What would you do with time, materials and a large studio?

Testing Ground is our residency programme at Exchange Place Studios, offering intensive periods of creative experimentation for artists based in Sheffield.

The programme aims to provide ideal conditions for making, including studio space and a materials budget. Studio open days provide opportunities for you to share your works-in-progress, while crits and 121s with arts professionals will provide more focussed feedback.

We are now seeking an artist for our next residency, which will run from Tuesday 1 April - Sunday 25 May 2025.

The residency provides:

• 24/7 access to a 70m2 public-facing studio space (8 weeks)
• £2,000 artist fee
• £500 materials grant
• An opportunity to show your work in our monthly crit group
• 121s and studio visits from our staff and partners
• A publication featuring professional photography and writing about your work
• Closing event

ELIGIBILITY

(1) You must currently live within the S postcode area to be eligible for this opportunity. Please note we are not able to cover travel or accommodation costs.

(2) You must be able to commit to being in the space for at least 2 weekdays (Mon-Fri) per week for the duration of the residency.

(3) Artists from any background and working in any discipline(s) are encouraged to apply. You do not need to have completed formal arts education.

(4) Artists who are currently studying on an undergraduate or postgraduate course are not eligible to apply.

(5) Artists who currently have a studio at Yorkshire Artspace are not eligible to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this edition of Testing Ground, please complete our short application form by 10am on Monday 17 February 2025.

We expect to have made a decision and shared the outcome with applicants by Monday 3 March 2025. Please get in touch with Tyler Mellins at tyler@artspace.org.uk should you have any queries or access needs and we will be glad to assist.

In addition to this application, we request that you complete an anonymous Equal Opportunities Monitoring form so we can gather data about the reach of this application process.

Click here to complete the online Application Form

Click here to complete the online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (optional)

We accept video applications if they address the same questions as they appear on the form. Please upload video applications to a Google Drive, YouTube or Vimeo so that they are playable in-browser without being downloaded, and email the link to tyler@artspace.org.uk

TESTIMONIALS

"Testing Ground absolutely centers the needs of artists. Yorkshire Artspace took the time to really consider my practice and the support that they could offer. The residency helped me access the kind of support that artists need but perhaps don’t know how to get / ask for."

"From the second I had my induction in the space I was made to feel welcome, encouraged and part of the Yorkshire Artspace family."

"I felt very welcome in the building. The crit was particularly rewarding and was beautifully brought together. The closing event was also lovely and encapsulated a sense of celebration whilst still very much being about the work presented."

"[YAS] clearly has a particular sensitivity to the needs of artists and an acute understanding of what an artist in residence might really require."

"[Testing Ground] was flexible to what I needed and allowed me to think bigger. I enjoyed the public element of it. The text and photography have given me some strong tools to take forward in my practice and future career, which is really valuable!"

"Having such a large and bright space to use as I wish was lovely, not to be confined by space. It actually led to other ideas forming regarding my practice and a different way of thinking for future works."

"The crit was probably one of the best crits I've had, having people engage in conversation without any input was a different mode of crit I have not experienced before. I gained lots of feedback on the work."

"It was immensely encouraging that from just a few rich weeks of work I have created a web of connections with curators and creative peers."

ABOUT THE SPACE

Exchange Place is home to over 80 artists and makers who use the building regularly. It is situated in the historic Castlegate quarter of Sheffield and surrounded by the beautiful meadow planting of Grey To Green 2. Exchange Place is wheelchair accessible from the street level during office hours only (Tue-Thu, 10-5) and accessible via steps 24/7. There is a communal kitchen and accessible toilet on the ground floor.

The ground floor project space is a large open-plan space measuring 70m2. It has high ceilings and large windows overlooking the street outside. Partitions are available to break up the space, for example to create a more private desk area. The gallery has a storage cupboard containing plinths and other exhibition furniture; the artist in residence is welcome to use these items and also store their belongings in the cupboard.

You can find out more about Exchange Place here.

ABOUT YORKSHIRE ARTSPACE

Established in 1977 by artists, Yorkshire Artspace has grown to become one of the largest and most established studio providers in the UK. We support artists by providing affordable city-centre studio space and creating opportunities for artistic development including exhibitions, crits, talks, workshops and more.

You can find out more about Yorkshire Artspace here.