Inspection Pit Artist Residency 2027

Inspection Pit is a not-for-profit contemporary art space in West Sussex, housed in a converted barn that once served as a garage for vintage cars — the sunken inspection pit in its floor gave the organisation its name. It sits beside a working farm near the South Downs and presents three exhibitions a year, one of which is reserved for its artist resident.

The 2027 residency runs from 30 January to 27 February 2027. The selected artist stays on site for up to one month in private accommodation, free of charge, with a dedicated studio for independent work and a bicycle available for use in the local area. A £500 bursary is paid at the start of the residency to help with personal expenses. The artist provides their own food and studio materials and covers travel, transportation and day-to-day living costs.

Approximately six months after the residency ends, the resident may be invited to present a body of work in a solo exhibition at the space. This is a real pathway rather than a nominal one: the 2025 resident Danilo Zocatelli, who completed an MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art, showed his photography and video project VIADO at Inspection Pit in May 2026.

The call is worded openly, for "artists" across the visual and creative arts, without naming individual media. Photographers should read that as an invitation rather than a hedge: the space gave Zocatelli his solo show, and its 2023 exhibition SAHAR was made with Sirkhane Darkroom, the photography workshop working with children in southeast Turkey. No age or residence restriction is published, and there is no application fee.

To apply, download the application form from the residency page and email it, with a 150-word artist statement, a digital portfolio of up to six images, and two character references, to inspectionpit.uk@gmail.com. The deadline is 5 August 2026. Artists selected for interview are notified by 21 August 2026, interviews take place on 1 September, and the 2027 resident is notified by 4 September 2026.