Residencies

The West Dean College residency programme provides professional artists, writers, makers, and researchers the opportunity to work onsite for a period of one to three weeks.

Co-ordinated by the School of Arts, the residencies are designed to support contemporary practitioners to develop their work, experiment with new materials, and access expert advice. The residencies continue the legacy of Edward James by supporting early-mid career artists, celebrating making and sharing knowledge. All resident artists engage with the students by providing tutorial support, leading workshops, and giving presentations on their work.

Partnership residencies have included collaborative projects with the Wellcome Collection, De La Warr Pavilion, Outside In, UCL Institute of Archaeology, New Writing South and Myriad Editions. These provide West Dean students with outstanding professional practice opportunities, including artist and writer’s talks, group tutorials with curators, involvement with the fabrication of work, and invitations to exhibition previews.

Resolve Collective at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation. Photo by Chris Ison

Artists

This three-week residency provides time, space, and facilities to support creative development. The resident artists engage with students studying Fine Art at West Dean, including the BA(hons) Art and Contemporary Craft, Graduate Diploma and MFA. This includes an artist's talk, tutorials and/or a seminar, workshop or group critiques. The artists are selected by open call and through partnerships with external organisations.

Previous Artists-in-Residence include: Caroline Achaintre, Sonia E Barrett, Gabriele Beveridge, Linda Brothwell, Tamara Henderson, Tahmina Negmat, Florence Peake, Robert Phillips, Yelena Popova, RESOLVE Collective, Viviana Rossi Caffell, Eva Rothschild, Katie Schwab, Nastassja Simensky, Sherie Sitauze, Renee So, Alec Stevens, Ross Taylor, Michelle Ussher, Paula Morison, and Sarah Kate Wilson.

Writers

This one-week residency provides novelists with the time and space to develop new writing, with access to West Dean House, Gardens, and Library. Residents engage with students studying on the MA in Creative Writing and Publishing through talks and seminars. Since 2020, West Dean has been working with New Writing South to ensure that a minimum of 50% of their on-going Writers-in-Residence support writers of colour.

Previous Writers-in-Residence include:
Kia Abdullah, Amer Anwar, Rutendo Chabikwa, Anna Chilvers, Julia Crouch, Anni Domingo, Sharon Duggal, Yvvette Edwards, Michelle Green, Salena Godden, Elizabeth Haynes, Izabela Morska, Courttia Newland, Allie Rodgers, and William Shaw.

Gardens

The Gardens Residency aims to create links between the award-winning West Dean Gardens and the academic life of the College. The residencies are co-ordinated by the Fine Art programmes and promote discussion around how the gardens and wider estate can be part of an expanded approach to pedagogy at West Dean.

Previous Gardens residents include:
Stuart Whipps, Claire Ratinon & Sam Ayre, and Rachel Pimm.

Research Residencies

The research residencies provide academics and industry professionals with a one-week residency to conduct research directly related to the aims and objectives of the College. The research residency is selected by invitation or via academic enquires.

Resident researchers include:
George Charman (PhD, Kingston University), Rosie Cooper (Curator), Caroline Hamilton (PhD, University of Brighton), Tim Johnson (Independent), Fleur Martin (PhD, University of Warwick), and Rosanna McLaughlin (The White Review).

Tim Johnson in residence at West Dean College — Short course tutor Tim Johnson's research residency in partnership with the Emma Mason Gallery; responding to the work and words of Tadek Beutlich.

Resolve Collective artists Seth and Akil stand waist height in cow parsley with the parkland behind them — RESOLVE Collective at the College in 2021 as part of the 'Re-wilding: Coast, Countryside, City' commission in partnership with De La Warr Pavilion, Wellcome Collection and West Dean College

Artist Sonia E Barrett in residence at West Dean College as part of the Outside In Residency.

Artist-in-Residence Sherie Sitauze looks at archive documents — Sherie Sitauze, Artist-in-Residence 2020/21 as part of the Whose Heritage? Project

Renee So, Artist-in-Residence 2019, in collaboration with the De La Warr Pavilion. Photography by Chris Ison

Renee So, Ancient & Modern residency exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion 2019

Caroline Achaintre, Artist-in-Residence 2018, in collaboration with the De La Warr Pavilion

Florence Peake, Artist-in-Residence 2016, in collaboration with Cass Sculpture Foundation

‘New Daughters of Africa’ edited by Margaret Busby, featuring previous Writers-in-Residence Anni Domingo and Rutendo Chabikwa

Alec Stevens, Maker-in-Residence 2020 & 2023

RESOLVE Collective LIDO installation view at De La Warr Pavilion 2022

Tim Johnson, Artist in Residence August 2022