Week 1 – 26th June – 3rd July 2027, Stornoway – Mallaig, from £895
Week 2 – 3rd – 9th July 2027, Mallaig – Mallaig, from £895
Counterpart to the Life of Islands, the Wild Islands residency explores how we define ‘wild places’, our preconceptions of seemingly remote landscapes, and how we as humans fit into these stories. We’ll be considering these ideas in the context of the Hebrides through the local folklore, geography and history, and the notion of ‘thin places’ between our world and that of the more than human. We will also be asking what this all means in the larger story of the global climate crisis where humanity has impacted even the most seemingly untouched places.
Our routes for the two weeks this year from Stornoway to Mallaig, and exploring the Small Isles from Mallaig will allow us to visit some of the ‘wilder’ places on the west coast of Scotland, many of which are inaccessible except by boat. Applicants can join for one or both weeks.
The residency will give artists a space to explore notions of remoteness and ecology with a strong connection to nature.
We will sail to the edge places, away from civilisation and seemingly untouched, yet always we can find traces of human interaction with the land, culminating in an evening sharing our thoughts and personal responses to our week at sea.
The Wild Islands Residency is led by Lily Garget, (week 1), and Oliver Beardon, (week 2)
Lily is a mixed media artist who has both participated in and led the Wild Islands Residency before. Her work takes inspiration from her surroundings, translating landscape using processes led by natural materials, creating spaces where ephemeral atmospheres are translated into physical artworks. Oliver is Sail Britain’s programme leader with nearly 20 years of sailing under his belt in the wildest places in Scotland. His creative background is in architecture, with a particular on our relationship with the natural world through materiality, ecology and community.
This residency will be an opportunity to experience the ocean first hand in a very intimate way. Travelling under sail is a slow form of transport which allows an appreciation of distance, separation and the elements. It also brings people together as a crew to explore collaboratively, and to develop and exchange ideas. In addition to some wonderful exploring under sail, we aim to go ashore each evening to bridge the littoral zone between land and sea and have space to develop our personal connections to the landscape.
No prior sailing experience is necessary and we’ll get everyone involved in the running of the boat, however due to the remote places we’ll be visiting, a sense of adventure is an advantage!
There are 11 places for this residency across the two weeks.
Applicants should have an interest in working within a strong team environment in collaboration with other artists, including a willingness to discuss and share ideas, and to work together as a crew to sail the ship. The resident artists should bring any materials or equipment required for their research, but please be aware space onboard is very limited and emphasis on packing light is strongly encouraged!
Application Process and deadline
We ask applicants to submit a brief introduction to their work and their motivation for applying for the residency, including relevant themes in their work and how taking part will be beneficial for their practice. This should be no more than one page of A4 text, with additionally up to 5 images or other supporting documentation such as video, sound, links etc. as an emailed PDF. This is so that we can learn a bit about you, and to ensure that applicants will get as much as possible out of the programme.
Applications should be sent to info[at]sailbritain.org, subject – ‘Wild Islands Residency Application + [your name]’
The deadline for applications is Friday 19th February 2027, but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Funding
This is a self-funded residency, as Sail Britain has no external support, but we have a good record of applicants making successful external funding applications to support their places, and we are very happy to write in support of these if you choose to do this. Please let us know if this would be helpful, and see this page for suggestions on funding your place
Cost contribution
This trip has three cost options, according to your circumstances.
Base tier, £995 – if you have a regular income or are applying for external funding for the trip. This is the minimum we need to keep the project running.
Abundance tier £1195 – if you are in a fortunate position, this allows us to invest in Sail Britain’s future and build resilience. For example, just this year, the need for a new engine was a major unexpected cost to the project and you can help support this. This also helps to keep the supported tier accessible for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate.
Supported tier, £895 – for those self funding the residency on a very low income and in need of financial assistance. Accessibility is important to Sail Britain and we want to help make participation possible in these circumstances with this special reduced rate. This does not apply for those making external funding applications (please use the other tiers).
Please indicate in confidence which tier you would like to contribute to. This will not affect the success of your application.
Practical information
Week 1 will start in Stornoway at 3pm on Saturday 26th June, and finish in Mallaig at 9am on Saturday 3rd July
Week 2 will start at Mallaig marina at 6pm on Saturday 3rd July, and finish back in Mallaig at 12 noon on Friday 9th July
What’s included
- Fully equipped yacht and professional crew
- 6/7 nights accommodation onboard
- All meals for the week
- All safety equipment and training
What’s not included
- Your travel to and from the start/end points of the voyage
- Travel insurance
- Any expenses ashore, although these tend to be very limited out in the wilds!
- Materials for your practice / research
For more info have a look at our FAQs page for an insight into life onboard
If you have questions about the programme, feel free to drop us an email
