OUTPOST creates residency opportunity for two of NUA’s newest graduates

OUTPOST studios are an artist-run studio complex based in Norwich, committed to providing affordable spaces for contemporary art practitioners in the eastern region. Since its founding in 2010, OUTPOST studios has established itself as one of the largest studio providers for artistic activity in the East of England. The studios are based in Gildengate House, Anglia Square, and are freely open 24/7 to all studio holders. Currently, around 90 practitioners are occupying studio spaces in the building who cover a wide range of creative practices. The OUTPOST committee is made up of Charlie Barkus, James Tomlin and Jade Jamean-Lees, all BA (Hons) Fine Art 2015, and Katerina Artemiou, BA (Hons) Photography 2014. They approached NUA to offer an exciting residency opportunity for two students graduating this year. We asked them to tell us more about this new collaborative opportunity.

Why have you created this opportunity for two NUA graduates?

One of OUTPOST’s charitable objectives is to provide affordable studios to practitioners in the area.

Graduates face the loss of studio space and workshop facilities and it can be a crucial time in their practice, which is particularly evident in graduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds where the need to work is more crucial than continuing their practice.

The idea developed to offer more than just studio spaces to graduates, but also to offer a professional opportunity and support to them. This is designed to allow the graduate’s time to grow their practice within a professional environment and offer a supported exhibition.

Tell us about the two graduates you have chosen?

Both Gloria Ogunyinka, BA (Hons) Fashion and Chloe Hawes, BA (Hons) Fine Art showed a professional nature in how they talked about their respective practices, and everyone on the committee took a keen interest in the themes evident in their work.

Gloria impressed the committee with her fashion collection and we were very interested in offering the opportunity to a fashion graduate.

We have recently had a solo exhibition from Tenant of Culture in 2018, an artist who uses fashion extensively in her practice, and one we have seen flourish since her exhibition at OUTPOST.

We also have an artist taking up residency later this year at Gildengate House who creates ‘clothing- oriented works’, Kasia Gorniak.Chloe’s practice themes interested us and we were highly impressed with her degree show piece.

Chloe’s work highlights architecture and space, something that would make an interesting addition to the OUTPOST studios situated in Anglia square.

Having an artist with the ability to document the studio space and surrounding area with artwork and having this then documented and archived along with the first OUTPOST graduate scheme exhibition, was one that excited the committee. Both Chloe and Gloria were able to express how the scheme would be beneficial to them.

Will the scheme be running every year?

OUTPOST plans to run the graduate scheme for additional years in the foreseeable future. The idea of creating an opportunity for graduates in the area is one that could be invaluable to the development of the community.

The committee is interested in bringing in practitioners from all creative arts courses at Norwich University of the Arts who could benefit from the chance and look to having an extensive selection of graduate scheme practitioners in the future.

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