The bursary would enable me to engage in an intensive period of research and experimentation to develop new methods, and ultimately to develop and produce a new body of works. The funds would support my research and experimentation with materials and equipment and production costs for the work and its final presentation.
Thematically I am interested in capturing and conveying mundane yet meaningful moments or activities and quiet enactments that form the rhythms of everyday life.
The mundane isn’t mundane, it is the framework of our lives. It offers insight into the structures that shape us, our routines, roles, and cultural rituals, while also drawing attention to the ways we perform and inhabit our identities.
I am interested in developing my style of filming, which has been slick and rigid (and cost heavy) into a more poetic, observational and intimate style of moving image completed with immersive soundscapes crafted using experimental audio techniques: such as contact microphones to capture the tactile resonance of surfaces, electromagnetic microphones to reveal the hidden frequencies of everyday electronics, and heart rate sensors to introduce internal rhythms. Together, I want to see how these audiovisual elements can come together as an immersive installation rather than single screen works.
To develop this new body of work, I am seeking new collaborations, both with those interested in contributing creatively and with those who can support technical experimentation in the work’s creation.
This bursary would support a step-change in my artistic career. My life took an unexpected turn in 2019 when I became a sole parent without close family support. I took on full-time work to provide for my children, which further reduced my time and capacity to develop new creative work. Opportunities for travel and engagement with existing and/or expanding art networks were limited, and my practice necessarily took a back seat. I am now at a point where I have more freedom to travel, engage, and immerse myself in creative research. Darlington is close enough to my home in Gateshead to be accessible yet removed enough to provide the distance needed for reflection and renewed focus.
My proposed project is rooted in building new collaborations and aims to elevate the creative arts in Darlington by actively involving the community as potential collaborators and/or participants in the films. The project will evolve through ongoing dialogue and be shaped by the experiences that arise from these interactions. This collaborative approach not only informs the work itself but also fosters a sense of communal ownership.
Interest for the project and involvement in it will be gathered via social media, word-of-mouth, local news, and outreach to community organisations, with a commitment to engage a diverse range of ages, backgrounds, and professions. Beyond direct collaborations, my practice also encompasses the liminal activities that occur in and around the development and production of the work, such as experimenting with new technologies, recruiting participants, and negotiating access and permissions for filming.
The work will be filmed and recorded in Darlington, with the town’s locations forming the backdrop. Like many post-industrial towns in Northern England, Darlington faces economic challenges that have shaped its built environment. However, rather than focusing on decline, I aim to capture the resilience and diversity present in the urban landscape that has emerged from these hardships. By focusing on local environments and the everyday experiences of residents, the project seeks to move beyond familiar narratives, offering a richer and more nuanced portrait of this Northern community.
The final work will be exhibited locally as an ambitious, visually engaging piece that addresses universal themes while remaining rooted in Darlington’s specific context. By involving public participants in its creation, the project broadens its audience and raises the profile of contemporary creative practice in the region.
As our perception of self and community is increasingly mediated by technology, these filmic studies will reflect how we relate, connect, and endure in the present moment. Ultimately, this project is about fostering connection through shared experience. The project will also provide a foundation for further creative collaborations and explorations in Darlington and beyond.
Please tell us about your practice. Please include any recent exhibitions if applicable. (350 words)
I completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at Kuvataideakatemia (Academy of Fine Arts) in Helsinki, Finland, from 1999 to 2003. Following this, I went onto Master of Fine Art at the Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, UK, from 2003 to 2005. I undertook a practice-led PhD in Fine Art at Newcastle University, funded by the Northern Bridge Doctoral Partnership. My PhD was completed in July 2019.
Grants:
2021: Develop Your Own Creative Practice Award, Arts Council England
2017: Grants for the Arts Scheme, Arts Council England
2015: Scholarship, Northern Bridge Doctoral Partnership, Arts and Humanities Research Council
2012: Grants for the Arts Scheme, Arts Council England
2009: Grants for the Arts Scheme, Arts Council England
2005: Grants for the Arts Scheme, Arts Council England
2002: Project Grant, Taiteen Keskustoimikunta (Arts Council Finland)
Awards:
2016: Winner, Northern Artist Film Competition, Quays Culture
2016: Nominated, Best Female Director, London Short Film Festival
2015: Longlisted, Aesthetica Art Prize
2015: Winner, Century Short Film Festival
2014: Winner, Visual Artist of the Year, The Journal Culture Awards
2016: Active Northumberland, commission to creating a lens-based response to the Tall Ships North Sea Regatta.
2014: iShorts, film commission by Creative England and BFI.NETWORK.
2014: Byker Metro Art, commission to creating an artwork for the Byker Metro Station, the project engaging with the local community and reflecting on the area’s social dynamics.
2012: The Artist Cut, a short film commission by Northern Film and Media in association with Channel 4.
2007: Lounge Art/Inspire, Wansbeck District Council, commissioned to create screen-based art for local transport hubs.
Stenbom, C. (2024) Radio Off, Sightlines Journal, Issue 6. Peer reviewed. Exhibition documentation and critical statement
https://www.aspera.org.au/sightlines-contribution/radio-off
Stenbom, C & Young, B (2023) ‘Bad News’ in Screenworks Vol. 13.1 Peer reviewed. Film and critical statement https://www.screenworks.org.uk/archive/volume-13-1/bad-news
Federico, C (2015) ‘Future Now’, Aesthetica Art Price, Aesthetica Magazine Ltd.
Travis, R. (2014) ‘Cecilia Stenbom: Everyday Collateral’, exhibition review, This Is Tomorrow http://thisistomorrow.info/articles/cecilia-stenbom-everyday-collateral
North East Contemporary Visual Artist Network (2014) ‘The Work of Cecilia Stenbom’ Artist Profile featured in This Is Tomorrow http://thisistomorrow.info/articles/the-work-of-cecilia-stenbom
Baltic Archive (2014) ‘BALTIC 39: FIGURE TWO. Week 1: Russell Hill, Cecilia Stenbom, Jude Crilly, Natalie Price Hafslund and Laura O’Neill.’ Short film about exhibition https://vimeo.com/102826373
Oswald, S. (2014) Cecilia Stenbom, feature, NARC Magazine, March, 2014. In print.
Robertson, A. (2014) The Case, Review, Eye For Film, 16.02.2014 http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-case-2013-film-review-by-andrew-robertson
Warman, H. (2014) Aesthetica 2014; shorts circuit York, Film festival review, Sight & Sound http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/comment/festivals/aesthetica-2014-shorts-circuit-york
Sherwin, S. & Clark, R. (2014) ‘Exhibition of the Week’ The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/jun/20/dennis-hopper-bruce-mclean-exhibitionist
Allan, H.E. (2013) ‘Interview: Cecilia Stenbom’, Corridor8, 25.09.2013 http://www.corridor8.co.uk/online/interview-cecilia-stenbom-2/
2017: Feature Expanded, co-organised by HOME (Manchester, UK) and Lo Schermo dell’Arte (Florence, Italy). One of 12 visual artists from across Europe selected for this training programme specifically designed for visual artists working with film. I was awarded bursary to participate.
2016: Connect/Exchange Residency a UK-wide initiative by Northern Film & Media and hosted by Chapter Arts in Cardiff.
2013: Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA), Winnipeg, Canada. During the residency, I conducted research and developed material related to participatory film practice.
2013: Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival. Residency and commission. During the residency I worked with residents to develop a narrative for The Case a short film premiered at the festival.
2010: D6 (then known as ISIS Arts) Newcastle Upon Tyne. Artist in residency. This residency provided the opportunity to develop new work that culminated in solo exhibition Homeland Security at Workplace Gallery.
2007: /sLab, Sunderland University, UK. Visiting artist. Period of research, experimentation and development at the /sLab facility.
Email: ceciliastenbom@gmail.com
Address: 12 Appian Place, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE9 5QR, GB
Local Authority: Gateshead
