Invisible Flock, the award-winning interactive arts studio, are delighted to support three Barnsley artists who will join them for a ten-day residency at their studio in Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The residency is commissioned by Barnsley Council through the Cultural Development Fund programme 'Storying Barnsley', which aims to support local artists and celebrate the stories and heritage of the town.

The three artists are Tala Lee-Turton, a Barnsley-born, British Chinese creative producer, dramaturg and dance artist, questioning and deconstructing discourses on gender, identity, and climate justice, Ailish Treanor, a Barnsley-based artist whose practice comprises sculpture, painting, and installation and Spencer Hughes, a Barnsley-based artist whose work varies in social, documentary and landscape photography through the analogue format.

The residency will take place throughout August and will offer the artists an opportunity to work alongside Invisible Flock and access their high-quality and innovative facilities and technology. The artists will also benefit from mentoring, peer feedback and networking opportunities with other creative professionals.

The residency is part of Storying Barnsley’s ongoing commitment to support and collaborate with artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, and to create immersive and interactive artworks that engage audiences in meaningful and transformative ways.

Amy Balderston, Invisible Flock, said: "We are delighted to begin working alongside Tala, Ailish and Spencer in the studio this summer. The residency is designed to be a space to create, explore and develop their artistic practice through the space and equipment at the studio, without the pressure of a set output. We were incredibly impressed by the breadth, scope and talent of the applications we received from this call out. Their applications stood out with their passion and interest to explore materials, processes and their individual connections to Barnsley.”

Tala Lee-Turton said: "I'm looking forward to exploring personal themes in my residency with Invisible Flock through research methods and creative approaches that will be new to me. Taking the short story and Polaroid image as jumping off points, I will focus on developing a system of imagery that is both intensely subjective and relatable on a wider level of shared lived experience. In particularly, I'm keen to find ways of expressing how feminine bodies have historically been commodified and codified within a Western patriarchal structure that has also commodified and codified the land."

Ailish Treanor said: "I am very excited to have the opportunity to engage with Invisible Flock as part of their Barnsley Artist Residency. Over 10 days in August I will be using a laser-cutter to create intricate images. These images will be made from decorative papers made by me, that I usually use to create sculptures. When I create my sculptures there can be scrap-paper left behind, I'm excited to utilise this left-over material in the work I make at Invisible Flock. The work produced during my residency at Invisible Flock will be exhibited as part of my exhibition Ulterior Motifs, opening at Barnsley Civic Gallery, 14th September 2024.”

Spencer Hughes said: “I am delighted to be one of the recipients of this Barnsley Artist residency at Invisible Flock Studios. Together with Invisible Flock I will be producing material for a working title project. The residency presents the opportunity to develop work in a new medium, from a new perspective, which will inform a photo book and physically curated pieces subjecting my hometown of Barnsley, today.”

Cllr Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson in charge of Regeneration and Culture, said: “We’re delighted to support Invisible Flock and the three talented Barnsley artists who will benefit from this exciting residency opportunity. This is a great example of how Storying Barnsley is nurturing local creativity and showcasing the rich and diverse stories of our town. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of the residency and how they will inspire and engage our people and communities."

For more information visit www.barnsley-museums.com/projects/storying-barnsley