Artists in Residence programme: Joanna Leah, Terry Duffy and Cliff Hughes

Hilbre Island artists in Residence programme.

Across the opening week of Hilbre Independents Biennial, Joanna Leah, Terry Duffy, Cliff Hughes and Robin Blackledge will be in residency across the island and in the newly reopened buildings at its centre.

Please check tide times for Hilbre Island before travelling to the island.

The artists:

Terry Duffy
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Founder & CEO of BADA
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Founder of the Hilbre Centre of Art, Science and Sustainability
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Trustee of HCLT (Hilbre Community Land Trust)
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Lead Artist ‘Drawing out Hilbre Archipelago’ Project 2025
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“For too long as individuals and communities we have disrespected the integrity of the earth. It is now time to demonstrate and express through art how we can reconsider this reality”.
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The research, experimentation action and outcome will be to interact with the mud, sea, sand, sandstone and weather of Hilbre over-projecting with the realities of todays wastage and exploitation of the world’s resources.

www.terryduffy.info
Instagram:@terryduffy.art

Dr Joanna Leah
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‘Leading Curator of Hilbre Independent Biennial’.
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Artist/Researcher in Expanding Drawing and Spatial Practices, Senior Lecturer, Contextual Studies Art & Design, Leeds School of Arts, Leeds Becket University.
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Her Practice research explores the body space developing choreographic and embodied practices producing drawings, installation and performance. Central to her practice is line-making; lines mediated by the body as ways to draw out encounters with specific sites.In a parallel practice of drawing and performance her work occupies tracing and drawing out correspondences to produce what she terms blublilds.
Joanna will be conducting movement analysis of birds in relation to the tides and estuary convergences at Hilbre culminating in a body of drawings, drawing performances and films.

www.joannahleah.com
Instagram:@joannaLeah_art
twitter: twitter.com/Joannahleah7

Cliff Hughes

My product for the BADA Hilbre Independents Liverpool Biennial will be site and project-specific.

The starting point will be introspective, an investigation of the state change affected in one’s self when crossing the sands to Hilbre and spending time there. Time moves at a different pace, non-linear.

Developing from this I will draw on the island’s physical environment, its buildings and any rituals of its inhabitants I can uncover or imagine. Hilbre’s history and found artefacts will also be sources of enquiry.

The work is likely to include two-and three-dimensional realisations, written studies, time based pieces, and performances.

This project aims to secure a sustainable future for a sensitive heritage and ecological asset. The restoration of the site’s buildings, four of which are listed as Grade II, will establish a centre dedicated to the study of Art, Science, and Sustainability. This initiative will enhance ongoing efforts to monitor migratory birds and foster a deeper connection with the local community through educational programming.

In partnership with Independents Biennial Liverpool, we are excited to launch our inaugural project, “Drawing Out Hilbre Archipelago.” This ambitious festival will feature artist residencies, workshops, exhibitions, and performances that delve into key themes, including:

• Ecological Interconnections: Examining the relationships between different species and their habitats.

• Cultural Heritage and Community Narratives: Celebrating the history and stories that define Hilbre and its surrounding communities.

• Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency: Emphasizing practices that promote ecological balance and resourcefulness.

• Time and Tides: Investigating the impact of changing tides on the island and its ecosystems.

• Engagement with Nature: Fostering outdoor participation and artistic interaction with the island’s natural environment.

Together, these efforts aim to create a vibrant hub for learning and connection within the unique context of Hilbre.