Organizer Information
Over the Bridge is a photography exchange and collaborative network connecting photographers across Grimsby, Hull, and Scunthorpe in the Humber region of England. Delivered in partnership with Our Big Picture, Artlink Hull | 87 Gallery, and Fountain Arts, the project celebrates regional talent and builds a stronger, connected photography community across the Humber through workshops, mentoring, and exhibitions. Its programming includes Bridge Sessions, a series of workshops, talks, and networking events across the three locations, and Bridge the Gap, a peer-mentoring platform pairing photographers from different towns and backgrounds. This residency is offered in partnership with Fountain Arts, a Scunthorpe-based arts organisation, and is supported by North Lincolnshire Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of Cultural Futures, a multi-year initiative to increase arts, heritage, and cultural opportunities in North Lincolnshire.
Title & Description
Photography Residency & Commission: North Lincolnshire
Over the Bridge, in partnership with Fountain Arts, is offering a paid artist residency and photographic commission for an emerging (or re-emerging) photographer to develop a new body of work responding to the stories, communities, and cultural heritage of North Lincolnshire. The residency is built around the question "How do we tell the story of a place?" and is intended for a photographer curious about place, community, and visual storytelling who is ready to take the next step in their practice with professional support.
The successful applicant will identify a community, heritage site, or landscape connecting to their interests and practice, beginning with a research period to explore, build relationships, and shape ideas before creating new work. Working alongside local communities, archives, heritage organisations, and local partners, the artist will be supported to produce a thoughtful and original response to North Lincolnshire, exploring identity, landscape, and everyday life. The residency culminates in a public exhibition of the newly commissioned work at Fountain Arts in Scunthorpe in January 2027, with additional opportunities to engage local audiences through artist talks, workshops, or other public events.
Theme
How do we tell the story of a place? — the residency asks the selected photographer to respond to the histories, communities, and cultural heritage of North Lincolnshire, exploring local history, everyday life, overlooked spaces, changing landscapes, and the voices of people who live and work in the area.
Categories
- Photography
- Residency
- Public Art
- Curatorial
- Research
- Culture
Eligibility
- Emerging or re-emerging photographers
- Based in North Lincolnshire, have a connection to the area, or have a strong interest in working there
- Early in their career, recent graduates, or returning to photography after time away
- Have not yet had a solo exhibition or comparable supported residency within the last three years
- Particular interest sought in photographers excited by socially engaged practice, documentary, landscape, portraiture, or other approaches exploring the relationship between people and place
- Applications welcomed from photographers from all backgrounds, with encouragement for those currently underrepresented within the arts
Program Benefits & Awards
- Paid artist commission of £2,000
- One-to-one mentoring from Over the Bridge
- Curatorial guidance and professional development
- Production support throughout the project
- Introductions to local communities, heritage organisations, and partners through Fountain Arts
- Support to develop community engagement activity where appropriate
- Public exhibition of the commissioned work at Fountain Arts, Scunthorpe, in January 2027
- Opportunities to engage local audiences through artist talks, workshops, or other public events
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 24 August 2026
- Interviews: Week commencing 31 August 2026
- Residency Period: September 2026 – March 2027
- Exhibition at Fountain Arts: January 2027
Location
North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- The project is made possible with support from North Lincolnshire Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of Cultural Futures, a multi-year initiative to expand arts, heritage, and cultural opportunities for North Lincolnshire
- The residency is designed to encourage experimentation, learning, and meaningful engagement with local heritage, identity, and landscape
- Over the Bridge more broadly connects photographers across Grimsby, Hull, and Scunthorpe through workshops, mentoring, and exhibitions