New Residency Programme
2021 saw the launch of a new residency programme. Each residency lasts for a minimum of four weeks giving the artists time to get to know their surroundings and enjoy the peace of Deskryside.
Clashnettie welcomes all ages, nationalities and art forms and encourages collaborations between artists.
This opportunity would suit an individual artist, an artist with a family or a small group of artists.
Monthly rent has been kept to a minimum of £500 for the Arts Centre and £50 for the painting studio, excluding bills.
For further details and applications, contact Helen at helen@helendenerley.co.uk
Recent Residencies
Ana Kapodistria
July 2023
"At Clashnettie, I found myself immersed in an idyllic setting to focus on my creative work. With space away from the everyday, one could tune into the solitude and be inspirited by the surrounding nature. The house itself is a delight; peaceful, spacious, warm. Complete with house martins: the sweetest accompaniment to anyone’s morning coffee. I would spend my days alternating between walking on up the track with my camera and working indoors. I mostly photograph outdoors; the ability to access nature with my equipment by foot was invaluable to me. Indoors, I could be found in reverie looking out the windows to watch birds, sheep, and Helen’s sculptures; all providing such joy and an ambience of inspiration. Months later, I continue to process and unpack the work that resulted from this residency. I am very thankful for this magical place!"
Pauline Murray
June 2023
"It's not every day that you can look out of your window (sober) and see a giant iguana staring down a flock of sheep - but you can at Clashnettie! It is just one example of the quirky delights to be found around the place.
As a visual artist, I came here without a fixed idea or project in mind. I hoped that the surroundings and the peace and quiet would stimulate a creative response - and so it turned out.
I did a lot of looking, thinking, note-taking, photography, painting and collage, and came away with a basketful of ideas. I thoroughly recommend it.
Thank you, Helen...and Corrie, for making me welcome."
Phoebe Banks
May 2023
"Living at Clashnettie Arts Centre for a month was a joy. Coming into the quiet, or relative quiet (the grinders are loud and birds louder), gave me time and space to focus on my art practice away from my day job and other commitments. Making sculpture in tandem with Helen, her in the workshop and me in the painting studio, was fun and motivational. Wandering along the Deskry, sitting together and watching wildlife, slowly forming ideas; just some of many experiences at Clashnettie that will stay with me."
Lindsey Butcher
February 2022
My month at Clashnettie gave me the much-needed space to immerse myself in the less outward facing aspects of my practice - namely that of fundraising, buoyed by restorative walks in that landscape and glorious light and sun filled days.
When the admin all got too much for me, I could simply open the back door and remind myself of why I do what I do.
And the main room downstairs, (whilst not necessarily designed for that) also makes for the most wonderful dance studio -so much space both inside and out makes for more freedom in body and mind, amen to that!
Thanks so much Helen for your generous hospitality and Corrie for accompanying me on some of my wanderings, I’ll definitely be back.
Lindsey Butcher - aerial dance artist
Jude Dinham-Price
Autumn 2021
"Clashnettie is gifted to be surrounded by a wealth of wildlife which provides a photographer and naturalist, hours of enjoyment and interest. Whilst working on a conservation placement, I exploited this rich array of subjects to produce some images which I believe represent the local area and some of its nationally scarce species."
Ben Vardi
'In summer 2020, Rory and I stayed for a couple weeks in the Clashnettie Arts centre to continue working on our debut album as 'Zazim'. Zazim is a music project that's focussing on the intersection of Scottish Traditional music & electronic dance music. At the time, we both lived in Glasgow and didn't have access to a studio space. As the record was drawing on Scottish culture we wanted to make some of the music in the Highlands. Clashnettie was an amazing place to do this work. The space was inviting and calm, and Helen was a fantastic host. We set up a pop-up studio in the main room and finished (mostly) the record in front of the open fire.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time there and I look forward to returning for another creative retreat soon.
Thank you Helen!'
Ariella Green and Jonathan Green
Summer 2021
Textile artist Ariella Green and painter Jonathan Green.
David Bavin
Spring 2021
“Clashnettie is all about space. Space to create, to breathe, to think, to observe the weather, the light, and the wild world of the glen. As a naturalist coming up from Wales, it was an expansive experience to step into the soundscape of bubbling curlew, black grouse, lapwing, snipe, common sandpiper on the burn, and the raucous geese - the sounds of spring in the uplands, preceding the joyous arrival of the swallows and house martins that nest in the eves of the buildings. A pair of kites would float at eye level over the soggy bottom of the Deskry flood plain, whilst exhilarating moments were snatched with goshawk, hen harrier and osprey. Helen and Corrie generously allowed me to share that space, so I could work, explore, and stretch my legs.”
Rebecca Birrel and Sam Buchan-Watts
November 2020
"It is hard to express just how nourishing The Clashnettie Arts Centre has been for my work: it has been an invaluable, transformative and magically fortuitous month. The house itself is a dream: there is so much light in every room, and seemingly at all hours of the day, with multiple perfect places to settle down and write, and magnificent landscape unfolding outside each window. Even the most difficult deadlines and impossible edits have been eased by the environment: I cannot imagine having got through the work anywhere else. If sustaining attention and concentration are what you are struggling with, as I was, the seclusion of Clashnettie on top of the hugely idyllic surroundings would without a doubt help: there are no distractions, and everything is set up to encourage you to write. As the guiding spirit of the Clashnettie Arts Centre, Helen is attentive, interested and immensely interesting — her support throughout the month has been both motivating and clarifying to my process and ideas."
Jenny Sturgeon
2019
"Clashnettie Arts Centre is a vital, creative space - the perfect place to spend time developing and creating work. I spent a week here recording an album and it was the most relaxing recording experience I've ever had. A lovely cottage nestled in a beautiful landscape - cosy, peaceful, inspiring and with a very comfy bed!"