Cove Park

Cove Park is an artists residency centre located on an outstanding rural site on Scotland's west coast. Their residencies support the development of new work by national and international artists, groups and organisations working in all art forms. Cove Park’s unique programme of residencies, commissions and collaborative projects respond to and support the diversity of contemporary artistic practice in all the art forms. They host national and international artists from all cultures and career stages. They create a supportive and stimulating context in which new work and ideas can be developed, tested and shared. The bespoke and award-winning spaces they provide for residents and visitors to live, meet and work in, are located on an outstanding site overlooking Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde, just one hour from Glasgow, on Scotland’s west coast.

Founded in 1999 by Peter and Eileen Jacobs, Cove Park is a charity funded by Creative Scotland, by trusts and foundations and by the generosity of individuals. Since 2000, Cove Park has hosted over 1,500 artists and their former residents include Margaret Atwood, Ann Carson, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Mariana Castillo Deball, Alasdair Gray, Beca Lipscombe, Tom Morris, Ciara Phillips, Elizabeth Price, Charlotte Prodger, Simon Starling, Christos Tsiolkas, Louise Welsh and Jan Verwoert.

They develop residency programmes in partnership with leading national and international companies, art schools and organisations, including Arts Initiative Tokyo, Fuel Theatre, Glasgow School of Art, The Lighthouse, National Theatre of Scotland, The Royal Opera House and Sadler’s Wells. They host and facilitate residencies devised and led by prominent organisations, such as BBC Scotland, Cryptic and Playwrights Studio Scotland. They also commission new work and work collaboratively with partners on major international projects such as Scotland + Venice 2019.

Cove Park creates year-round residencies in all the art forms for national and international artists, collaborative groups and organisations. Cove Park provides a supportive context in which artists can devise new projects, experiment and engage with artists working in different fields or with different approaches to their practice. They ensure that those artists who wish to develop new ideas without the constraints of the completion of a final piece of work are free to do so. Residencies can have a focus on the following disciplines: visual arts, crafts and design, literature, translation, film, performing arts and music.
Some residencies are directly funded by Cove Park and take place per open call (with deadline in the autumn each year).
Some residencies are self-funded and take place in the off season. Please email [email protected] to check availability on your preferred dates.

Residents stay in private, self-catering accommodation set across Cove Park’s 50-acre site. If required, one of Cove Park’s five studios can be reserved. All residents have 24-hour access to the Artists Centre, its communal kitchen, dining area, library, meeting and work spaces. Cove Park can accommodate groups of up to 14 individuals.
Cove Park’s fully accessible Artists Centre, the Jacobs Building, was opened in 2016. Adjoining the Artists Centre are 2 new bedrooms, each with a desk, en suite wet room and kitchenette. Each bedroom has its own studio. For more information please see the Accommodation Overview.

• Two studios at 29sqm with direct access to accommodation in the Jacobs Building.
• Three studios at 30sqm housed in fully insulated, converted shipping containers.

Workshop tools and basic equipment, including a 60-liter kiln, residents may need to bring any specialised equipment or materials that they require.

Cove Park is located on an outstanding site overlooking Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde, just one hour from Glasgow, on Scotland’s west coast.