Our residency programme brings together exciting artist practices with our world-leading research, unique campus facilities, and vibrant regional partnerships. Often cross-disciplinary, the programme has drawn together artists, photographers, scientists, academics and local community groups to explore themes of nature, technology, climate change, social action, wellbeing and more.
Find out more about our past and present residencies below. For the latest updates (and announcements of future calls for new resident artists) follow us on Instagram at @uos_artcollection or join our quarterly mailing list here.
Current Residencies:
2025 :
OFFSHOOT
RHS Garden Bridgewater
OFFSHOOT Artist in Residence programme is a partnership between University of Salford Art Collection, RHS Garden Bridgewater and Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, and is generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Yan Wang Preston
Acclaimed artist Dr Yan Wang Preston was selected as the first artist-in-residence at the RHS Garden Bridgewater, in a new programme led by the University. From 2025-2026 Preston makes new work in response to the history, geology and ecology of the site; culminating in an exhibition in Salford in 2026.
Find out more and keep up to date
Anoosh Ariamehr, Liz Lock and Fiona Robinson
In Autumn 2025 three further socially engaged artist residencies were appointed: Anoosh Ariamehr, Liz Lock and Fiona Robinson, who will each work with local communities. Find out more about the artists here.
Previous Residencies:
2023 – 2025 :
Mishka Henner & Emily Speed
Energy House 2.0
The University of Salford Art Collection hosted two artist residencies at Energy House 2.0: the unique, world-leading energy performance facility at the University, from 2023-2025. Artists Mishka Henner and Emily Speed were selected from an open call, and developed new work in response to Energy House 2.0’s research, exploring themes of the climate crisis, net zero research, and the future of housing. The project culminated in an exhibition at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester.
Mishka Henner makes work that challenges conventional perspectives, and asks us to consider our relationships with the world, technology, and the consequences of human activity. His residency explored the connection between our everyday lives and the global impacts of changing climates. Find out more here
Emily Speed examines the relationship between the body and architecture; considering how a person is shaped by the buildings they occupy. Her work bring together ideas around the human body, fashion, clothing, interior design, architecture, and personal domestic life: What will our lives look like in the ‘future homes’ of Energy House 2.0? Find out more here
Both residencies have been made possible through funding from the Friends of Energy House 2.0 Community. In partnership with Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool and Castlefield Gallery, Manchester.
2025:
Hayley Suviste
University of Salford Acoustics Laboratories
Manchester based sound artist and composer Hayley Suviste was in residence at the industry-leading University Acoustics Laboratories from January to June 2025. This residency was a partnership between the University of Salford Art Collection, the University of Salford Acoustics Laboratories, and From the Other.
For this residency Hayley took inspiration from the local River Irwell – once known as the ‘hardest worked river in the world’. The river draws together narratives of industrial heritage, ecological resilience, and cultural significance, albeit in the face of ongoing challenges around urbanisation and pollution. New work premiered at Sounds from the Other City Festival in 2025.
2021-2022:
Gwen Riley Jones
Art Collection Residency
Gwen Riley Jones joined the Collection as a socially engaged photographer in residence in 2021 – the first residency of its kind within the Collection. Over the course of 16 months, she worked closely with youth groups from across Salford, including the Salford Youth Service, using the Collection as a catalyst to spark conversation, action and activity. Their work centred on themes of wellbeing, nature, creative expression and youth empowerment, and culminated in a co-curated exhibition at New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery. The residency was ran in partnership with Open Eye Gallery’s socially engaged practice programmes.
-> Click here to view blogs, Publications, and Exhibitions as part of this Residency:
Residency blogs
- Introducing Gwen Riley Jones
- Blog Dec 2021
- January Artwork of the Month 2022
- Salford Youth Council Introductory Blog Spring 2022
- May Artwork of the Month 2022
- Planting for the Planet at RHS Bridgewater 2022
- Can Art Help Stop Climate Change Blog June 2022
- Salford Rediscovered Blog June 2022
- Salford Youth Council Selecting Artwork Blog Sept 2022
- LOOK Photo Biennial 2022 Showcase Nov 2022
- Throwback Thursday Refelction on ‘What is Not Art’ Jan 2023
- From the Vault: ‘I Feel Triangle’ Blog March 2023
- Download: Photowalk for Wellbeing
- Gwen Riley Jones Wins National Green Impact Award 2023
- Ongoing: Sustaining Photography with Lizzie King
2021:
McCoy Wynne
Energy House 1
This artist residency was co-commissioned in partnership with Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool.
Artist duo McCoy Wynne were selected as artists in residence at Energy House following an open call in late 2020. Energy House is the world’s first full-size, two-bedroom, brick-built Victorian terraced house constructed inside an environmentally controllable chamber, located on campus at the University of Salford. McCoy Wynne worked closely with the University’s unique research facility throughout 2021, responding to a specific retrofitting project. The resulting series Are You Living Comfortably? was acquired by the Collection as a legacy of the residency.