South Walney Residency Open Call – Apply by 28/03/18

South Walney Residency Open Call - Apply by 28/03/18 1

South Walney Artists Residency 2018
A new residency with Full of Noises (Barrow-in-Furness) and SoundCamp (London), hosted by Cumbria Wildlife Trust, gives an opportunity for artists to spend time at South Walney Nature Reserve, making work in response to the site. There will also be an opportunity to present resulting work as part of the 2018 Full of Noises programme. Expressions of interest are now open to artists currently living and working in the North of England with an interest in sound and the natural environment.

To apply:
– Scroll down to read the brief or click here to download a pdf copy.
Complete the short online expression of interest here
– Submissions close 18:00 on Weds 28th March
Please check the brief for eligibility before submitting an application

South Walney Residency Open Call - Apply by 28/03/18 2

Photographs (above): Dawn Scarfe

Residency Brief
A new residency with Full of Noises (Barrow-in-Furness) and SoundCamp (London), hosted by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust, gives an opportunity for artists to spend time at South Walney Nature Reserve, making work in response to the site. There will also be an opportunity to present resulting work as part of the 2018 Full of Noises program.

About South Walney
The south part of Walney Island is a nature reserve managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. It is a distinctive location with salt marshes, rare shingle habitats, dunes and areas of scrub, directly opposite a shallow bay from Barrow in Furness. The intertidal zone supports internationally important populations of migrating seabirds and a large group of grey seals breeds on the beach at the tip of the island. A variety of terrain encourages a diverse range of plants, fungi and invertebrates. Views from the island take in one of Europe’s largest wind farms, a nuclear power station and the fabrication sheds for the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet. While the island has been a nature reserve since 1963, other uses, including an oyster farm, continue on the site. This overlay is an important part of the island’s identity. Sarah Dalrymple, the current warden, coordinates a variety of research, including seal and gull counts, using traditional field studies approaches, as well as aerial photographs with drones and remote monitoring with a seal cam.

Background to the Residency
This rich history contributed to the idea for an artist’s residency that would widen the scope of investigation and bring other ways of directing curiosity about this place. The collaboration between CWT, Full of Noises and SoundCamp initially led to installing an open microphone on the shingle at the south end of the island, where it relays sounds of seals, seabirds, marine traffic and weather, as described here. In Summer of 2017, SC were in residency on the island, preparing work for presentation at the Full of Noises festival in October, and trialing the potential for a longer term residency program. Outputs included an FM radio show, a series of real-time off grid relays from the island streamed into a project space in Barrow Market, and a collection of writings and field recordings:
http://soundtent.org/south_walney/live_stream.html
http://soundtent.org/south_walney/GULLSPIT.html
We imagine the residency developing in response to artists’ interests. Proposals are likely to involve elements of   ‘art-science-activism’. They are expected to involve or address sound in some form.

Logistics
Accommodation: The residency offers a place to stay and work in Coastguard Cottage Number 2, which adjoins the warden’s house and the site office. The coastguard cottage has cooking facilities, electric heating, wi-fi and a wood burning stove. The yard includes outbuildings which could be used for work outdoors. Staying on the island gives access at times when it is closed to the public, especially early in the morning and late evenings. Warden Sarah Dalrymple will also be available to provide an overview and any specific information relating to the site.

Travel: The nearest train station to the residency site is Barrow-in-Furness, with direct trains to Lancaster (one hour), Carlisle and Manchester (two hours) and connections to Leeds, Liverpool (3 hours) and Newcastle (4 hours). Walney is a drive of 20-30 mins from Barrow town centre. Octopus will provide transfer to and from the station for the appointed artist as well as support from a staff member during the residency.

Access: A circuit of the main reserve site covers approximately 4-5 miles and is normally only accessible by foot via gravel and sand tracks. As a result, it may not be suitable for those with limited mobility, but please contact us with any queries relating to this so that we can advise and offer support where possible. The reserve is also exposed to the elements and can be very wet and windy so suitable warm and wet weather clothing / footwear is also recommended.

Key Dates – 2018

Selection:
Weds 28th March, 18:00 – Deadline for expressions of interests
Monday 9th April – Selected artist notified

Residency:
Applicants will need to be available to undertake a residency of between 5-7 days during one of the following periods:
– Week commencing 18th June
– Week commencing 25th June
– Week commencing 9th July

Public events:
Sat 5th/Sun 6th May – Soundcamp (optional) – The appointed artist will have an opportunity to deliver a short workshop or activity as part of the 2018 Soundcamp at Walney Island for a further fee and travel expenses. This will be an opportunity to explore the site, talk with the organisers and develop ideas.
Friday 17th – Sunday 19th August – Full of Noises – Applicants will also need to be available to present, perform or install work produced during the residency at Full of Noises in Barrow during one of these dates.

Fees / Budget

£1200 – 6 days residency fee @ £200 per day + travel expenses + accommodation
£200 – Full of Noises performance / presentation fee + travel expenses + accommodation + technical support / equipment

*Please note that although we will accept joint applications from more than one artist working in collaboration, only one fee is available and would need to be shared between the selected group.

Applications
This opportunity is open to:
– Artists with an interest in sound and the natural environment
– Artists currently living and working in the North of England (Yorkshire, the North West and the North East)
– Artists who have not previously undertaken a residency with Octopus / Full of Noises
*Please note that this opportunity is not open to those in full time or higher education.

Please complete the short online expression of interest form by 18:00 on Weds 28th March, including:

  • Contact information
  • Short selected bio (250 words)
  • Outline proposal (250 words)
  • Reason for interest in the residency (250 words)
  • Links to online documentation of three examples of relevant work
  • Details of any access needs or specific support required
  • Equal opportunities monitoring form

Click here to access the online form

Contact us with any queries relating to the brief or application process:
contact@soundtent.org
info@octopuscollective.org
*Please include both of the above contact when addressing your email to us.

We will acknowledge your application promptly and let you know a decision by Monday 9th April.

South Walney Residency Open Call - Apply by 28/03/18 3

Photograph: Andrew Deakin

About the Organisers

Octopus Collective are an international sound art and new music organisation based in a public park on Cumbria’s Furness Peninsula. We produce and commission new work from contemporary composers and sound artists under the Full of Noises banner. Read more: http://www.octopuscollective.org/

SoundCamp is a London based artist collective developing site responsive work and research around ecologies of sound and place. We coordinate a network of soundcamps and produce the Reveil 24 hour broadcast on International Dawn Chorus Day each year. Current projects include an open microphone network in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, work with community groups in Rotherhithe, and ‘The Acoustic Commons’ series on Resonance FM/Extra. A full list of projects is available at http://soundtent.org/soundcamp_news.html

Cumbria Wildlife Trust is the only voluntary organisation devoted solely to the conservation of the wildlife and wildplaces of Cumbria. Cumbria Wildlife Trust is part of a partnership of 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK. With 800,000 members and 2,200 nature reserves, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species.Read more: http://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/south-walney

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