Ashanti Harris – Artist in Residence, from March 2019

We are delighted to welcome Ashanti Harris to ESW in March 2019 for an Artist Residency. Harris’s artistic practice embraces sculpture, dance, performance, research and facilitation. Whilst on residency at ESW Harris will explore the historical presence and hidden legacies of Guyanese women in Scotland in the 18th and 19th century. Using the lost wax method, Harris will develop a new work which re-imagines the legacies of this forgotten diaspora, seeking to reconfigure historical narratives past, present and future.

She was chosen for this residency following an open call and selection process in early 2018.

As part of her residency, Harris presented a Performative Lecture on Thursday 14 March, 6-7.30pm. During this event, somewhere between a lecture, artist-talk and performance, Harris shared elements of her research focus for the residency from her residency.

Ashanti Harris is a visual artist, teacher and researcher, working with sculpture, performance and installation. Harris’s work focuses on themes of mobilities – the movement of people, ideas and things as well as the broader social implications of these movements, specifically in relation to the diaspora of West Africa and The Caribbean. Alongside her creative practice, Harris also works collaboratively as part of the collective Glasgow Open Dance School (G.O.D.S) – facilitating experimental movement workshops, research groups and collaborative performances; and as co-founder of Project X – a creative education programme, platforming African and Caribbean diasporic dance and performance.

Harris has performed and exhibited her work nationally and internationally including: the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Tramway, Transmission Gallery, The Glue Factory, The Pipe Factory and The Arches, all Glasgow; Dundee Contemporary Arts; ZKU and the Volksbuhne Theatre, Berlin; North Lights Arts, Dunbar; and Fringe Arts Bath. In 2019 Harris will be exhibiting her work in solo shows in Civic Room, Glasgow and Transmission Gallery, Glasgow and performing in Tramway as part of Take me Somewhere Festival and the Centre for Contemporary Arts as part of Buzzcut Double Thrills, both Glasgow.

Image Credit: Ashanti Harris, Presenting Les Ballets Negres, performance, 2018.


Artist Residencies

The Artist Residency programme is an annual open-submission residency opportunity for artists. It is primarily research based and is set up to foster experimentation, innovation and to support artists in the development of new work. Four six-week residencies are selected by a panel of invited arts professionals. The next application will be close 30 April 2019 – Subscribe to our mailing list to know when the application process opens.

Selected artists receive:

  • £1,000 stipend
  • Studio
  • Accommodation
  • Support from the technical team
  • Support from the programme team
  • Access to all workshops / equipment / available spaces
  • 1 year’s Membership of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop