In November and December 2025, Narva Art Residency (NART) will host an artist from the North East of England. During their stay in the Estonian border town, participants are invited to respond to the current shifting geopolitical landscape in Europe and develop work that explores borders, identity, citizenship and belonging.

They are also encouraged to find points of connection between the Baltic region and the North East of England, building networks with the artistic communities and creating dialogue that transcends borders and geographies at a time of rapid social and political change.

Last year, NART Director Johanna Rannula told ERR News that even though Narva and Gateshead are located on almost completely opposite sides of Europe to each other, the towns still have quite a few similarities. 

"Both are located in the North East in terms of the country they are in. Both are at the periphery of the land and close to the sea which gives a particular feeling to everyday life there. Both are at the border," Rannula said.

Rannula pointed out, that while the border in Narva is much more visible and its presence felt more keenly than in Gateshead, nevertheless, "the closeness of the border is something that also defines how the cities function."

"Moreover, a mining and industrial past is common to the two places, which defines what kind of life locals there live. We will see if the visiting artist also feels that there are similarities or if they will disagree," she added.

The Baltic|States Residency Exchange Program offers opportunities for participants to meet artists, curators and arts professionals and visit arts spaces in the host city (depending on location). During their residency, participants are invited to share their research and experiences with the wider public through an event or workshop.

The Baltic Center for Contemporary Art, named after the Baltic Sea, was a former flour mill housing grain from the Baltic region, and the North East of England has long-established trading routes with the Baltic countries.

In 2024, Jordan Edge (Kiik Amor), a non-binary / trans artist from the U.K. working within the field of experimental design and sonic arts, was selected as NART's Baltic|States Artist in Residence. They will participate in a residency at Narva Art Residency (NART) in Estonia this March.'

Edge (Amor), whose work is based at the intersection of information experience design, performance art, and trans-sonic worldbuilding, focused their time at NART creating an immersive storytelling experience through physical and digital interpretations of the geopolitical relationships between the North East of England and the Baltic region.

They also researched the distant mythologies that tie these places together, looking at material and spiritual societies that have emerged from their rich industrial pasts.

The 2025 residency will take place at NART from  November 24–December 21.

More information about the residency, including how to apply, can be found here and here.

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