Clark Bursary
An innovative award that provided support for artists to develop their creative practice in digital media.
The Clark Bursary ran for 10 years from 1998 – 2007 and was a unique and innovative project in many ways, particularly in its approach to artists’ commissioning.
The aim of the bursary was to provide artists with the space to be creative and develop their digital practice in an unpressured environment without the demands of producing a final piece of artwork. The focus was squarely on development and artists were tasked with engaging the public throughout the process. The legacy of the bursary is still very much apparent with recipient artists continuing to develop and flourish in their fields.
In effect the Clark Bursary and its participating artists illustrate the creative development of a public arts venue as it engaged with digital creativity throughout a period of rapid changes in technology. The impact of the Clark’s Bursary on Watershed’s approach to digital was significant and very much informed its own creative ethos. One of the results for Watershed is the evolution of the Pervasive Media Studio.
The partners for the Bursary were the JA Clark Charitable Trust, Watershed, Arts Council of England and University of the West of England.
Ended in December 2007