Artful Migration: Artist Residency Opportunity at WWT Caerlaverock, .

Project background

The programme is being developed by Upland Arts Development in partnership with Ginnie Wollaston of Moving Souls Dance. Ginnie’s uncle George Clark left her a legacy and his brother John Clark was a keen artist who lived for many years in Gatehouse of Fleet. She wanted to give this legacy to Dumfries and Galloway in memory of both uncles. The programme is also being supported by WWT Caerlaverock and the RSPB.

This residency is a pilot project which will inform a wider three-year programme during which the project partners wish to:

 encourage and support artists, including young and emerging artists, who primarily create work informed by the fields of wildlife, the natural world and the environment  increase the provision of interpretation opportunities within the wildlife reserves of Dumfries and Galloway  create new and exciting work around the themes identified surrounding the individual birds and the scientific research being done  develop a programme of creative activities for a range of groups and individuals to participate in  connect with international partners or artists along the migratory routes

About the Residency:

This residency is a pilot to enable a rigorous underpinning for the development of the artist residency programme over the next 3 years. The residency is open to artists based in or with a connection to Dumfries & Galloway.

This pilot artist in residence programme will be hosted at WWT Caerlaverock so that the artist can study and record individual Whooper swans and their family groups. The opportunity for research and observation will focus on parent/ cygnet socialisation as cygnets learn how to socialise with the flock of swans that have migrated with them from Iceland to D&G. The artist will develop a new piece of work based on this research. The residency would be spread over the winter months (mid November to March 2017-18) in order to maximise the observation of particular family groups during this time. Location and Focus for artist in residence programme: WWT Caerlaverock will be open every day over this period and will make the heated observatory available to the artist. The observatory is open to the public. Online data from the past 45 years about the whooper swans and their family histories will be accessible to the artist. Brian Morrell (Centre Manager of WWT Caerlaverock & Whooper Swan specialist) and Faith Hillier (Engagement Officer) will be available through the residency to support the artist and their approach to the research. Wildlife artist John Threlfall SWLA will also be available for advice and mentoring if this would be beneficial for the selected artist.

Upland is Registered in Scotland as a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC350101.

Artistic Outcomes: The artist in residence will bring both observation skills and artistic exploration together in this unique artist in residence opportunity. We are looking for an artist who will undertake a period of research and recording to observe the social bonds and interactions within and between family groups of Whooper swans. This research must be recorded and shared with WWT Caerlaverock and should form the basis for new work created by the selected artist. WWT Caerlaverock will encourage the artist to meet the volunteers and local ‘Guides in the Hides’ to gain insights into their research and anecdotes from what they have seen and recorded The final artwork created can take any form and proposals are welcome from artists and makers working in any medium including but not limited to painting, digital, multi-media, installation, sound, moving image, photography and live art. The artist is expected to undertake the following as part of the residency:

 carry out research and recording of the bonds and interactions within and between family groups of Whooper swans  create a new piece of work/ body of work for exhibition to be held in the gallery space at WWT Caerlaverock for a month following the residency during May 2018. This exhibition will also be part of Spring Fling Open Studios 26-28 May 2018  give one artist talk / presentation as part of the exhibition  write a blog for the Upland website to show the progression of the residency  interact with the public and volunteers Fee for the artist in residence: The successful artist will receive a fee of £4000 (to include research and development, and materials) with a minimum of 12 days spent at Caerlaverock. Additional payment will be available for exhibition costs. Additional payment towards travel and accommodation will be negotiated with the artist upon selection.

Responsibilities

The artist will take responsibility for the following:  research and development of the project  work with the project team to liaise with interested groups  work with project team to deliver and install the resultant artwork  give one artist talk in relation to the project  keep diary notes and photos documenting the development of the work during the project  provide content for the Upland blog  attend meetings with the project team when required  contribute to PR, marketing and social media  end of project report

Artists will need to:

 be based in or have a connection to Dumfries and Galloway.  be a good communicator and have the ability to manage their work with minimal supervision  have access to transport as Caerlaverock is not accessible by public transport

Upland is Registered in Scotland as a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC350101. To apply please submit the following as a single pdf:

 An outline of your interest in the project including how you would approach the residency and what your connection to Dumfries and Galloway is (max 500 words)  An artist statement including relevant experience (max 500 words)  Curriculum vitae  Up to 6 images of your work  If including time-based media please include links to online content (vimeo, you tube, soundcloud or similar).

Selection will be based on

 Quality of previous work  Relevance of practice and previous experience  General response to the brief  Experience of public engagement

Applications should be emailed to: Amy Marletta, Project Manager at [email protected] and should have ‘Artful Migration Residency’ in the subject heading.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Midnight 22 October 2017

Shortlisted artists will be invited to an interview on Thursday 2nd November or Friday 3rd November 2017.

Additional Information:

About the Whooper Swan

The Iceland population of Whooper Swan breeds exclusively in Iceland and winters primarily in Britain and Ireland, with smaller numbers remaining in Iceland and some also migrating as far as the near European continent. Whooper Swans undertake what is probably the longest sea crossing of any swan species, migrating 800-1,400 km between Britain/Ireland and Iceland.

Whooper Swans are caught and ringed at WWT Caerlaverock (Dumfries & Galloway) and have been part of a long-term research programme through the WWT since 1980. Each bird is fitted with a coloured leg ring, as well as a metal ring and various body size measurements and samples are also taken to assess its condition and health. The information recorded includes status summary; life history; family grouping; bird and bill markings and the creation of a family tree for all the groups that come to Caerlaverock. By catching these birds the team at Caerlaverock led by Brian Morrell they have been able to identify issues affecting them, such as illegal shooting and lead poisoning (Newth et al. 2011, Newth et al. 2012). This information helps to inform subsequent conservation measures taken to reduce the scale of these threats.

Upland is Registered in Scotland as a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC350101.

About Upland Arts Development CIC

Upland evolved from Spring Fling CIC and was established in 2015. In its new expanded role Upland works to develop and promote high quality artistic and artisanal practice in Dumfries & Galloway. It aims to provide a range of platforms to enable this and looks to create new opportunities for professional artists and makers to show their work and for audiences to engage with it. Spring Fling Open Studios continues as Upland’s flagship event but now Upland offers a year-round programme delivering a range of projects, events and exhibitions working with young people, emerging and established artists and makers. www.weareupland.com

About Moving Souls Dance Ginnie Wollaston and Nicholas Paton Philip founded Moving Souls Dance in 2017.

We combine our skills, knowledge and passions in producing quality dance and arts management and participatory projects with young people and communities, where the interaction engages the heart in the art making. We provide opportunities for artists, participants and audiences to engage in cultural dialogue that touch on important issues of our day and challenge our thinking. We offer guidance on funding projects, artist development and targeted work with harder to reach participants and communities in the Midlands. We work in partnership with arts and community organisations on collaborative ventures and create larger scale works to reach a wider public.

We are building art programmes which resonate with our interest in the environment and wildlife conservation. We are already working to set up an artist in residence in South West Scotland, with the focus on bird migrations, which will be linked with international partners.

As individuals, we believe in the urgent need to build safe places for conversations to be nurtured and developed across cultural, spiritual and age divisions. We facilitate the opportunity for people’s voices and responses to be heard so that we can all participate in new and challenging conversations in an open and honest manner. We embrace this debate through social media as well as promoting the need for face to face interactions. www.movingsouls.dance

About WWT Caerlaverock The Wildfowl & Trust, WWT was founded in 1946 by renowned artist and founding father of the modern conservation movement, Sir Peter Scott. WWT is a conservation charity that protects wetlands for wildlife and people and are pioneers in saving threatened wildlife. This is achieved by their experts in conservation science, engagement and wetland management and creation. WWT believes that showing people first-hand how amazing wetlands are can ignite their passion to help save them by providing amazing experiences at their ten unique wetland centres throughout the UK, visited by over one million people every year. The Caerlaverock Wetland Centre was opened in 1970 to provide a winter home for the Svalbard breeding population of barnacle geese which have increased in numbers from as few as 300 in the late 1940s to over 40,000 today, one of the great conservation success stories. The reserve also provides a winter home for thousands of other wildfowl including up to up to 500 Icelandic whooper swans which can be seen at close quarters from the heated observatory overlooking the where they are fed twice daily.

Terms and Conditions The project is administered by Upland CIC All appointed artists will be self- employed and will be responsible for their own tax and N.I. payments. Risk assessments will be carried out by the Artist working with the Reserve management. The ownership of the artists’ own work shall remain with the Artist unless otherwise agreed in advance between the Partners and the Artists. Work created with community members is jointly owned by the project and the groups involved. Until the end of the Project Period as specified in the project schedule, the Partners will be responsible for holding and exhibiting the work, as appropriate. Upland is Registered in Scotland as a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC350101.