MSB2015

Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham Exchange 

June – August 2015

ESP (Birmingham), CG Associates (Manchester) and Bloc (Sheffield) are delighted to host a three-legged residency exchange between Manchester/Salford, Sheffield and Birmingham.

MSB2015 offers practitioners the chance to experiment, make new work and connections and builds on the success of the 2014 CPAGES exchange between ESP and CG Associates. Each part of the exchange is focused on providing opportunities for making work in quick, experimental contexts, developing conversations with other practitioners and opening opportunities for collaboration. MSB2015 is a sociable project that will offer introductions to the artistic scenes of each city and as part of the exchange we will organise informal dinners and visits to exhibition openings and events where possible.

Leg 1: Manchester, 25th & 26th June

The first leg, hosted by CG Associates and Islington Mill Art Academy at Third Project Space, Manchester will comprise two days of loosely structured activity. During this time participants will make new work in the large spaces available, a process which we hope will spark discussion and the development of new ideas. The two-day exchange will kick off with introductions both within the group and with visitors from some of Manchester’s artist-led groups and organisations. On the second day invited curators will offer critical feedback on the work in progress and the two days will finish with a public Open Studio.

Leg 2: Sheffield, Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th July

The Sheffield session, hosted by Bloc Projects at their space in Sheffield, will follow a similar format, with participants working together in a shared space over two days, with visits from invited artists, curators and practitioners punctuating activity and an informal Open Studio inviting a broader audience to view the work and meet the participants.

Leg 3: Birmingham, Monday 3 to Friday 7 August

The Birmingham session, hosted by ESP at Stryx, Digbeth, will take place over five days offering participants a more sustained opportunity to consolidate some of their making, thinking and collaborating. Curators and practitioners from across the West Midlands will be invited to join the conversation and offer critical feedback on the work and plenty of opportunities for socializing with other ESP and Stryx members will be made available. This final leg will conclude with a celebration of the project where work will be presented at an Open Studio event at Digbeth First Friday.

Public Events:

An informal public Open Studio event will mark the culmination of each mini- residency and provide an opportunity for reflection and public feedback.

After the project has finished we will invite participants to join a public conversation at the gallery space which they are affiliated with to reflect on the project and the artistic scenes in each of the three cities.