[LAUIL602] Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) Yorkshire Graduate Award 2021

 

YSP Opportunity Information

I came across this opportunity for the YSP graduate award 2021 for the chance to win £500, a residency of up to four weeks at the sculpture park, onsite accommodation, access to facilities including metal and wood workshops, studio space and half a day with the technical team through the Leeds Arts Union instagram page. The deadline ruminated at the back of my mind and as it approached closer I knew I had to try and enter. bI kept the below information

• To submit application to curators@ysp.org.uk before 2pm on Monday, 31 May 2021

• To submit a 5 page PDF including a short statement on current practice, any information on final degree show, images of work and simple outline of plans if I were to win the residency.

Here is my 5 page PDF:

 

 Reflection: Regardless of whether I win the residency or not, I want to reflect on how proud I feel right now. I feel such a huge sense of achievement that I haven't felt in a very long time. I kept fighting the aggressive and pessimistic voice in my head that said, "You won't get this. Why would you? Why are you even trying? Someone sighted who isn't a health and safety risk is going to get it."

Perhaps so. No matter what, I fought that voice. I fought that self-doubt and I fought all of my visual barriers to get into Photoshop and try to design something, using many snap grids, to give myself a chance. That is the difference between the Kim of now and the Kim of last year who didn't even try, didn't know what her practice was, where she was headed or what she was doing after retinal detachment. 

I have worked so hard this past year, outside of university and in my own time, to figure out what I was interested in and worked at that constantly - even when the chips were down and I was at my worst. Now it is about making connections, continuing to push against my self-doubt and believing in myself. There is a spark of self-belief and I have to keep adding wood to that fire.

Now that I have submitted t one opportunity, it will get easier. This feels like a personal celebration. Not because I've won anything, but because I've took the time and effort to make this PDF application and dared to try.