Archaeostrata
The Residency
22nd to 26th March 2027
People, Place and Pilgrimage Residency Application form
As a collaboration, this residency focuses on people, place and pilgrimage.
We are working in collaboration with of A Sometimes Project - an experimental arts initiative that aims to create opportunities for artists and audiences, at different locations, some of the time. A Sometimes Project is a non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC)
Through the temporalities of place, Archaeostrata brings together a collective of four artists and archaeologists mapping the ancient, layered landscapes of the South West.
Looking particularly at the neolithic and bronze age stone circles of Dartmoor and Somerset, we interpret the land through archaeology, phenomenology, art and walking. Our praxis is a meeting point of art and science.
To join our dialogue we'd love you to join us for our residency on Dartmoor at Brimpts Farm in the heart of the moor above Dartmeet.
We operate at the intersection of art and archaeology, where this interdisciplinary approach allows research to meet creative practice and the boundaries between the two merge. We will be Interpreting the land on ancient pathways of the moor which offer a palimpsest of time, histories, landscape and environment.
The act of walking as praxis, opens up new ways of environmental 'knowing' that shape and are shaped by ritual, habit and inscription.
We invite you to join us, bring your practice, be challenged, be inspired, be productive, inspire others.
We are aiming for a collaborative and creative environment that supports artists of all disciplines, writers, musicians, archaeologists, environmentalists, historians, crafters, and people connected to Dartmoor.
To take your application a step further please fill out the form and tell us about your practice.
4 nights and 3 days (one evening and one morning too) of workshops, walkshops, talks, making sessions, ritual processions, delicious food, comfy beds, convivial down time, acres of private space, and a real turbo-charge for your creative juices.
Expect immersion in ancient landscapes, in embodiment and landscape, stone bothering, wild pony watching, deep time, long walks, open fires, experimental textiles, experimental ritual, and the night sky.
Dartmoor National Park covers an area of 368 square miles (954 sq km) and contains the largest concentration of Bronze Age remains in the country.
Participating in this residency will give you unique insights into some of the remains of over 5,000 Bronze Age houses or huts, stone rows, stone circles and other features. We will step into the deep time history of this locale with a focus on an artistic praxis of sensory engagement and the human body as an artistic tool.
The residency is self-funded at a subsidised rate of £800.
The fee of £800 is payable in 4 installments: A Non Refundable deposit of £200 within 10 days of your application being successful, then 3 further payments, with the last one being no later than March 1st 2027.
Bursary Opportunity
The Frances Staniforth Memorial Bursary is kindly funded by Dartmoor Preservation Association.
The bursary deadline application is the 1st December 2026
For over 140 years, the Dartmoor Preservation Association has been at the forefront of campaigning for the protection and conservation of Dartmoor National Park. Their dedicated team have worked tirelessly on a range of different projects to protect the unique landscape of Dartmoor, including preserving the area's archaeology and restoring its natural habitats and wildlife.
Find out more here: https://dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/
The Frances Staniforth Memorial bursary, means that we can offer the residency at £300, to an applicant.
The Frances Staniforth Memorial Bursary is for an artist whose work is immersed in the Bronze age and Neolithic histories of Britain, with an interest in sensory engagements with ancient landscapes. It is for a mature artist, and one who might otherwise struggle to afford to attend.
To apply for the bursary please tell us about your practice by filling in the form below.
Frances Staniforth’s artistic practice and research investigated the landscape features and artefacts from prehistory when, as far as we can know, the making of art for cultural, spiritual and aesthetic purposes was integrated into everyday life. Her work was informed - indeed immersed - in the Bronze and Neolithic remains on Dartmoor (where she lived), museum archives and archaeological texts.
Frances encouraged Laura, as Creative Producer for A Sometimes Project - to host a residency on Dartmoor in the Winter of 2025. (And she encouraged all of us in so many more ways besides). She recommended Alan Endacott as a local archaeologist whose knowledge of Neolithic Dartmoor is second to none. She was also very excited to be working with Fay Stevens, an Oxford academic with a focus on embodied archaeology. The residency was an astounding success, with an international cohort of artists, writers and archaeologists coming together to collaborate on creative enquiries into embodied archaeology.
Recently, Alan, Fay, A Sometimes Project (Laura Denning and Caroline Mawdsley) and an artist called Sarah Sidders whose practice fascinated Frances, came together to shape another residency. As we met over zoom throughout January and February, Frances - her artistic practice, her care-full and meticulous approach, and her willingness to experiment and collaborate, was someone we cited often as the ‘ideal participant’ we were shaping our ideas for.
Event summary
Location
Brimpts Farm, Yelverton, Dartmoor
Date
22nd March to 26th March 2027
Monday 22nd March 2027
Tuesday 23d March 2027
Wednesday 24th March 2027
Thursday 25th March 2027
Friday 26th March 2027
AM:
AM:
walk on the moor
AM:
walkshop sensory practice
AM:
Making/thinking/preparing
AM:
Pack up and out by 9.30
Morning walk from Dartmeet
PM:
Arrive from 5pm
PM: Making/thinking/preparing
PM:
Quiet making time and reflection
PM:
Procession and pilgrimage
PM:
Evening:
eat together
Warm introductions
Talk by Alan Endacott 'Dartmoor Ritual Landscape'
Evening:
eat together
Talk by Fay Stevens on Sensory Engagement
Evening:
eat together
Talk by Sarah Sidders Our Copes and interdisciplinary practice
Evening:
eat together
Led by Laura Denning Final by night experience
The itinerary is subject to change, notably the weeks forecast and we will have wet weather contingency plans in place
Contact Us
for questions and inquires please do email us at
asometimesproject@gmail.com
A Sometimes Project CIC is registered with Companies House.
Registered address: 3 Farleigh, Howton Lane, Newton Abbot, Devon, UK, TQ12 6NJ