Celebrating Green and Blue Residency: Mishka’s Reflections Now Live
We’ve had the pleasure of supporting artist Mishka Lesayova undertake an artist-in-residence with the University of Huddersfield’s Creative Health Hub. The residency, which took place over six months and focused on green and blue spaces and their role in our wellbeing, reflects a research interest shared by the project’s collaborators: artist Michaela Lesayova, Everybody Arts, and the Creative Health Hub at Huddersfield University.
“This residency and the research that accompanied it brought me into deep exchanges with artists and practitioners who engage with land and water on a daily basis. A wealth of rich insights have been gathered and collated from the generosity that was shared with me.”
Mishka’s time on the residency was marked by curiosity, research, and a deep creative engagement with the subject of green and blue spaces for wellbeing. Connections, visits and collaborations were made with a range of Green and Blue spaces across the region, as well as the practitioners who work within these spaces. It was wonderful to get an insight into Mishka’s creative process as she developed her practice through the residency.
A highlight of the residency was a special event organised by Mishka, titled Embracing Place. The event comprised an afternoon of creativity, sharing, and reflection on our relationships with and experiences in green and blue spaces.
“It’s been inspiring to see the ideas and approaches that have emerged from Mishka’s work.
We believe that green and blue spaces have huge potential for creative health in West Yorkshire, and we’re excited to continue developing this area in collaboration with practitioners. ”
At this event grower Steve Smith from Edibles Farm and herbalist and forager Hannah-May Batley, shared insights from their work in green spaces. Gentle creative activities were offered by artist and community gardener Cherry Styles, alongside Mishka. They discussed walks in the woods, swims in lakes, foraging for herbs, and cultivating produce — everyday activities that often go unnoticed. Together with participants, they considered what these practices truly meant to us, and what impact they had on our wellbeing, creativity, and health. Discussions also took place in the surroundings of a pop-up exhibition of artworks created by Hannah-May Batley and Mishka.
For further insight into Mishka’s findings from the Green and Blue Residency, developed in collaboration with Everybody Arts and the University of Huddersfield, we invite you to explore this thoughtfully compiled document of reflections.
Images by Matt Radcliffe Photography