We caught up with funding recipient Jasmine Hextall, a Manx artist who was awarded a scholarship from Kingston University to attend a 10 day summer school program at the Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts in Salzburg, Austria.
Tell us about yourself and your project?
I am a 21 year old Manx resident studying fine art at Kingston University. I try to immerse myself in every medium and style and not stick to one specific technique. I make a lot of ceramics, textiles and mixed media painting with nature as the underlying theme of all my work. Being brought up on the Isle of Man I hold a lot of nostalgia toward the outdoors as my childhood was full of walks around the island, rock pooling with my family and swimming in the Manx sea.
I found out about Salzburg Summer Academy through my university as they offer scholarships that cover the course costs. I thought it sounded like an amazing experience, spending 2 weeks in Salzburg undergoing a course of my choice. I decided to try print making as it was something I had never done before and I want to try as many techniques as possible.
How did you find out about Isle of Man Arts Council and what funding was available to you?
Before going to Kingston University, I attended the Foundation Art & Design course at UCM. The teachers there made it known to students about the arts council and how if there was any art related project/ event we wanted to complete, the arts council may be able to support us.
What type of funding did you apply for?
So when I got accepted into Salzburg Summer Academy I applied for a grant to help with my travel/ accommodation and material costs for the 2 weeks I was going to spend in Salzburg.
How did the Isle of Man Arts Council help you?
The Arts council was very helpful in directing me in which funding to apply for and if I had any questions they would respond to my enquiries quickly. The whole application was really simple to complete and I managed to complete it all with a matter of days.
How did you find the application process for funding?
The whole application was really simple to complete and I managed to complete it all with a matter of days.
Would you have been able to do this without Isle of Man Arts Council funding?
I would not have been able to go and enjoy my time in Salzburg without the help of the arts council. Print making can get quite expensive with material costs. A copper plate can cost up to £30 for an A4 sized piece. So knowing I had the support of the arts council really made the summer course experience unforgettable as I could really experiment and get immersed in new techniques without having to worry about material costs.
What was your favourite part of the trip/experience?
The whole trip was amazing, the course was located in the art studios at Hohensalzburg Fortress which is a castle at the very top of Salzburg. We would spend every day there learning new techniques such as tetra pac printing and chine collé. After class and the weekends we would explore the old town markets and go swimming in the canal and lakes. I managed to even sell most of my work at the Studio open day on the last day of the course, which just made the whole trip for me.
How will the experiences from this trip help inspire your future work?
The experience has influenced my work greatly, I had no idea how many possibilities there are with print making and I definitely want to include it into my practice now.
Would you apply again to the Isle of Man Arts Council?
I would definitely apply to the Isle of Man Arts Council again whether it be for any more art focused trips or exhibitions/events. Thank you.
