A new experimental residency at Dalby Forest, North Yorks Moors National Park.

Are you an artist looking for a space to experiment and develop your creative practice?

We are inviting environmental arts practitioners to send expressions of interest to undertake a research residency, which will be undertaken in the heart of North York’s Dalby Forest. 

This might be the opportunity for you to rekindle old ideas, start something new, or maybe continue a previous project.

This could be the opportunity for you to escape, surround yourself with nature, experiment, create new work, and generate new ideas.

This is an artist-led opportunity, and whatever approach and working methodologies you want to progress are entirely up to you. 

The residency will take place in the Dalby Forest, a 8,500 acre forest on the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park.

The site is managed by Forestry England and has a range of facilities, including a visitor centre and shop, two cafés, a bike hire centre, Go Ape, 13 walking, 4 running, and 6 cycle trails, and a children's play area.

Dalby has a rich heritage it was established after the First World War, in response to a need for a national timber supply.

This residency will be managed by Crescent Arts in partnership with the Dalby Forest Arts Co-ordinator.

Crescent Arts is a contemporary visual arts organisation based in Scarborough and dedicated to the development of artists while generating public and community participation in exhibitions and hands-on creative activities and events.

This year, we joined the growing Culture Declares Emergency network and through this residency, we hope to work with artists interested in climate and ecology to create new ways of thinking and being.

Who is this for?

This opportunity is open to artists within the discipline of the visual arts, working in the UK.

The project is committed to prioritising the development of contemporary art and artists, so may be of benefit to a practitioner who is seeking to undertake a point of development in their practice.

We are particularly looking for an artist whose work is concerned with climate and ecological concerns, and ideally, the research residency will relate to these social concerns.

This opportunity will suit an individual who can travel independently to Dalby Forest as there are infrequent public transport links available. 

What we offer and need from you

Access to the wonderful environment of the Dalby Forest. You can utilise two buildings, including a living space and a workspace.

The onsite facilities include heating, water, and electricity. The workshop space is a ground floor space that includes: work benches, seats, and a sink. 

You will also have access to one of the several living spaces around Dalby Forest, It is required that artists have their own transport as the living accommodations are not within walking distance of the workshop space.

These living accommodations offer bedroom, kitchen and bathroom facilities. 

The residency is not inclusive of materials, money towards living expenses, or a residency fee; however, we can provide marketing across our social media channels and curatorial and onsite advice and guidance from the Crescent Arts team.

We will offer you an introduction to the site and an information pack that provides you with the details of the project, telephone numbers, site practical site information, and a point of contact throughout the residency.

You will need to bring a portable light if going outside at night, warm and waterproof clothing suitable for the winter months, bedding, towels, and kitchen supplies.

We also ask that the artist/s document their time on the residency and are willing to share their learnings from the residency, either as a talk or through a similar process.

We can be flexible when the residency takes place, and we ask that it take place during February to March 2025 at your convenience; we do encourage the artist, or artists to be in residency for at least one or two weeks.

We expect to negotiate and agree with you in advance on the days and times that you intend to be on-site.

You can apply with another artist; please indicate this in the submission form if you wish to do so.