AA2A Artist Residency

by with No Comment Thoughts

For the full academic year of 2024/25, I was an AA2A resident artist at the University of Chester. It was a fantastic experience and one I thought I’d share a bit more about, in case you’re tempted to get involved in the scheme another year.

Background

AA2A is coming up for its 30 year anniversary. It supports artist development in partnership with FE and HE educational institutions across the UK. The University of Chester has taken part for 11 years and last year I was selected as one of six resident artists on their Kingsway campus, a hub for the university’s creative programmes and home to the printmaking and workshop facilities I was able to access.

The Kingsway Campus

How does the scheme work

Broadly speaking, this is a fantastic scheme based on exchange. Artists gain access to facilities and expertise for 100 hours over the academic year, and, in return, they may be asked to give a talk or demonstration, or show their work, as they take an active part on campus. Universities gain practising artists on site, adding value through interaction with the students they work alongside. This is all supported by AA2A webinars and events to enhance employability for arts students.

Artists apply and are selected based on their project proposal and portfolio.

My own experience

I’m sure every residency is different, as each institution will bring its own culture and approach. I found a very welcoming and supportive environment at Chester.

Working on structures at Chester

I proposed a project to develop the installation side of my printmaking practice, by integrating digital processes, like laser cutting. Through the university I was able to access laser cutting facilities, the print room and the software I needed to learn to bring things together. I started in October 2024 and completed my project in July 2025. Along the way:

  • I met some great people: university technical staff, other artists, students…
  • I took part in 2 exhibitions: one to introduce my work at the beginning and another to showcase my project work at the end
  • I created new laser cut work, which I have exhibited so far at the OXO Gallery in London with the Printmakers Council
‘Towers of Strength’, monotype and laser cutting, by Carolyn Murphy
‘In the Balance’, monotype and laser cut paper structures by Carolyn Murphy

Find out more

To learn more about AA2A and their residencies, check out their website. I would highly recommend the programme and its partners. Thanks for a wonderful year!

To see more from our final group exhibition in Chester, check out my News page on ‘Threads of Expression’.

Image of Carolyn Murphy's laser cut 3D paper structures, called Wear and Tear in the Chester gallery

Threads of Expression in Chester

by with No Comment ExhibitionNews

Threads of Expression, an exhibition in Chester, is the culmination of a year of exploration by six North West based artists, whose work spans photography, printmaking, textile arts and painting. All have spent 2024/25 at the University of Chester developing new work, learning new skills and taking their practice forward in their chosen areas, as part of the national AA2A Project. Now, those creative threads converge with a showcase of work, on a range of themes, some intertwined, some unique.

Work by:

The exhibition runs from 4 – 18 July 2025, at the CASC Gallery in Chester’s Grosvenor Shopping Centre. There’s a Private View on Friday 4 July, 4-6pm.

AA2A is a national scheme which offers artists the chance to access facilities in universities and colleges, and students the chance to learn more about practising artists and the wider creative industries. More information at www.aa2a.org

Carolyn is showing new laser cut fragile structures for the first time. These 3D paper sculptures combine traditional printmaking skills and digital technology.

CASC Gallery, Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Chester CH1 1DE

Open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 10am to 4pm.

AA2A artist in residence in Chester

by with No Comment News

Carolyn Murphy is an AA2A Artist in Residence in Chester this year, joining the University of Chester as part of the AA2A Project scheme. Residencies provide access to state-of-the-art resources and a collaborative environment for professional practice development, whilst enriching the academic environment for students. This year, AA2A is celebrating 25 years of delivering residency programmes through art and design institutions across England.

“In this residency, I plan to develop further the installation side of my practice, bringing together traditional print processes with digital technology, such as laser cutting, to take forward my interest in fragile structures,” Carolyn explained. “I love to learn and to share knowledge and I hope to continue to do this through the AA2A residency, and connect with a wider learning community through printmaking.”

Carolyn Murphy with some of her installation works, Mile End Art Pavilion, July 2022

The residency at the University of Chester runs from October 2024 to summer 2025. There are six resident artists, bringing diverse disciplines and experiences to the programme. In December the AA2A artists put on an exhibition in Chester city centre, at the University’s CASC Gallery, to introduce themselves and their practice to students and staff.

‘Reclaiming’, on display at CASC Gallery, Chester, December 2024
Carolyn Murphy’s installation ‘No Stone Unturned VII’ in the window of the Chester exhibition
Visitors to the gallery
Artists’ talks to staff and students, December 2024
AA2A coordinator Greg Fuller talks about the work on show

During the year, Carolyn will be sharing updated on her Instagram page, as the residency progresses and she experiments with new techniques.

Post updated with exhibition images – December 2024.