OPEN CALL: Audley Space – Artist Residency

20th February 2024

We are looking for an artist to work with the local community in Higher Audley, Blackburn, over the spring and summer of 2024.

We are looking for an artist to work with the local community in Higher Audley, Blackburn, over the spring and summer of 2024.

The space, alongside the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, was the site of Higher Audley Cotton Mill until it was demolished in the 1970’s, leaving the space to become overgrown and neglected.

In the past three years a band of volunteers have cleared the site to create a green oasis in this otherwise urban environment and to grow a field of flax as part of the Homegrown/Homespun project, which is hand spinning and weaving linen to create garments as a cottage industry in Blackburn.

Last year the volunteers uncovered the cobbled mill wharf, installing a pontoon for canoeing and a ‘pop up’ café, as well as running a weekly gardening club. We are now looking for an artist who can work with the volunteers and the local community to continue to improve the site and create new experiences over the summer on a weekly basis.

We would hope the artist is available to attend our Spring Programme Launch on Saturday 13th April.

  • If you’d like to know more, visit the site or submit your proposal, please email Ben Pearson at ben@superslowway.org.uk
  • You can contact us if you have any communication support needs.
  • We’re happy to talk about alternative ways for you to tell us about your idea.
  • The deadline for submissions is Friday 15th March 2024.
  • Please give us a brief description of your idea and proposed timeline, with examples of previous work (or links to media) and a budget, including day rate and additional costs. Please keep this to two pages or less.
  • The maximum budget is £4,000 inclusive of materials and travel costs.
  • We expect the project to be delivered by the end of September 2024.