Waiting Room to host new series of art residencies

Currently working towards her Phd at Essex University, Stefanie has put together a whole host of artists programmes at the St Botolph's site, starting with a showcase from Colchester-based, Susi Disorder.

Thanks to funding from the Arts Council, she has managed to secure the skills of five artists in all.

As well as Susi, who will be running a showcase of her work, slots will be taking up by Colchester artists Tom Armstrong and Abbie Cairns, and Suffolk-based duo Michael Irwin and Liam Roberts, who are collaborating under the title, Foundry.

"I've wanted to do something for a couple of years now," Stefanie says, "and explored a number of different avenues and venues. Then I had a chat with Marc D'eath at the Waiting Room and he was very interested in what I was trying to put together.

"Using the Waiting Room's creative hub ethos, I wanted these residencies to be really interactive so artists can come in and try new things out but also the public can have their own input to what's going on."

Originally from Austria, Stefanie has been living, working and studying in Colchester for the last ten years, working with the Escala art collection at Essex University, at the East Anglian Railway Museum as an exhibition curator and at the Firstsite Gallery as a gallery assistant and then project assistant.

"I'm very excited about the potential of bringing these very different residencies to what is such a unique space," Stefanie adds. "Hopefully it will be the start of something a bit bigger and more permanent."

As well as the residencies there will be free events and workshops as well.

For more information go to www.st-botolphs.org

Residencies Programme

May 27 from 6pm to 9pm - Susi Disorder Showcase.

June 4 from 10am to 4pm - Tom Armstrong Photographic Print Workshop.

June 30 to July 2 from 10am to 4pm daily - Abbie Cairns Instructional Art.

July 22 from 6pm - Foundry Installation/Performance and DJ sets.