The philosophy behind the International Artist in Residence Programme

The International Artist-in-Residence Programme has been running since 1996. By inviting artists to live and work, for a month, within Guernsey (an island in the English Channel, just off the Normandy and Brittany coasts of France) great opportunities are created for both the Art and Design students, the artist and the community as a whole. The invited artist is based and has a studio in Grange House which is home to the Art and Design school within the Guernsey College of Further Education. Towards the end of each artists' residency their studio reverts back to 'the gallery' and a two to three week exhibition is open to the public. A catalogue is produced.

The Art and Design department itself was established in 1994 with the aim of giving more students in Guernsey (an island a mere 25 square miles in size) the opportunity to study the subject at a higher level. On offer is a range of courses including HND and a two-year diagnostic Advanced Vocational Certificate in Art and Design.

It was felt particularly important to establish the International Artist-in-Residence Programme as the eighty or so students studying Art and Design do not have the opportunity to visit as many artists' studios, contemporary art galleries and museums as their counterparts in the UK or in mainland Europe. Given the resources, within Art and Design, such as a darkroom, IT equipment, silk-screen printing and studio space it was felt that the facilities already existed for visiting artists to work and produce on site. Artists are invited from as diverse as possible national and cultural backgrounds and workshops and lectures are also built into the visiting artist's schedule. The residency programme, and the resulting exhibitions of the artists' work in 'the gallery', has proved a successful way to address the unique situation found in Guernsey.

Eric Snell, Head of Art and Design