Full Circle International Residency Award
The Full Circle International Residency Award aims to support mid-career Australian artists through a unique residency, research, and exhibition opportunity.
The new initiative, presented through a partnership between Orange Regional Gallery, Australia, and Messums | ORG in the UK, is made possible thanks to generous support from Rowena Danziger in memory of Ken Coles.
Each year, one mid-career artist working in Australia will be selected to participate in a fully funded six week residency in the UK based across two locations: Messums East at The Old Post Office in Lowestoft, a refurbished new arts complex on the most easterly point of the UK, and Messums West, a leading gallery and arts centre in Wiltshire, set inside a restored thirteenth-century tithe barn. The Award includes an exhibition at Orange Regional Gallery the following year.
The Award supports artists who engage with the landscape and/or environment to evolve their creative practice. Valued at AUD $33,000, this International Residency Award includes international flights, travel, accommodation, studio space, art materials and living expenses, and an exhibition, providing a rare opportunity for creative growth, research, connection and exploration.
The Award will support the artist to document and present their research whilst in Residence.
Upon returning to Australia, the artist will present a solo exhibition the following year at Orange Regional Gallery, receiving curatorial support, artist fee, and a publication to present and document the work produced during the residency
The Old Post Office, Lowestoft which once shared and brought information from around the into the town has been brought back to life as a 1,700 sqm centre providing exhibition spaces, research facilities, and creative studios that support interdisciplinary engagement across the arts and sciences. It is also home to the studio of sculptor Laurence Edwards.
The residency places significant emphasis on community engagement and social outreach, drawing on the town’s rich historical and cultural heritage. Participants are offered opportunities to explore local sites that provide access to research material and insights into the region’s cultural history – an area that has inspired artists and makers from early Bronze Age craftsmanship to 18th-century painting.
The centre facilitates connections with local resources for the production of work across a wide range of materials and techniques, enabling residents to integrate contemporary practice with the town’s historical and artistic context.
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA
Professional Experience: The award is open to mid-career Australian artists with a track record of exhibitions, publications, or other professional achievements. Artists do not need to be represented by a commercial gallery. For a definition of mid-career, please visit The National Association for the visual Arts website https://code.visualarts.net.au/payment-rates/how-to-use-payment-standards/creative- career-stages#mid-career-artist
Open to All Media: The residency is open to artists working in any medium, whether it be painting, drawing, photo media, moving image, or other forms of visual expression.
Artistic Practice: The applicant should have a clear and sustained practice that demonstrates originality, creativity, and a strong commitment to their art form. The artist demonstrates a balance between conceptual rigour and technical excellence through previous examples of their work.
Landscape and/or Environmental Focus: A significant percentage of the artist’s practice must respond to, or engage with landscape, Country or the environment.
Nationality: The artist must currently be based in Australia and be either an Australian Citizen or permanent resident. They must have a valid passport and have the ability to enter the UK and return to Australia.
Availability: The artist must be available to undertake an uninterrupted 6 week residency, between 1 September and 30 November 2026. This is intended as a solo residency and friends, family or partners are not included.
Project and Exhibition Proposal: Applicants are invited to submit a brief residency and project proposal via the application platform that outlines their proposed objectives and expected outcomes, and outline how the residency will benefit their artistic practice.
Engagement and collaboration: The artist should show an ability and willingness to engage with a wide audience including local communities, artists, collectors and the media, in England as well as in Australia. They must be open to sharing their practice, and participating in dialogue and collaboration.
Exhibition Commitment: The selected artist must exhibit new work developed during, and flowing from the residency. The exhibition will be presented at Orange Regional Gallery, NSW, Australia in September – October in the year following the residency. This exhibition must consist only of new work i.e. artworks that have not been previously exhibited in either a commercial gallery setting or a public institution.
Register interest to be kept up to date with further information and opportunities
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Messums Studios
- Unit 1 Homeland Security, Chilmark, SP3 5DU
Opening Hours
- By appointment (Tuesday - Saturday)
- Sunday and Monday - Closed
REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS
We appreciate that sometimes things can change. Please see our Refunds & Cancellations Policy for more information.
