Creative Pathways Bursaries

Applications now open for the 2024 bursaries *Deadline Extended* 8 April, 2024

This year, we will support 4 artists to develop and showcase their work for Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2024 under the theme “Landscape – Flux and Flow”

‘As we move through this time of transition, we ask you to curiously examine your relationship with the land, sea, environment and landscape.’ 

We welcome applications from artists working in different contemporary visual art disciplines. You will have a brief idea of how your work or a project will respond to the festival theme, and may have identified a location/venue to showcase your work. However, if you do not have a venue/location in mind, then it may be possible to match you with a venue nearby. Please indicate in your application.

Please download the full brief here.

About Creative Pathways

Creative Pathways Bursary is a professional development programme that aims to provide tailor-made support for our artist members to develop their practice and to deliver high-quality work. Since 2011, more than 50 artists have participated in the programme. From 2018, the programme was dedicated to support artists in their early career stage, showcasing their work during Somerset Art Weeks and Somerset Open Studios, as part of our extensive Artist Development Programme funded through Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. 

Previous Creative Pathways

The following artists have previously benefited from the programme with additional support provided by a variety of organisations and projects:

2023

Kristen Lindop, Summer Auty, Joe Jukes and Sally Light received the bursary for the Somerset Open Studios Event. Read More about the artists 

2022

Sarah Rogers, Penelope O’Gara, Sian Cann and Sami Green were selected to develop their work and stage it at the Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2022 under the theme ‘Sanctuary’ with the following association:
Spiritual – a holy or sacred place.
Sustainable – a place that provides safety or protection i.e. the natural world, plants and wildlife.
Social – the protection from danger or a difficult situation that is provided by a safe place.

2020

We were delighted to award Jess Egan, Katherine Perrins, Milly Rowland and Natasha Rand for the 2020 Creative Pathways Bursary.

We selected Jess, Milly, Katherine and Natasha through online interviews during lockdown in March. Since then, we have worked with each of them to develop plans and actions regarding their development needs and the new digital Open Studios event.

2019

Emma Housley & Megan Wakelam  Clayhill Arts, Bridgwater
Shannon Watson  Dove Studio, Butleigh
Olivia Peace University Centre Somerset, Taunton
Amanda Lynch Close Ltd, Taunton

More Details
Project Blog

2018

More details
Project Blog

2017

Isobel Adderley, Judy Crosher, Sue Gilmore and Ellie Mawby received bursaries in 2017 to explore the prospect of progressing their artistic practice and widening their audiences, through creating new work in their chosen medium and showcase during the festival in the venue of their choice.

More details

2016

Adam Grose, Liz & Dale (Elizabeth Caires & Dale Perrett) Sarah Hitchens and Veronia Gayle were selected to create new body of work and to showcase them at the temporary workspaces in Black Swan Arts, The Old Brick Workshop, The Emporium and Contains Art during Somerset Open Studios. Each artist responded to the theme of ʻMomentumʼ in their chosen medium and with their own interpretation, representing the progression of their artistic endeavours. The programme was made possible by the support of Arts Council England’s Lottery programme and the partnership venues.

2015

We offered 4 bursaries to emerging/graduate artists in Somerset to make new work and to help them reach their audiences. We also extended the programme to curating and art writing. Selected artists were:

Beckie Upton  Critical Writing and curating

Laura Aish  Working with heritage and historical collections

Sanda James  Marketplace Development for Artists

Jennifer Newbury  ‘Amazing Space: A Celebration of the Dove’

Programme partners:  Dove Studios, Cavaliero Finn, Discovery Room artists and Flock Together artists

Creative Pathways 2015 was supported by Somerset Creative Industries Development Fund, Arts Council England, Sponsors and Friends of SAW.

Bursary details

2014

‘The Levels & Moors’ Bursaries 2014

Bursaries were offered to 4 artists to develop new bodies of work and take part in Open Studios. Artists developed work in response to the theme of ‘The Levels and Moors’, to represent their relationship to this unique landscape in Somerset. Each artist created work from their chosen materials, showed their making process and talked about their work in their allocated studios. Some work was made to sell during the Open Studios event.  For more information about the project, please visit the blog

Lucy Pendrick – Number Seven, Dulverton (Funded by West Somerset NFAS)
Joy Merron – Black Swan Arts, Frome
Andrea Oke – Thornreed Studio, Lower Godney
Mayumi Kaneko – Somerset Guild of Craftsmen

2013

The following artists were selected to receive bursaries to develop new work for the Abundance Garden Trail  during Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2013. More about the project can be found on the blog

Leah Hislop
Bryony Tidball
Gillian Widden
Kitty Hillier

Bronwen Bradshaw – Led and created The Abbots Kitchen Drawing Project, Glastonbury Abbey.

2012

Lucy Lean – New commission for Slimbridge Wetlands Centre. Also at Somerset Crafts for Somerset Art Weeks 2012, supported by Bruton School for Girls
Chris Jelley – Developed digital work, Storywalks 2011-12
Jenni Dutton & Ingrid Hesling – Developed workshop for Mother Love at Thelma Hulbert Gallery
David Davies – Curatorial development and collaborations, a commission of artist works for Art Weeks

2011

Jon England – Developed new work at Fleet Air Arm Museum
Simon Lee Dicker – Curatorial development and organisational development for OSR projects
Natalie Parsley – Developed new work for Art Weeks Festival 2011
Lucia Harley – Developed new work for Under a New Sun exhibition at OSR projects for Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2011
Hannah Bishop – Developed Homecoming exhibition at The Regal Theatre, Minehead for Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2011