This residency run by Morphe Arts is a practice-based programme in dialogue between Christian theology and contemporary art practice. Artists have access to studio spaces for six months, with a weekly programme of workshops, seminars and crits, culminating in a final exhibition to showcase the work they have developed. The residency is looking to create a space where questions of Christian faith and belief can be explored alongside artistic practice, but as a programme it is open to artists from all faiths or none. This project is in partnership with St Barnabas Church Dalston and has been made possible by their incredible generosity.
  
In the UK, as far as we are aware, there are no arts institutes which facilitate a practice-led dialogue between contemporary art practice and Christian theology. There are universities with courses in Art and Christianity, or Art and Theology but these are based in theology departments, where art practice is of secondary importance.
 
We want to offer artists a place to pursue art at a professional level, in conversation with Christian faith and theology. This will equip artists to understand better the integration of their faith and art practices and to make work which has integrity within the contemporary art world.
 
The residency will be aimed towards early to mid-career artists, with a focus on professional development support. Hospitality and community will be key to the residency, with weekly shared lunches, skills sharing, and communal learning. Parts of the programme will also be open to the public, creating a meeting hub for artists.
 
The parallel focus of this residency is to create a space for artists who are interested in ideas of faith or who identify as religious (with a particular focus on Christianity), to explore these themes in relation to their studio practice. This will happen in part through seminars on theological aesthetics and philosophies of art, led by leading practitioners in this field, including Prof. Ben Quash and Dr. Adrienne Degenerink-Chaplin.
 
This programme will also equip artists with the professional skills needed to sustain working within the arts long term, providing them with a community of artists to help them in this endeavour. Our charity has thirteen years of experience in supporting artists, with a team of committed staff who each have their own art practice alongside their work with Morphē Arts.
 

---

For moe information please see the Mophe Arts website by clicking here  or their social media  @morphearts