Rachel is a 28 year old artist living in the rural Yorkshire Dales UK. She has recently secured funding to do a international studio exchange. So she is now on the search for a fellow artist, who is living in a rural area overseas and interested in taking part in this exciting paid opportunity to travel, live and work with her in the UK. You will then need to host Rachel at your home and studio.

Paid exchange opportunity in rural North Yorkshire/UK. If you are a professional artist living overseas you may be perfect for this project. UK based artist Rachel Thornton is looking for an artist who is willing to share life and art studio with for appox 1-2 weeks in both the UK and in your studio, wherever that may be. During this time together you will share what it is like to live as an artist in a rural context, and how you have carved out a career as an artist while living rurally. You will be expected to produce a new body of work while taking part in the exchange, this will be inspired by your shared experience and in response to a new working and living enviroment. 

Various activities will take place during the exchange, including delivering workshops, talks and networking with artists communities in each location. The exchange will end in the UK with an exhibition held in Rachel's studio. You will be required to facilitate workshops and networking during Rachel's stay with you. 

The UK part of the exchange will coincide with the Three Peaks Arts Trail held on 6th till 20th October 2019. Which will be a great opportunity to connect with a wider artists community in the Dales. 

The exchange will be funded by Great Places Lakes and Dales. This is one of 16 pilot projects in England funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England, this brilliant scheme aims to help retain and bring young people back to living in the rural areas through creative interventions, visit www.lakesanddales.org to find out more. 

Many of your expenses during the exchange will be paid for such as flights. You will also be paid for your time during the exchange. 

You will be expected to provide free accomodation and transport for Rachel, Ideally you will live together so that the exchange will be a life sharing experience and therefore be able to observe the similarities or differences of rural living as artists. Rachel will provide accomodation to the artist when they are in the uk. 

Purpose of the exchange: 

• Inspire each artist with new ways of creating and thinking through the sharing of methods and concepts. 
• To create new artist connections and communities through networking. 
• Inspire other young creatives living in rural areas that it is possible to have a creative career while living rurally. This will be through workshops in local schools and volunteering oppportunities. 
• Promote the creative industries as being an important part of the rural community. 
• Discover new models of how to grow the reputation, attractivness and aconomy of an area through the arts. 
• Demonstrate how it is possible to forge a creative career in a rural context. 

Ideally we would like the artist to be aged between 18-35yrs so that we are providing opportunities for young creatives, but we also recognise that an older artist's life experience may be very valuable to the project.

If you have any contacts you think may be interested in this opportunity OR you think you may be the perfect fit then please do get in touch with Rachel, she would love to hear from you. 

If you are not full time or do not fit the age bracket then please get in touch anyway as we are more than happy to be flexible if you feel you are the right person for the opportunity.