Interdisciplinary Land Led Artist Residency

We are in the early stages of developing an Interdisciplinary Land Led Artist Residency nestled in the wild foothills of the Preseili’s in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The space is made up of 54 acres of varied landscape, evolving over three distinct layers going up the hill. It is comprised of meadow, woodland, stream, spring, stone circle and orchard, making for an incredibly rich ecosystem to explore and connect with.

This journey began when co-founder, artist Lola Evelyn Ives, discovered this unique place when volunteering in Wales. Lola had a strong sense of creating an opportunity here which invited creatives from all realms of the creative spectrum time and space in a wild place to explore creating in tandem with the surrounding landscapes. Lola fulfilled the residency herself in 2022, to inquire into how we would offer and facilitate such an experience alongside delving into her own connection to the land, utilising her art as the vessel to do so.

We have a vision of creating a residency which feels genuinely accessible to creatives and can fit comfortably within their lives. Therefore this opportunity is time flexible to be tailored to each artist. Some may have capacity to be on the land for one week, others may be there for a month.

Out of a desire for more residencies to be affordable for us, especially those starting out as self-employed creatives, we have also worked to create this opportunity to run on an exchange basis. For each day that the artists are fulfilling the residency, they’re asked to work 2.5 hours tending to a variety of land based jobs. This volunteering time also gives an opportunity for the artists to become further immersed in the landscape and its beings. Feeding their residency and allowing important time to step away from the works they are developing, bringing in space for reflection and integration.

We opened up this space to three creatives in 2023, movement artist Bibiana, sound artist Gill and ceramicist Rapheala, whose accounts of their experiences are slowly being shared below. In this time we learnt a lot about the practicalities, challenges and magic of running an artist residency. An insight into what can unfold between us and the environment when we create pathways of connection through our creativity.

This year we are sharing this opportunity with three more creatives to embrace and dive into their practices, to allow it and them space to breathe, to be, to evolve. An opportunity for them to explore their creativity and its connection to the land in this sacred wild landscape that is deeply elemental and animate with life. Allowing their practice to be led by this land, this space. To listen and to respond to our Earth in this moment of time.