Artist in Residence Programme
IOU has created a rolling 6 month opportunity for artists to live, work and develop their creative practice at the IOU Hostel
IOU has created a rolling 6 month opportunity for artists to live, work and develop their creative practice at the IOU Hostel in Hebden Bridge and with the IOU team at the Creation Centre at Dean Clough
The Artist in Residency opportunity is open to artists specialising in any art form interested in IOU’s approach. The residency includes living rent and bill free in a self contained artist apartment to develop their practice and create an art project in response to time spent living at the Hostel.
Current IOU Artist in Residence – esK Stewart Knights
esK (Stewart Knights) is a multi-disciplinary artist from Little Hulton, Greater Manchester, whose practice includes painting, spoken-word poetry and sculpture. Using these mediums he explores local history and contemporary culture through semi-abstracted scenes, poems and structures which he shares at exhibitions and online.
“During this residency opportunity at the IOU Hostel in Hebden Bridge and Creation Centre in Halifax, I am excited to be working with the IOU team to develop a series of Cairns (stacked stones) which muse upon the histories and topography of the area, starting with an exploration into communication in Hebden using found and gifted objects, sourced locally”
Georgia D’Silva
No.182 Exhibition
An interdisciplinary installation encapsulating Georgia’s experience as Artist in Residence at IOU Creation Centre Hostel, giving audiences an immersive journey into the heart of a community.
Titled No.182, reflects the number of days Georgia has lived in the Calder Valley community. It will be exhibited in the Hostel’s Snug, against the stunning backdrop of Nutclough Woods, and features a collection of six new dioramas depicting local domestic spaces.
Created from reclaimed cardboard, clays and acrylics, each diorama is a replica of a home in Hebden Bridge.
Until 27 November 2024
IOU Creation Centre Hostel, Hebden Bridge, HX7
Georgia D'Silva - 2024
Georgia creates small-scale dioramas, dealing with notions of memory and place. Her final project as Artist in Residence is a interdisciplinary installation featuring six dioramas of homes in Hebden Bridge
Beth Cockcroft - 2023
'I saw the residency as an opportunity to devote my time to creating without so many external pressures, and reconnect with and reflect on what inspires me. I also saw it as an opportunity to reconnect with the local area- a place I grew up in before moving around the country- as I truly think Calderdale has its own unique culture and sense of community.'
Alicja Mrozowska 2022 -2023
"Working with IOU as Artist in Residence has been an amazing experience that has progressed my work and my confidence as an artist. Acquainting myself with Hebden Bridge and Halifax has prompted me to reflect on who I am as an artist, what the essence of my work is and observe things from the perspective of the audience through meeting guests, studio visitors and people in the community. The studio and hostel spaces are unique ecosystems with a great team, that have inspired me and encouraged new ideas to form and grow'
Charlotte Mellor Meacham 2022
Charlotte is a freelance multi-disciplinary artist, based between Hebden Bridge and Portugal. Within her art practice, she likes to use a variety of mediums. These range from more traditional approaches, such as analogue photography and printing, making and sculpture or sewing and illustration, through to more digital work for her visuals, animation or her posters and design work. Alongside this, she also makes and sells her own designs of handmade headdresses and through the summer, while working as the IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel artist in residence, she customised a series of headphones for a sound/art project, with the idea that the guests of the Hostel could use them for ‘silent discos’
Artists in Residence Final Work
Our first Artist in Residence, Charlotte Meller Meecham, completed her art and sound project at the IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel and the result are these beautiful customised headphones that our Hostel guests can use for their own exclusive silent disco.
“I love to make things that balance both function and form, plus I have years of experience making headdresses for festivals and events, so I was thrilled to be able to harness these interests and complete a project that will hopefully stay a unique feature of the IOU Hostel for years to come.”
To complete her time as Artist in Residence Alicja produced a stunning painting that is now displayed in the Hostel reception. She is also developing a programme of work to exhibit at IOU Walkway Gallery for the Calderdale Year of Culture 2024
“I feel that the hostel reception piece is an example of my confidence growing. I have elevated my painting technique to a larger scale, incorporated new ways of working with paper, used found materials and simplified the subject matter, content with saying less. Moving forward I’m excited for new challenges, continuing to learn and working with IOU in the future”
Launched in April 2022 the Hostel is a unique way for IOU to engage with local residents and visitors to Calderdale and to support artists, creatives and the cultural ecology of the region.
With 14 bedrooms, sleeping up to 40 the independent vegetarian Hostel is set in stunning woodland and gardens in the vibrant town of Hebden Bridge, with excellent transport links to Leeds and Manchester. The hostel welcomes solo travellers and groups all year round and is available for exclusive hire for retreats, workshops, meetings and team building events.
The Hostel is not for profit, with surplus reinvested into the IOU artist community and hostel programme.
