Emerging artists based in Sandwell and the wider Black Country are invited to apply to the Blast Creative Network (BCN) residency programme 2025-26. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 24 June 2025 at midnight.

Now in its fourth year, the residency programme is held in partnership between Multistory and The Wolverhampton School of Art. The residencies provide funding, time, a studio and support for five emerging Sandwell and Black Country artists each year. A purpose built art school, the WSoA houses specialised workshops (print, ceramic, wood, plastics, metal, textiles and glass workshops, fine art, design and photography), which are inaccessible for many artists currently not in art education.

Artists in residence will each receive a fee of £1,350, inclusive of travel, and have access to a production budget of £300 towards the creation of new work. Residencies are 3 weeks long and based at WSoA, in Wolverhampton city centre, taking place monthly in October and November 2025, and in January, February and March 2026. The programme is supported through mentoring by Multistory, culminating in a day of talks and a showcase held in late Spring 2026, that shares a culmination of the work made and research, conversations and activities that took place during the artists’ residencies.

Access to the residency space is between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. The residency offers a secure, private workspace as well as access to shared workspaces in the photography studios. The WSoA is a wheelchair accessible building.

How to apply

Send your application and completed monitoring form to info@multistory.org.ukby the deadline at midnight on Tuesday 24 June 2024.

The selection panel will be made up of previous artist in residence Chantal Pitts, Jess Piette (Multistory) and Euripides Altintzoglou (The Wolverhampton School of Art). Receipt of your application will be confirmed via email, and we’ll be letting everyone know the outcome of the selection process.

Please email us your application as a single PDF attachment, or as a sound recording or video (no more than 5 minutes), along with a separate monitoring form. Click the button below to download the monitoring form.

Download the monitoring form

Within your application, please include:

• A statement describing your current work and practice, outlining your proposed activity for the residency, and which months you are available for the residency (max 300 words)
• A biography (max 200 words)
• Your CV (max 1 side A4)
• Documentation of your work: up to 10 images or links. Film and audio pieces should be linked to online. Excerpts of text max 1 x A4 page, or links to text published online.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone before applying, feel free to email info@multistory.org.uk to arrange an informal chat. 

Access

We are committed to ensuring the programme is fully accessible. Selected artists will be provided with an Access Rider to let us know what support they may need in order to participate in the programme.

If you’d like to talk with someone in the team before you apply or tell us if we can do anything to make the application and/or the selection process more accessible for you, please email info@multistory.org.uk or text/call 07562 980384.

About BCN

The Blast Creative Network offers local artists a free annual programme of talks, workshops, reading groups, and social events and is a space for mutual support and knowledge sharing. It was set up to provide artists in the local area opportunities for critical engagement and collaboration outside of formal arts education. Each year, the programme offers five funded residencies, a paid opportunity to share work in a group exhibition and series of art writing commissions for the newly launched journal the Printing Room.