Open Call - Root, Rest, Flourish
The Barn is seeking two or three artists to assist with the delivery our new participatory arts and nature project, Root, Rest, Flourish.
Root, Rest, Flourish offers a grounded and creative approach to supporting adult mental health and wellbeing: a seasonal, artist-led programme of small-group workshops, bringing together creativity, connection and nature. The programme is designed for the specific rural context of Deeside, a community where research has highlighted the challenges of loneliness, isolation and anxiety faced by many people, and where clinical and traditional support services are stretched thin.
The project has been made possible thanks to a grant from The Health Lottery Foundation. With thanks to players of The Health Lottery, over £500,000 has been distributed to 29 organisations across the UK with the aim of making a tangible difference to the health and wellbeing of thousands of people in England, Scotland and Wales.
Running with the rhythm of the seasons, the workshops make use of the Barn’s indoor spaces and beautiful gardens to create safe, supportive environments for hands-on activities designed to calm the nervous system and foster a sense of collaborative creativity. Participants will be referred through GP and social prescribing networks, as well as recovery services and charity partners. Groups will be capped at 15 participants to accommodate complex needs.
We recognise that isolation, anxiety or other mental health challenges are frequently gendered experiences: in that context, we are giving consideration to different group formats, are in discussion with community partners about the best way to go about that. We would be keen to discuss this with applicants before confirming the details.
Call for Participatory Artists
The Barn is inviting applications from participatory artists with a trauma-informed practice to work alongside our lead artist Kirsty Strang-Roy.
You might work in visual arts, printmaking, creative writing, movement, music or gardening as creative practice. Each block focuses on distinct seasonal themes, and we welcome artists' own proposals within these provocations:
Winter Rest (Jan / Feb 2027): Stillness, quiet reflection and restorative indoor practice. We honour the radical act of rest inside the safe container of the workshop space.
Wild Spring (Apr / May): We move gradually into movement, sound and expressive writing, inviting participants to explore their own agency.
Summer Flourish (Jul / Aug): Work becomes more visible and celebratory. Together we notice how far the group has come, and pause to reflect before the busyness of summer.
Autumn Harvest (Sep / Oct): We gather materials from the world around us and from our own memories, then build a sense of safety through small, shared acts of making.
Working alongside our lead artist and intended outcomes and evaluation framework, each artist will:
Design and deliver one or two hands-on and accessible workshops within each seasonal block, a total of between four and eight workshops. Each workshop would be for around two hours, including time for participants to rest and reflect. These would be planned in consultation with the Lead Artist, and then delivered by the artist, with practical support from the Barn staff team as required.
Create a safe, welcoming space and adapt activities to participants’ needs.
Reflect on participant evaluation, and discuss with the lead artist and Barn team.
We are looking for artists who are:
Experienced in participatory arts, ideally with wellbeing, mental health or recovery communities.
Trauma-informed and flexible, comfortable working with complex needs. The Barn and the Lead Artist will work with artists to ensure appropriate safeguarding and participant support arrangements.
Interested in ecology, environmental practice and place-based creativity.
Warm, nurturing and supportive in manner.
We’re especially keen to hear from artists with experience of working with gender-specific groups.
We particularly encourage applications from artists based in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and the wider North East of Scotland. However, applications from artists based further afield are welcome and will be considered on their merits.
Payment
Fees will be agreed with successful artists, and will be based on the Scottish Artists Union Recommended Rates of Pay: £183.20 for each half-day, to include one two-hour workshop as well as workshop preparation time. Workshop materials and other out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed separately.
How to apply
Please send us:
1. Your CV or a brief introduction to yourself, your practice and your experience
2. A short statement explaining why you’re interested in this project, and how your practice connects with the project.
Please send these to Adam Pushkin, Co-Director a.director@thebarnarts.co.uk
Application deadline: Monday 30th November 2026
We will aim to confirm artists by mid-December 2026.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Barn is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from artists of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences and are committed to creating an accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please let us know and we will do our best to support you.
We welcome applications in alternative formats. You may submit your application as a video (maximum 3 minutes) instead of in writing. Please provide examples of relevant work as a separate attachment (PDF, portfolio, or links where appropriate). If you require another format or have any access requirements, please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss how we can support your application.
