RBG Kew Artist in Residence Feasibility Study

HS Projects was selected by RBG Kew in early 2019, following a tendering process, to undertake a feasibility study for an Artist in Residence programme at Kew Gardens.

Kew Gardens offers vast potential, there is not a comparable organisation in the UK in terms of its 300 acres of Gardens and global leading scientific institution. Historically Kew Gardens has had artists in residence from time to time and artists regularly visit and make work in the Gardens.

Following extensive research during the Feasibility Study, we determined how a structured and planned Artist in Residence programme that connects to Kew Gardens’ programme, its collections, scientific work, and legacy, can be viable and sustainable and contribute to an increase in visitors. We looked at past Artist in Residence initiatives at Kew Gardens, conducted interviews across different departments within Kew Gardens, consulted relevant research and strategy documents and liaised with a number of UK organisations with established Artist in Residence programmes.

We set out an overall vision for the Artist in Residence programme, its goals and objectives and recommended next steps. We identified its benefits, risks and challenges and offered practical considerations, while looking at how an Artist in Residence programme can further establish Kew Gardens as a unique place nationally and internationally, known both for its leading scientific initiatives and as an exciting leading centre of excellence in innovative Artist in Residence initiatives.