Berwick artist is part of Connecting Threads residencies initiative

The residencies initiative is designed to celebrate and support the talented creatives that live and work in the south of Scotland and north Northumberland.

The five-year Connecting Threads project connects creatives across all art forms with conservationists, environmentalists, scientists, river specialists and communities of place and purpose in order to celebrate the River Tweed through a programme of cultural activity.

Georgie Fay (Galashiels), Sam Gillespie (Traquair), Jessie Growden (Hawick), Emily Cropton (Peebles) and Miwa Nagato-Apthorp (Hawick) are the five other selected artists for 2025. Emily has recently been artist in residence at The Maltings.

The six residents work across a wide range of art forms and disciplines. Anna is an artist and writer whose work explores relationships between drawing, writing, body and place.

The fully funded residencies offer these artists the opportunity to pursue a range of creative and research areas in response to the River Tweed and the Connecting Threads 2025 programming theme, Watery Commons. They had to live, work or study within the River Tweed catchment area in order to be eligible.

River culture curator Tiki Muir said: “There are many amazing creative people living and working throughout the River Tweed catchment area, so we’re delighted to be able to offer six opportunities to support local artists this summer.

“This year, our Watery Commons theme connects the local to the global: from the River Tweed to planetary water cycles. We’re exploring how the Tweed connects to urgent contemporary topics such as river health, biodiversity crisis, land ownership and access to water.

“There is a wonderful breadth of practice between the six residents and we’re really looking forward to supporting them as their works develop throughout the residencies.”

Following an initial Encounters Week, each resident has two months to undertake the remaining three weeks of the residency at their own pace.

During this time, in conversation with the Connecting Threads team, each artist will develop a work to share during the Connecting Threads River Conference in the autumn.

Connecting Threads is a Southern Uplands Partnership project and is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.