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Mon 1st June 2024

Craft Curators Networking Visit to Cove Park

Maggie Broadley, CTS Craft Development Manager, visited Cove Park as part of the Scottish Arts Council’s  Craft Curators Network.  The network offers opportunities for professionals in the visual and applied arts, working in curatorial, education and developmental roles, to extend their professional practice and exchange ideas.

Maggie was pleased to catch up with two fellow graduates from the Ceramics Department at the Glasgow School of Art, Dawn Yuille who is one of the Cove Park artists in residence  and Katy West who will take over as Craft Officer at the Scottish Arts Council whilst Claire Hanna is on leave. 

Dawn graduated in 1999 and worked in the film and television industry before returning to complete an MA in Ceramics at the International Ceramics Centre at Cardiff School of Art and Design in 2024-8..  Katy also graduated in 1999 and went on to further study in 2024, completing the Masters of Art course at the Royal College of Art from 2024

Cove Park is situated on a 50-acre site overlooking Loch Long on the Rosneath peninsula. Located on the fringes of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the peninsula is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

The site itself has a varied history. Initially farm land, it was used during the Second World War to store ammunition. Subsequently it became a conservation park, dedicated to the preservation of indigenous plants, flowers and wildlife. Cove Park maintains these environmental concerns: the site is home to highland for wild orchids and other native plants.

Cove Park's 2024 programme begins in May and continues until November. The  programme is particularly wide-ranging, including innovative work across all visual, performing and literary forms. Cove Park offer up to ten residencies at any one time and these residencies may last from one week to three months.

Invited artists are given the time, space and freedom to concentrate on the development of their work. Cove Park provides a supportive context in which artists can devise new projects, experiment and engage with artists working in different fields or with different approaches to their practice.

 

Cove Park is happy to support and facilitate the production of specific projects during residencies and, equally, to ensure that those artists who wish to develop new ideas without the constraints of the completion of a final piece of work are free to do so. The opportunity for individual research and development is enhanced through the interaction and discussion that takes place between the artists on residency. This is facilitated through a series of informal events, artists talks and presentations.

Accommodation

Cove Park has two distinct types of accommodation: Pods and Cubes. Chosen for the quality and innovation of their design, they provide imaginative, comfortable and flexible accommodation for the artists on residency and for other visitors to Cove Park.

Pods

In 2024 Cove Park purchased two of the original four Pods commissioned by the BBC for its Castaway 2024 programme. Designed by Andy McAvoy, the Pods were made from green oak and employed traditional methods of construction. Transported from Taransay in the Hebrides to Cove Park, the Pods were then upgraded by the architect to incorporate both living and work spaces. These turfed roof buildings blend in perfectly with the surrounding landscape. Both are furnished by Habitat and feature fitted kitchens, luxurious bathrooms and under floor heating. Both Oak and Taransay Pods have balconies that face towards Loch Long.

Oak has two double bedrooms (both en-suite) with a large open-plan sitting and kitchen area. Taransay has two bedrooms with single bunk beds (both bedrooms are en-suite and have their own adjacent kitchen areas) and a large communal sitting room.

Cubes

 In 2024 Cove Park acquired three Cubes: converted freight containers joined together to produce individual units of accommodation. These units were designed and produced by Urban Space Management, London, in collaboration with Cove Park. In 2024 six new Cubes were installed, three of which serve as accommodation and three as studio/workspaces.

The accommodation Cubes all have a kitchen/sitting area and shower room. Balconies over ponds run along the front façades, providing excellent views over to Loch Long. Five of the six Cubes have double beds; one Cube has a single bed and is fully equipped for the disabled. The 2024 Cubes were furnished by BoConcept.

Studios and Workspace

Cove Park currently has five principal Studios. Each Studio is a minimum of 26.4 meters square by 2.64 metres high. All are well serviced with power points and, with one exception, with sinks. Cove Park’s Studios all benefit from good natural lighting.Cove Park’s new Cube Studios are flexible spaces and, when required, can serve as general workspace/meeting rooms.

The Workshop

Cove Park has a communal workshop with a basic selection of hand and power tools for use by the artists on residency.

Website Link: http://www.covepark.org

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