Artists selected for The Bridge Awards Residency 2025 at Cove Park

 

We are pleased to share with you the five artists who have been selected for the 2025 Bridge Awards Residency at Cove Park. This residency is designed for artists based in Scotland whose careers have been impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis and who have undergone successful treatment and are up to five years in remission. The applications were open to people based in Scotland, at any stage of their creative career, and working in any art form or creative discipline. The aim is to provide the artist, writer, creative practitioner, or researcher with time and space to reconnect with their practice, and to do this within the peaceful, supportive, and inspiring context of Cove Park and its national and international residency programme.

The Residency will take place from Monday 19 May – Thursday 29 May 2025 and will include a workshop led by the Scottish Ensemble.

We’re delighted to confirm that the five artists taking part this year are: artist and creative facilitator Jo Arksey visual artist Jackie Bell digital artist Alison Clifford filmmaker Diane Devlin and writer Catherine Simpson.

We would like to thank the cancer charity Maggie’s for their help in setting up this award and  for their participation in the 2024 residency.We would also like to thank Dr Olga Oikonomidou and Liz Barling for their input as consultants on the project.

 

The Bridge Awards Residency 2024:

After a successful inaugural Group Residency at Cove Park, we are delighted to share feedback from the artists who took part. This residency took place from Monday 20 May to Sunday 27 May 2024. The artists selected for the 2024 residency included: Film producer and writer Ros Borland, creative arts practitioner  Abbey Craig, writer Moira McPartlin and designer Krissy Stewart.

They had this to say about their time at Cove park:

Ros Borland:  “I’d firstly like to say a big thank you to the Bridge Awards for the Cove Park Residency I participated in May 2024.The time away from responsibilities and schedules was such a gift and allowed me time to write. I was able to push on with a 2^nd Draft of a feature film, The Devil in Me – a supernatural comedy. There was nothing to distract me, apart from the amazing views, ducks on the pond and Highland cattle grazing around the property.

My little studio was a perfect working environment and I kept myself well fed and watered. So much tea!

The fellow attendees were super company and we had a few dips in the loch to blow away any cobwebs that tried to lurk in the corners of our minds.

The workshops and classical music concert that were organised for us were superb.

All in all it was a perfect retreat  – it satisfied my need to work and gratified my body and soul.

Abbey Craig: “I received a Bridge Award to share a week at Cove Park with other artists who, like me, were living after a breast cancer diagnosis.

This was an incredibly powerful combination; a beautiful and supportive space and an exciting variety of artists who all shared an understanding of having had breast cancer. It was a unique opportunity to be in a creative space where we could be open about how our work and our lives have been shaped by having breast cancer, without the self-consciousness that can come by being the only person in the room with that experience.

I couldn’t have imagined the special bond that very quickly grew between us as a group and continues, months later.

I can’t say enough about the impact the week at Cove Park had on my whole self. Having the lead psychologist, Lesley Howells from Maggie’s there to lead sessions, and the beautiful Scottish Ensemble session, gave a special opportunity for therapy and creativity in a very natural and reassuring way. The staff at Cove Park welcomed us, (fed us!) and generally supported us all to have the very best week possible.

At the end of our week, we didn’t want to say goodbye to each other or to Cove Park, a very special time indeed.”

Moira McPartlin: “I received one of the five Bridges Awards in May 2024. I had a specific project that I wanted to work on and was grateful to have the peace and space Cove Park offered to complete that task. The setting and surrounding areas are conducive to a calm peaceful retreat.

But Cove Park is more than an opportunity to work. My fellow Bridges Awardees were a fun, welcoming group and we soon created a bond that we have continued after our residency ended.

The musical workshop and the one-to-one interview with Lesley Howells, Maggie’s Centres, made me feel cared for, pampered even.

The residency also gave me the opportunity to meet artists from all over the world; to hear about their practices and to take part in some of their events.

One last thing. The staff at Cove Park are exceptional. They are constantly on hand to help with any issues and are genuinely invested in everyone’s experience.

I can’t wait to go back.”

Krissy Stewart: “Through the generosity of the Bridge Awards, I had the opportunity to spend a week at Cove Park with four creative women who have experienced breast cancer.  The staff at Cove Park fostered open and safe spaces where we could share our stories, discuss our creative journeys, and spend valuable time reflecting on who we are today as creatives after breast cancer, which marked a significant turning point in my work.

Wild swimming and gathering for meals were a time to share reflections on the work we brought to the residency. I heard firsthand how these artists’ work had evolved following their treatment. It was my first chance to connect with women who, like me, had navigated life after breast cancer, and I felt both inspired and deeply understood. These discussions allowed me to reflect on the evolution of my work, uncovering aspects I hadn’t discovered previously.

My time at Cove Park was a gift. It provided me with the time and space to grow a genuine connection with four women who will remain my lifelong friends.

Thank you to the Bridge Awards and Cove Park for a life-changing week.”