Eilean Shona Residency | Royal Society of Sculptors

Entry Type

Members-only

Read more about the island in this article in the Financial Times: Unlocking the magic of Eilean Shona | Financial Times

About Eilean Shona

Eilean Shona is situated to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsular and south of the Isle of Skye just off the West Coast of Scotland. With its ancient forests, craggy hillsides, hidden coves, sandy beaches and rich wildlife it is considered by many to be one of the most glorious of all the Hebridean islands.

Owned by Vanessa Branson, a champion of the arts, Eilean Shona’s cultural activities play an important role in the islands identity alongside its focus of enriching its biodiversity. The island is car-free and every effort is made to be plastic-free and carbon neutral. Electricity comes from a hydro-electric power station and water is sourced from the hills.

About the Residency

The winning artist will have access to a studio overlooking Loch Moidart and Castle Tioram and be introduced to the area by the island woodsman. The woodsman will also be able to offer guidance and support concerning use of tools such as chainsaws. Accommodation is a one bedroomed woodman’s cottage.

The opportunity also includes an artist talk, the chance to contribute to the island’s permanent art collection and to contribute to the Eilean Shona blog. The artist will also be encouraged to document their progress for an Instagram takeover of the Royal Society of Sculptors account. There is an expectation that the work will remain on the island.

In 2025, the residency will run from 26 February to 26 March 2025 inclusively.

Accommodation will be provided plus a studio with north light overlooking Loch Moidart and Castle Tioram.

The successful artist will receive a £1,000 stipend and £500 towards travel costs.

Q&A with Previous Artists in Residence | 26 November

Recent winners of the Eilean Shona Residency Marie-Therese Ross MRSS (2023) and Robin Tarbet MRSS (2024) have kindly agreed to hold a Q&A where interested members can find out about their experience and ask questions.

The Q&A will take place on Tuesday 26 November at 5pm (UK time) via Zoom and you can book your place here.

Please note this session will not be recorded.

Marie-Therese Ross MRSS & Robin Tarbet MRSS in Eilean Shona

Current Winner

Robin Tarbet MRSS

Robin Tarbet (born 1981 UK) is an artist based in London, he studied at the Royal College of Art and Norwich School of Art & Design. Tarbet is a collector of everyday stuff, and he uses ad-hoc casting processes to make work that features transformations of recognisable things in unfamiliar situations. His practice often incorporates a performative 'working in the field' approach and recent projects have included plaster casting dead Jellyfish washed up on a beach to making moulds inside a nuclear power station.

Being selected for the Eilean Shona Residency will have a huge impact on me as an artist. I'm looking forward to a month of breathing fresh air and talking to myself while getting lost exploring the remote island where I’ll secretly be pretending I've been shipwrecked.

Robin Tarbet

Past Winners

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2023 Marie-Therese Ross MRSS

2022 Mhairi Vari MRSS