Lancaster Arts TEST Residency: On LAND 2025
Our TEST residencies are week-long, intensive opportunities for artists and academics test out fresh ideas together and work across disciplines and practices. In January 2025, we undertook our first TEST residency: On LAND, with poet Kate Fox – find out more here. This June and July, we will embark on our second of three, with artist Ellie Harrison, and academics from Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) and LICA.
Ellie is Artistic Director of Polite Rebellion, an arts company that creates spaces for untold stories and to amplify unheard voices. The company grows out of The Grief Series, a 13-year creative project, exploring grief and loss in many manifestations.
Ellie will collaborate with interdisciplinary researchers also investigating aspects of LAND in their work: a research group from Lancaster University Management School including Neil Ralph, Anthony Hesketh and Zi Quan, and Professor of History and Social Futures, Carlos Lopez-Galviz. This exploration will take the form of field trips, dialogue and creative activity, as well as time to reflect and develop ideas with input and provocations from the Lancaster Arts team.
The residency asks: what artistic forms or ideas can be sparked when artists and researchers bring different perspectives to a research and exploration process? How can mutual enquiry between artists and academics enhance the understanding, interpretations and applications of LAND and artistic practice?
If you would like to find out more about this residency and our ongoing exploration of the theme of LAND, please contact Creative Producer Alice at alice@lancasterarts.org.
What is Ellie testing?
Ellie says:
“As an artist with a chronic illness whose health has declined, I’m interested to explore not just the limitations to my practice but the opportunities for radically interdisciplinary work across arts and academia, blending forms in new and unexpected ways”.
We look forward to welcoming Ellie and the academic team at the end of this month and seeing where our creative explorations take us!
About Ellie:
Ellie Harrison is a disabled performance maker and artist living in Leeds and working internationally. She creates a range of solo and collaborative devised performance work for studios, galleries, found and public spaces. Participation is at the heart of all her work as a performer, facilitator and mentor. Her work is often characterised by a playful and provocative approach to difficult topics, encouraging audiences to make decisions and participate. Ellie is supported in her role by a team of Access Assistants. At Lancaster Arts, she will be supported by Matt Rogers.
Our third residency on LAND has been awarded to multi-disciplinary artist Lucy Wright, taking place from 22 – 26 September 2025.
