A Vanished Sea (Without a Trace)

Climate Art and Bridgepoint Rye, in collaboration with Sussex Wildlife Trust, are delighted to announce a call for applications from artists, creative practitioners, and environmental researchers to work on a site-responsive project during a three-month residency at Bridgepoint Creative Centre in Rye, East Sussex.Participants are invited to respond to the residency’s theme of transience, outlined below. Each applicant should clearly indicate how, during the three months of the programme, they will engage with the local community and connect with the ecological landscape of Rye.

The opportunity is open to 3 UK-based practitioners, with one space reserved for a Sussex-based participant. The residents will be provided with subsidised accommodation and studio space for the duration of the residency. Each participant will receive a monthly stipend of £500 and a production budget of £2,000. The residency will take place in January – March 2021. The deadline for applications is 8 November 2020 at 23:59. The programme – A Vanished Sea (Without a Trace) –   has been generously supported by Bridgepoint Rye and the Kowitz Family Foundation.

COVID-19 

We are committed to ensuring the safety of all residents, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. We shall therefore be keeping the programme dates and format under constant review, in line with the latest governmental guidance. At the same time, we believe that now, as never before, the need for the exchange of ideas and community-focused projects is of paramount importance.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

The picturesque ruin of Camber Castle lies peacefully amid stretches of marshland over 1.5 km from the coast. It seems hard to believe that the splashing of the sea was once a constant sound here, rather than the bleating of sheep. Built on a shingle spit during Henry VIII’s rule, Camber Castle used to be an elaborate artillery fortification designed to defend the harbour and the towns of Rye and Winchelsea. Less than a hundred years after its completion, however, it was decommissioned – the receding sea left the castle inland, stranded and useless. 

During the residency, participants are invited to explore the broad themes of transience, ephemerality and perishability. From species extinction and habitat destruction to the impermanence of our familiar way of life, the discussion of these subjects has already become a part of our everyday conversations as we reflect on the changes forced upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic. Is a more nuanced understanding of transience a cause for resignation or an invitation to transform the relationship between human beings and other species? 

The programme – A Vanished Sea (Without a Trace) – will see 3 UK-based practitioners (with one place reserved for a Sussex-based participant) develop their site-responsive projects during a three-month residency at Bridgepoint Creative Centre located in Rye, East Sussex. Residents will also have access to Sussex Wildlife Trust’s sites located in Rye and an opportunity to work with the organisation’s staff and volunteers. Climate Art is a space for resident groups, artists and scientists to come together. Our practice stems from the understanding of public art as a form of meaningful engagement with diverse publics. That is why, at the application stage, all entrants are required to demonstrate a commitment to engagement with the local community, the ecological landscape of the town and its harbour.  

Applications are invited from practitioners working in any creative discipline (including, but not limited to, visual arts, architecture, design, performance art, film, dance, music, creative writing and others), as well as environmental-change researchers. Proposals may vary from detailed projects to preliminary ideas. Successful applicants will be expected to demonstrate clearly how they intend to develop their creative or academic work in response to the residency’s theme. While hoping that the three residents will find it inspiring to work alongside each other, Climate Art does not require a collaborative project to be the outcome of the residency.

The residency will run from mid-January to mid-March 2021 (exact dates TBC). Residents will benefit from subsidised accommodation and individual studio space for the duration of the residency. Each artist will receive a monthly stipend of £500 and a production budget of £2,000.We want the participants to make the most of the residency opportunity. It is understood that they may need to continue with some work or study commitments during the programme. We are happy to consider flexible arrangements, hoping that the residents will be in Rye for much of the working week and will take part in open studios and other events as part of the programme.

SELECTION PANEL

Dzmitry Suslau, Founding Director & Curator, Climate Art

Jevgenija Ravcova, Managing Director, Climate Art

David Kowitz, Founder, Bridgepoint Rye

Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, Curator, Architecture Programme, The Royal Academy

Tim Redfern, Artist and Community Activist 

ABOUT CLIMATE ART

Climate Art is an interdisciplinary public art platform focused on climate change. Our site-responsive projects facilitate active cooperation between communities, artists, and scientists. 

At Climate Art, we encourage long-term, sustainable transformation through participatory public art that motivates us all to make positive adjustments to our daily lives. Our practice stems from the understanding of public art as a form of meaningful engagement with diverse groups of people rather than art located out-of-doors. Climate Art is a space for resident groups, creative practitioners and environmentalists to come together. 

ABOUT BRIDGEPOINT RYE

Bridgepoint is a new arts complex located in Rye. It is set in the context of a regeneration project, being undertaken by Martello Developments, which aims to convert a disused industrial part of the historic town into a vibrant campus, including an arts complex as well as housing and commercial activity. It is intended that the 20,000-square-foot Bridgepoint arts building will encompass artists’ studios, a large performance and rehearsal space, a commercial gallery, as well as other internal and external exhibition spaces.

The primary mission of the project is to provide a well-equipped and safe space for artists in an array of disciplines to contemplate and create, hopefully drawing inspiration from the area’s exceptional history and natural beauty.

ABOUT SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST

Sussex Wildlife Trust is a conservation charity for everyone who cares about nature in Sussex. We focus on protecting the wonderfully rich natural life that is found across our towns, countryside and coast.

By working alongside local people, we create opportunities for us all to connect with nature, and for nature to thrive in even the most unlikely places. Together we can make sure that future generations living in Sussex will be able to enjoy the sense of wonder and well-being that nature offers. Sussex Wildlife Trust manages 465-hectare Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, which includes Camber Castle and Castle Water.