Environment and Sustainability Institute Residency

Residency Funding and Support

• Artist fee: £2000 (inclusive of travel, materials, and expenses)
• The selected artist will be based in-person at the ESI for 4 weeks throughout March-April 2026 (ideally as a block, but dates to be agreed at offer stage)
• Dedicated Private Studio Space: Sole use of the creative studio within the ESI throughout the 4 week residency (accessible 9am–5pm, seven days a week; can also be used as a temporary exhibition space for output display after the residency)
• Additional support for display/end of residency sharing (e.g. for interpretation boards, display costs, printing, catering etc – up to £500)
• Mentorship: An additional £300 allocated for 5 hours of mentorship with an established creative practitioner (to be selected jointly with the artist from Creative Kernow’s Associate Mentorship Programme)
• Support and guidance from:
  • Annie Sheen (Arts and Culture Programme Manager, University of Exeter) and Anna Harris (Creative Kernow Associates Manager)
  • The ESI Professional and Academic Leadership Team, Library Team, and FX Plus Special Collections and Archives
  • Along with Communications and Marketing support about your residency from Arts and Culture and ESI

Eligibility

Applicants must be members of Creative Kernow Associates – membership starts at £5/month, and you can join here.

We welcome applications from artists who:

• Are new graduates or early-career practitioners currently based in Cornwall. We are happy for you to self-define as we realise ‘early-career’ might mean different things to different people but for guidance, we might expect an early-career artist to have been practicing professionally for no longer than 5 years.
• We welcome creative practitioners of any artform — including visual, digital, sound or performing arts, craft, design, film, literature, music, or multi-disciplinary artists.

Selection Criteria

• Can demonstrate a keen interest in ecology, environment, and social justice as part of their creative process and practice
• Experience of developing and leading creative workshops/seminars/sessions which share creative process with new audiences
• Are interested in developing their knowledge, skills and practice around sustainable approaches to creative making
• Have a clear understanding of their professional development needs and how these might be fulfilled through this residency opportunity
• Are open to collaboration, experimentation, and dialogue with researchers and academics from different disciplines and practices
• Can commit to being based in-person at the ESI for 4 weeks throughout March-April 2026 (ideally as a block, but dates to be agreed at offer stage)

How to Apply

Please complete the application form and send along with:

• 1 page CV which should include a reference contact details
• Accompanying page detailing images/links to some of your recent work

Download application form

Please e-mail the application form and accompanying information to Anna Harris before 12 noon on Monday 19th January 2026 – anna@creativekernow.org.uk