We are pleased to announce the four artists selected for our 2024 digital artist residencies programme, produced in partnership with DaDa and Lucid Games. 

These artist residencies are part of our commitment to supporting emerging artists working at the intersection of games, culture, art and technology. All four artists are in the early stages of their careers and are based in the North of England. 

The residencies will provide a unique opportunity for the selected artists to develop their practice, create new work and display their artworks in Art Plays Games (on display until 27 April 2025). The selected artist for the DaDa residency will also have the opportunity to showcase their work as part of DaDaFest International in March 2025.

The selected artists are:

Matt Allen

Matt’s practice explores dreams, reality and anxiety. His work sits between video games, live performances and visual art, having previously created artworks for performances, live art events and festivals. As a disabled artist making work about his lived experience, Matt’s practice draws upon autobiographical material to create interactive artworks. For this residency, supported in partnership with DaDa, Matt will create a new digital artwork about myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) and chronic fatigue. 

Gavin Gayagoy

Gavin is a multidisciplinary artist and designer who explores new media art forms. Originally from the North West and currently living in Newcastle, his work investigates our relationship with new technology and the internet; and how, as a medium or material, it can be used to reflect on itself, questioning the authenticity of our digital lives. For this residency, supported in partnership with Lucid Games, Gavin will explore how digital spaces can immerse and challenge viewers. He is particularly interested in using game design elements to explore how digital environments influence perception, truth, and identity.

James McColl

James is an artist, writer, and researcher based in the North-West who works predominantly in collaboration with artists and communities. Often working in film, performance and text, his most recent works take the form of DIY game art. James’ current work focuses on his personal and professional interest in pro-wrestling, exploring how identities are formed by blurring realities, ‘fictioning’ and practising mantras as magic. This residency will allow James to develop his text-based wrestling game further and think about how other forms of game design might influence its evolution.

Livi Wilmore

Livi is a digital artist and XR developer based in Greater Manchester. Her practice uses mixed reality and immersive technology to showcase lost histories, enhance storytelling, and challenge how people see the world around them. Livi is currently exploring the uncanny valley (the psychological phenomenon that describes the feeling of unease that people experience when something is almost human but not quite) in the current fast-paced digital renaissance. During this residency, Livi is looking to explore the idea of ‘digital childhoods’, the online spaces we left behind, and how they might look now with and without the rose-coloured glasses of nostalgia.  

Each artist will receive a £2,500 fee, a production budget of £1,500, and three months of support, including specialist access and digital production support from DaDa and Lucid Games. Residencies also offer access to Studio/Lab, including the digital production space and creative technical resources.

Lesley Taker, Studio/Lab Manager, said: “Studio/Lab was built out of FACT’S artist residency programme, and so it’s exciting to have that come full circle, where we’re able to support emerging digital artists to experiment, explore and think about the new ways we’re making and consuming art. These residencies are a significant investment into the  future of technology-driven creative practices and tech-driven talent based in the North of England.”

During their residencies, the artists will have the opportunity to share their work and practice through workshops, talks, and open studio events. Each residency will culminate in a showcase of their newly developed works, offering visitors the chance to experience the artworks first-hand.