Sharon Dipity & E.R. Murray
Conversations between two typewriters
Studio 1
8 January to 3 February 2024

Open Studio Days: Monday and Friday.

Typewriter - A studio residency to research the written word and a performative element using two vintage typewriters:

Through conversations between two Brother Deluxe manual typewriters, the artists will explore making new work while experimenting with the written word. Their investigations will include poetry, prose, call-and-response methods, visual poems, and sound pieces. They will work with constraints such as lipograms (omitting the use of specific letters) and also research traditional shorthand methods.

This residency offers the chance for both artists to expand their usual disciplines in terms of prolonged use of a different medium (typewriters). Collaborative exploration and play between a variety disciplines (mark making, the written word, signs and symbols, movement) will allow both artists to push the boundaries of their practice. Working with chance will be central to the residency, and this will be enhanced by the transience of creating bespoke pieces for the public.

“My practice is enveloped in the process, it is experimental and playful often embracing chance. While words are an important part of my visual arts practice, they will be the central focus in this residency. “ Sharon dipity

“Writing is often driven by constraints such as deadlines, word counts, and publication demands, so space for play is minimal. Visual arts is part of my creative process, but not usually linked to my writing, and so this residency allows me to blur boundaries and explore new ways of working.” E. R. Murray

Public Engagement
The artists will offer a bespoke creation service for members of the public based on a specific set of criteria. Responding to each person, they will create, type, and present personalised creations for collection. These will be documented to display as a collection.

The artists are also interested in engaging with people who have shorthand and/or traditional typewriter experience.

Sharon Dipity is a multi-disciplinary visual artist working across the media of drawing, sculpture, printmaking, painting, textiles, performance, installation and participatory arts. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Scenography from U.C.E, Birmingham; and a B.A. Honours Degree in Textiles from Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Recent achievements are The line has two sides, Cork County Council and Uillinn Artist partnership Bealtaine Residency 2023; Bridging the Imagination, Agility Award- The Arts Council; ‘Following the Line’, Creative Artist Bursary Award, Cork County Council, 2022; Chance encounters/ encounter balancE residency, Uillinn 2022; 'Leap of Faith' solo show/residency at Working Artist Studios (2019); ‘Journeys’, commission for Blackrock Hall Primary Care Centre, Cork(2015).

Sharon has been devising and delivering aspects of the public engagement programme at the West Cork Arts Centre for more than 15 years, most notably in Arts and Health and Children’s Programmes.

You can learn more about Sharon on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sharondipity_art/ and Face Book https://www.facebook.com/Sharon-Dipity-Artist-4921285641779/ 

Elizabeth Rose Murray writes in multiple genres for children, young adults, and adults. Her books include Caramel Hearts (Alma Books) and the award-winning Nine Lives Trilogy (Mercier Press); The Book of Learning (Dublin UNESCO Citywide Read 2016), The Book of Shadows (shortlisted Irish Literacy Association Award & Irish Book Awards), and The Book of Revenge. 

Recent anthology and journal publications include I Am The Wind (Little Island) Wild Wonders (Natural World Publishing), Women on Nature (Unbound Press), The Elysian: Creative Responses (Arlen House), Reading the Future (Arlen House), Mslexia, Trasna, Waxed Lemon, Popshots, Banshee, Terrain, Not Very Quiet, Ropes, and Channel Magazine. 

A recipient of an Arts Council Bursary in 2018 and Professional Development Awards in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Elizabeth’s previous residencies include Belgrade Artist Studios – Serbia, Gulkistan – Iceland, Tyrone Guthrie Centre – Ireland (awarded by Children’s Books Ireland), Obras – Portugal, Varuna – Australia (awarded by Tyrone Guthrie Centre), Greywood Arts – Ireland, and Mauser Foundation – Costa Rica.

You can learn more about Elizabeth on Instagram, Facebook and ermurray.com.

WCAC acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Cork County Council in making these residencies possible.