Background
Wysing's new studio buildingWYSING ARTS CENTRE is a research and development centre for the visual arts set in 11 acres of rural Cambridgeshire. Wysing was established in 1989 and completed a £1.7million capital development project in 2008. The centre has 10 separate buildings including studio buildings, specialist new media facilities, a large gallery, education facilities and a 17th century farmhouse.
Wysing exists to support artists to maintain their careers, as artists, and explore new ways of working together and with audiences.
Artists occupying studios for up to three years, of which there are 24 artists at any one time, are offered individual professional development programmes that include career review meetings, support with seeking funding and access to networks.
To support artists in the Eastern region to develop strong networks and contacts, Wysing has developed a unique partnership with the Royal College of Art’s MA in Contemporary Curating; to deliver a series of themed artistic retreats over two years. The retreats are funded through Arts Council England East’s pioneering talent development programme Escalator.
Wysing launched a trading arm, Wysing Arts Contemporary (WAC), in 2009. The initiative profiles regionally based artists within a curated programme of selling exhibitions at Wysing, presents work at international art fairs which in 2009 included ZOO, and supports new ways of collecting art collectively; Wysing currently manages two collectives of collectors - a group of individuals and a corporate collective. In 2010 the WAC programme includes an artists’ art fair at Wysing comprised of artist-led initiatives within the region including Outpost, Kaavous-Bhoyroo, Stew, Lost Toy Records, Aid & Abet and YH485 Press.
Wysing fundraises to offer international residencies that support artists to make ambitious new work and explore new ways of working. Recent residency artists have included Folke Köbberling and Martin Kaltwasser, Christodoulos Panayiotou, FREEE, Luca Frei, Celine Conderelli, and A Kassen. All residencies are thematically linked, in 2009 the theme was Generosity, and many include the active participation of local residents in their production. The residency programme is currently funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
2010 is the Year of the Improbable at Wysing Arts Centre. The year was launched with a solo project and new commission by Mark Aerial Waller, which involved the production of a new film shot at Wysing and featuring local people who came forward following a call for participation. As well as a number of Improbable projects curated by residency artists, including Waller who has invited Brown Mountain College, France Fiction and a number of other speakers and contributors to host events, the year will feature an International Camp for Improbable Thinking. The Camp will draw together artists, architects, researchers, mathematicians and other interested groups to collectively explore The Improbable over a period of three months, resulting in – we anticipate - some Improbable outcomes.
We recommend checking that we are open before travelling any distance. Otherwise, please sign up to our e-bulltin to receive regular updates on our activities. Contact our reception if you require further details on access to Wysing Arts Centre on 01954 718 881.