We are delighted to announce that we're continuing our season of artist residencies exploring environmental emergencies and this week, we remotely welcome our latest recipient Joe Hill, who will explore the stories of change hidden in the green spaces of our cities.

Watershed’s residencies are a brilliant opportunity to think, make and share ideas. They offer technical and critical support, space in the Pervasive Media Studio (when possible), a community of peers both on and offline, plus funding.

Joe is a freelance composer, performing musician and sound artist. Based in Bristol, he loves fusing found sound with instruments and experimental compositional techniques to create his music. For this residency, Joe is developing his first sound piece for public space. His interests lie in the stories that are bound up in our city’s ever changing green spaces, many of which are hundreds of years old. Can threads of their stories weaved into a soundtrack with future predictions, evoke a deeper understanding of the climate and environmental crisis for city dwellers?

Joe says:

I feel so humbled and lucky to have been given this residency opportunity. I feel a bit like a kid in a sweet shop at the moment, surrounded by welcoming people making fascinating and joyously creative work. I think it’s going to make a huge difference to me towards stepping up my level of professionality and opening me up to new ideas and possibilities towards how to use my creative talents for social good. It’s fantastic to be integrating with such a strong Bristol hub of creativity and the potential for new collaboration is very exciting for me. Big thanks to the Pervasive Media Studio!

Victoria Tillotson, Talent Development Lead at Watershed says:

“Art plays an essential role in helping us make sense of things that are happening around us, particularly in times of crisis. We’re delighted to support Joe in the development of this work, at a moment when we can learn so much about the impact of human systems on our planet. We look forward to a time that we can test the work in our parks and gardens, and encourage the people of Bristol to playfully and deeply consider the complex and delicate systems that surround us.”

Joe’s residency will run through the year. Joe will share his progress via blogs and we hope there will be opportunities to get involved later in the year – we’ll keep you posted as things evolve. Watch this space!

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