The Nest

A MIDWEEK CUCKOO ATE MY CRANKIE

| Charlie

Prashant Kansara reflects on a Talking Birds Hatching residency…

My residency at Talking Birds took place earlier this year over five super sunny summer days in July. Three months have passed since that time and I’m surprised at how much the experience impacted the way I work now. 

I’d learned of this residency programme the previous summer during one of the Nestival of Ideas talks and was keen to apply when the chance came around. When I heard that my proposal was accepted I was delighted yet still a bit apprehensive since I’d never done a residency before. However, soon after starting I realised that it was pretty much what it said on the tin: time and space to develop my creative idea in a supportive and stress-free environment.

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It was a whole thing

| Charlie

Lily Smith reflects on her Hatching Residency at Talking Birds

Being provided with time, space, and money to do something you love has the ability to change your life. As a freelancer, finding even one of these can prove a mission, and we rarely get the freedom to indulge in our creation without a healthy balance between the three. 

I have played guitar for 8 years, but I’ve never made a song. I began performing with different singers around Coventry, working on their songs, composing for talented artists, yet I struggled whenever I sat down with myself. 

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WHY DO WE PARTICIPATE IN THE EXPLOITATION OF OTHERS AND OURSELVES?

| Charlie

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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Ten Days of Freedom

| Charlie

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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I may have brought too much equipment…

| Charlie

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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A Solid Blue Portal

| Charlie

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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More Than Human

| Charlie

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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The Light is Important

| Charlie

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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This Space is All Mine

| Charlie

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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colour, pain and sound

| Charlie

Veronica Grant reflects on her Hatching Residency

During my Nest residency, I found myself filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. I had eagerly applied and been accepted, but I also felt the weight of my own expectations and the pressure to create something great during my time there.

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