Holly Clark reflects on a Nest Residency exploring our relationship with reality TV.
During lockdown, some learnt to play an instrument, others started a new craft, I binged watched reality TV. The more I watched the more I discovered, each coming with new appeals and new ethical issues. I knew the ethics and practices on these shows were dubious, there’s been deaths connected to them, yet I and many, many others still watched.
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Ania Bas reflects on her Talking Birds residency
I arrived at The Nest with the beginnings of an idea that I wanted to explore in a new and slower way. Parenthood and precarious living gives me less time to meander and not-know when it comes to art and writing. These days in precious minutes that I can dedicate to my practice I launch myself into working on half-formed material with its final look somewhat predetermined. That way of working definitely brings results but it also makes me less adventurous as I tend to opt for safe options and stick to a way of working that I’m already familiar with.
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Hannah Adereti reflects on their Talking Birds Residency, organised in partnership with MAIA
Do I know how to be with myself?
Honour all forms of creativity that emerge?
Should I always hone in or should I see what plains of the wild west of my imagination has to offer?
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Mandip Seehra reflects on his Talking Birds Nest Residency
When I heard that I was selected for a Nesting Residency by Talking Birds, it filled me with excitement and anticipation. The residency offer was given to me to help me focus and explore projects which I have been trying to find a route to creating. These projects are personal to me and are intertwined with each other.
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Jaz Morrison reflects on her Nest Residency in association with MAIA
I haven’t been on many residencies, so I wasn’t sure what to expect during my time at the Nest. I remember asking if Talking Birds had any expectations of me, despite reading that this was about using the time as I felt best. The commute was surprisingly long – around 90 minutes from door to door – but it allowed me time to read books I’d put off, and the walk from the station familiarised me with the city centre. I even ran into an old colleague in my final week.
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Lisa Franklin reflects on her Nest Residency
Back in April 2023, I had the opportunity to undertake an artist residency with Talking Birds at the Nest in Coventry, delving into the world of fungi and flora as artistic collaborators. This experience was transformative and allowed me to explore the intricate relationship between humans and the wider natural world in ways that I hadn’t imagined.
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Amy Kakoura reflects on her Talking Birds residency
Keep it to yourself, but there is something in Hotel 104. I don’t know how long it’s been following me.
I felt it moving around, the moment I asked to be here. It makes this dreadful, almost-sound, like a cough before it happens. I don’t look straight at it.
I keep my eyes forward these days.
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Izzy Hadlum reflects on her Nest residency
For my Artist Residency at the Nest I was interested in exploring Environmental Sound Art, responding to the urban environment surrounding The Nest itself, alongside Coventry Canal.
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Tizzie Frankish reflects on her nest residency
When I hear writers equate the writing journey with riding a roller coaster, I couldn’t agree more. It’s a cliché for a reason, right? A couple of years ago, my writing journey hit a bone-crushing low when my second agent left the industry, and I decided to get off the roller coaster. In fact, I shut down the writing-ride completely- which was fine for a year, until not writing began to feel just as disappointing as writing. Did this mean I was ready to get back on the writing-ride? Possibly… But did I want it to be the same ride…? Absolutely not! Destination Publication was no longer my ride of choice, but finding fun on ALL the rides was much more appealing (you can read all about these experiences here). Over the next year, I found joy in the creative process again- writing anything and everything, from pitches to proposals, to TV samples and scripts, articles and education, flash and non-fiction… and finding the fun in writing again sparked a new idea…
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Julia O’Connell reflects on her Hatching Residency
In early November I was fortunate to be a Nest resident. I submitted an application previously and had sprawled out a myriad of ideas for exploration given the chance to have two whole weeks of headspace. I was excited and nervous.
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Marianne White reflects on her Talking Birds Residency
Scroll down for text only version of Marianne’s blog.
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Corinne and Daisy reflect on their Remote Nest Residency.
I’m Corinne a disabled artist. This year marks my sixth year of spending almost every day confined to this same 2 by 1.5 metre space, my bed.
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Words from the Birds 