
costs both during Wigtown Book Festival 2014 and during Spring Fling 2015.
Accommodation will be provided free of charge (possibly sharing a cottage space with
writers attending Wigtown Book Festival) throughout the residency and again during Spring
Fling 2015.The artist will be given free entry into Spring Fling 2015 (participation fee for

2014 was £250).

HOW TO APPLY

Head over to the Spring Fling website here for more information and details on applying.