VAS | Bothy Project - Members' Residency Open Call

Visual Arts Scotland is delighted to announce forthcoming partnership with Bothy Project which will offer a VAS member the opportunity to spend a week long residency at Sweeney’s Bothy, Isle of Eigg.

Bothy Project is a network of small-scale, off-grid creative residency spaces in distinct and diverse locations around Scotland. Sweeney’s Bothy was created in 2013 in collaboration with artist Alec Finlay as part of Creative Scotland’s Year of Natural Scotland. The contemporary structure is situated on croft land in Cleadale, offering spectacular views across the sea to the nearby Isle of Rum. Sweeney's electricity is solar-powered and water is supplied from a spring.

Eigg is a community-owned island with a population of 110 people. Arising from the Land Reform campaigns of the 1990s, the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust was set up as the guardian of the Island, an umbrella body that sought to work through a partnership between the residents of Eigg, The Highland Council and the Scottish Wildlife Trust

You can read more about Eigg and Sweeney’s Bothy here:

• https://www.bothyproject.com/blog/category/sweeneys-bothy/

The residency will take place from the 19th - 26th March 2021* and includes:

• Accommodation for 7 nights at Sweeney’s Bothy
• VAS are hoping to offer an honorarium fee, dependent on funding. This will be confirmed in early 2020.
• There is no expectation for the selected artist to create a body of work while on residency, but rather the week offers space to be able to reflect on practice and engage with the environment of the island.
• VAS would like the successful applicant to undertake a VAS Instagram takeover for the week of the residency, and later report on their experience and its impact on their practice either through writing a blog, or by participating in an online discussion facilitated by VAS.
• Applicants can work within any discipline of creative practice but must be a VAS member at both time of application and time of residency.

How to apply

Send one PDF application letter to vasresidencies@gmail.com outlining the following points...

• Name
• Address
• What is your current practice? 200 words or less
• Why you would like this opportunity? 200 words or less
• How do you hope the time at Sweeney’s Bothy will help inform your practice? 200 words or less
• How would you document and share your experiences on the island? 150 words or less
• Please also include 6 images of recent work, within the PDF
• Confirmation that you have read Travel and Facilities Page – https://www.bothyproject.com/bothies/sweeneys-bothy/travel-and-facilities/ 
•  The journey to Eigg is in two parts. First part by car, train or bus to Mallaig, then by Cal-Mac ferry from
  Mallaig to Eigg.
• Please state your preferred way to travel to Mallaig – using your own car, train or bus.

Deadline: Wednesday 13th January 2021 with selection taking place at the end of January 2021. The selection panel will consist of members of the VAS committee and a member of Bothy Project staff.

Practical considerations

Travel and Facilities – General: Please read this https://www.bothyproject.com/bothies/sweeneys-bothy/travel-and-facilities/ for general information about travel to Eigg and facilities at Sweeney’s Bothy.

We recommend you read this information in full before you apply for this opportunity.

Covid-19 

Bothy Project is following Scottish Government guidance on Covid-19, test and protect advice. Local lockdowns or revised guidance/legislation will affect Bothy Project residencies, at which point we will work with residents to reschedule at a later time.

*Dependent on government guidelines March 2021