The studios at Hospitalfield have provided artists time and space to develop and create their work for over 170 years. When Hospitalfield was founded in 1902 as an art school, it was conceived as a ‘rural experiment’: a place for artists and art education by the sea. The two vast stone built painting studios were constructed as an expansion of the much smaller, but still very grand, 19th century studio that artist Patrick Allan Fraser built for himself circa 1850. This suite of three studios were state of the art for their time. The basis of the architecture of these studios was to provide artists with space and consistent light for painting and drawing. Now over a century old, the studios are still considered to be some of the most inspiring spaces for artists to make work in Scotland. We can feel the presence of that history of the many artists who have spent time thinking and working in these spaces.
A new ’21st Century Studio’ will house a Live Studio Space, a Recording Studio with sound proofing and a new wet Dark Room. We recognise from talking to artists how important it is to have digital alongside analogue facilities. This new studio will enable us to better support the working habits of artists who come to Hospitalfield to create, edit, develop, record, shoot and mix their work. We are currently developing partnerships with a number of organisations in Scotland, the UK and Internationally who specialise in supporting moving-image art works and time based art works and would love to hear from you.
In late November 2022 we began Phase Two of our Future Plan. At the heart of the development is the restoration of these studios with the addition of a new 21st Century studio specifically designed for moving-image, sound and digital work. The studios are due to be complete in February 2024 with the Graduate Programme residency making first use of the spaces in March.
The Trust feels that their restoration is of the utmost importance and they are delighted to be working with architects Caruso St John and conservation architects Simpson Brown to achieve this, and in addition, create a new working environment that responds to the pace of change within artists’ practices today.
Artists in the Studios at Hospitalfield
Artists have been using the studios to create their work for over 170 years. With the Future Plan restoration and expansion of the Studio Facilities here at Hospitalfield, we are able to ensure that they can continue to be used for at least another century to come.
Photos:
1-2. From the Archives of University of Dundee in the early 20th century.
3. Mary Redmond works with Hospitalfield Volunteers to create the Annual Sculpture Commission in 2018.
4. A studio visit between artist Rhea Storr and LUX Scotland Director Kitty Anderson in Autumn 2019. Photo by Yevgen Nikiforov.
5. Sound of Yell play in the Patrick Allan Fraser Studio in Autumn 2018.
6. Sarah Rose’s installation Byproduct in Spring 2019.
7. Zoe White’s dolphins for the Annual Children’s Process in Summer 2018.
8. Performance by Wojciech Kosma in the FIELDWORK International Summer School 2017.
9. Workshop at BLUSH Summer Weekend in 2016. Photo by Ross Mclean.
10. Tamara Henderson building her work in the Studios in 2016.
11. Photo by Dan Shay of film-making workshop at Hospitalfield.
Supporters
The Second Phase of the Future Plan, including the artists’ studios, has been generously supported by Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland, Foyle Foundation, The Robertson Trust, Garfield Weston Trust, William Grant Foundation, The Pilgrim Trust, The Architectural Heritage Fund, The Leng Trust, Aberbrothock Skea Trust, Mushroom Trust, Northwood Trust and the Scott Finnis Foundation.
The Future Plan has been approved by the Tay Cities Joint Committee and approves the allocation of £5.5million funding from Scottish Government to the project subject to match funding being secured.
The Tay Cities Deal is a partnership between local, Scottish and UK governments and the private, academic and voluntary sectors which seeks to create a smarter and fairer Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth & Kinross under the headings Inclusive Tay; Innovative Tay; International Tay; Connected Tay and An Empowered Tay.
In total, the 26 projects submitted require investment of £700 million of which £300 million over 10 years is being put in by the UK Government and Scottish Government, subject to final approval of robust business cases.
If every project and programme set out in the submission is funded and delivered, up to 6,000 job opportunities could be created across the tourism, food and drink, creative industries, eco innovation, digital, decommissioning, engineering, biomedical and health and care sectors.