Rocky Climates

Rocky Climates is an experimental practice-based research network, developed by Sarah Casey, Jen Southern and Rebecca Birch that brings together artists and researchers who are concerned with the mobilities and instabilities (temporal, spatial, cultural, environmental) of landscapes in uncertain times.

The network was initiated in summer of 2021 in a series of Zoom meetings; ‘Conversations with rocks’, hosted by participating artists and researchers from rocky environments. The meetings tested a form of remote fieldwork, where we used Zoom as a portal to connect sensorially and materially to the different locations, creating space for experimenting together, thinking and making with the environments and with each other.

In September 2022 we worked with Arthouses to host Rock Up!, a series of 7 conversations from St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay.

Currently participating artists are:

Livi Adu, Ellie Barratt, Gudrun Filipska, Anthony Hall, Fritha Jenkins, Simone Kenyon, Paula Kolar, Signe Liden, Matterlurgy (Helena Hunter and Mark Peter Wright), Sarah Simblet, Dominic Smith, Rob Smith, Emma Stibbon, Nina Wakeford and Joanna Taylor.

We are currently working towards funding further network activity, and welcome new participants. The network and new funding applications are structured to enable salaried researchers to work alongside precariously employed or self-employed artists on equal and fair terms.

With thanks for support from LICA (Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts) and Cemore (Centre for Mobilities Research)at Lancaster University.