[C]umbrian film maker Jane Topping has been invited to take part in a prestigious Scottish arts residency this summer.
Fresh from winning ‘best short film’ at the recent Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in New York, the University of Cumbria fine art programme leader will be joining other artists at the Hospitalfield estate near Arbroath in July.
The trust was established in 1890 to nurture the arts and was first known as the Patrick Allan-Fraser of Hospitalfield Trust. Participants stay on an historic estate, overlooking the North Sea, which offers the peace and isolation needed to work.
“I’m delighted to be undertaking the amazing Hospitalfield Residency for the month of July 2017,” Jane, who’s normally based at the university’s Institute of the Arts at Brampton Road, said. “During my time at Hospitalfield I shall be developing two new films, one of which is a sequel to Peter, winner of the Best PKD Short at the Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, New York, 2017.”
The summer and autumn residencies are part of programmes funded by the organisation and are open to UK and UK-based visual artists. This year 269 applications across two residencies were received. Judges say they were impressed by the depth and diversity of the ideas proposed and the commitment shown within the applications.
Selection is made after considering the quality of the work presented, the difference the residency will make for the individual applicants and ‘the potential for the overall group dynamic.’
“It speaks volumes that Jane Topping has beaten over 250 applicants to this prestigious art residency,” Robert Williams, professor in fine art, said. “We are of course proud of Jane’s achievement and equally looking forward to the excellent work that she plans for the residency.”
