My name is Camilla Stacey and I am a multidisciplinary artist based in Penryn, Cornwall. I am delighted to have been awarded a 2 week residency at The Arctic Hideaway in Norway, somewhere I have been wanting to visit for several years.
WHY AM I RAISING MONEY?
Thanks to the support of Nordland Fylkeskommune the residency itself is free, however I do need to cover transport and accommodation costs during travel to and from the residency. I calculate these costs to be approximately £700, these include getting to and from Heathrow, flights to Bodo and 2 nights accommodation. Due to having multiple disabilities I will need to break my journey to avoid pain and exhaustion.
REWARDS:
2 x 1" hand drawn badges £5
Hand drawn postcard mailed from the Arctic £12
'No more tote bags' tote bag £15
Wooden 'Weirdo' Brooch. £17
A4 b/w photographic print on matt paper from my trip to Svalbard in 2023 £20
Print made in the Arctic (example of print on previous trip to the Arctic) £40
Bundle- one of each £70
WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?
For me the Arctic has always been magnetic. I imagined it for decades until I visited for the first time in 2022 via boat.
In 2023 I returned and spent the month of May at Spitsbergen Artist Centre AIR programme. Work I developed here was shown in an exhibition at Daisy Laing Gallery, Penzance.
The idea of the North has held power over people for centuries. This idea has been imbued into my sense of self by the story my mother tells of my traumatic birth. One unlikely woman stood by her, an Inuit midwife. I have created an imagined narrative of a life that was breathed into me from the North, her breath filling my lungs for the very first time.
The question I constantly come back to is trying to unravel this fascination the North has always had over me. Is there a way I can solve this mystery by using art, do I even need to solve it? What narratives can I create for myself that will help me in understanding my place there?
WHAT WILL I DO WHEN I GET BACK?
In addition to my instagram account I will be documenting my residency on bluesky. When I return I shall be working with the photos, writing, sound recordings and drawings I make on residency to develop a publication and to build an exhibition based around this trip. I shall be giving an artist talk about my Arctic experiences, which will be available via Instagram live.