“We have become used to working together 100miles apart, but it has its limitations, not least finding time and space to cooperate in the uninterrupted and intensive investigation necessary to draw out the central essence of ideas and points of connection that we wish to reflect and create. Our residency at Hawkwood came at the perfect time, enabling us to define the narrative for an installation based upon our original collaboration, for a proposal due the following month.
The process of birthing a creative design often feels like carving away at a block of stone. Instead of pushing forth, creating and inventing, it feels like we are unveiling and remembering ideas and designs, intuitively chiselling away, curious to see what form will be revealed. There is a tenderness to these early stages of a creative collaboration and a strong sense of ambiguity, as if it could slip through your palms at any moment.
The trusting nature of Hawkwood lends itself wonderfully to the delicate beginnings of a creative endeavour. It would have felt impossible to reach the fullness that we found if we were within an environment that was anticipating a certain outcome. In our experience, this trusting, open approach is rare within the world of art residencies.
The kindness and trust that is present, not just in the people that run and care for Hawkwood and its visitors, but also in the very fabric and energy of the space itself, enabled us to work simultaneously with freedom and focus and created results that will strongly influence the direction of our work for years to come. This is an outcome we would never have expected and one that is wholly attributable to the care, attention and understanding that Hawkwood has for the creative process.”
