The Dover Prize would enable me to develop Cottonopolis into a deeper and more ambitious body of work—an expanded series of sculptural and film-based installations that explore the sonic, material, and socio-political legacies of textile labour across the North of England. Rooted in my upbringing in post-industrial Manchester, this project seeks to give form to the forgotten textures of class, history, and sound.
The £10,000 bursary would support the production of large-scale sculptural installations using industrial cottons, jacquard processes, and audio-visual components. It would also enable me to collaborate with sound artists and textile historians, covering costs for materials, archival access, and travel to mill towns and heritage centres across the North East. Crucially, the funding would allow me to increase the scale and scope of the work—offering the means to exhibit in larger, atmospheric industrial sites and to research a broader tapestry of unheard voices and lost sounds drawn from regional oral histories and sonic archives.
The sculpture Four Loom Weaver represents only the tip of the iceberg—there are countless under-represented resonances of social and societal struggle, particularly those carried through sound, that deserve to be unearthed and reinterpreted. This bursary would allow me to expand the project both materially and conceptually.
Crucially, the next phase of the project will explore the evolution of the industrial age into the digital age—tracing how the Jacquard loom and the patterns of industrial weaving foreshadow contemporary algorithmic systems and digital automation. This historical through-line offers a powerful lens to investigate labour, control, and identity in our increasingly technologised world.
This award would mark a significant shift in my practice. I am at a point of convergence between technical ability and conceptual direction, with recent projects laying the foundation for more ambitious explorations of landscape, labour, and sound. The Dover Prize would offer the time, space, and resources to realise a body of work that resonates across generations—rooted in Darlington’s industrial past while gesturing toward our digital present.
Darlington, with its textile and railway heritage, offers a rich site for exploring the convergence of industry, labour, and sound. My proposed work would engage directly with the town’s industrial past and present—translating these histories into contemporary, tactile forms that resonate across generations. Through sculptural and filmic interventions, my aim is to create work that is both materially striking and community-facing, drawing attention to overlooked narratives in the region’s post-industrial landscape.
By embedding the project locally—through archival research, participatory workshops, and a final exhibition—I hope to foster a renewed dialogue around Darlington’s role in the North’s cultural and industrial fabric. The work’s minimal aesthetic, rooted in historical materials, makes it accessible while inviting deeper reflection on themes of class, production, and survival.
My practice investigates sound, rebellion, and material legacy within the post-industrial landscape. Working across sculpture, installation, and moving image, I focus on how systems of control, survival, and invention shape both individual and collective memory—particularly within the context of Northern England’s textile and manufacturing heritage. I often use industrial materials such as cotton, steel, and rope alongside sound recordings and archival references. My recent project, Cottonopolis, explores the overlooked sonic history of labour—examining the evolution from loom to algorithm, and the role of workers and craftsmen in the shaping of digital logic through technologies like the Jacquard system. I use the art studio as a laboratory space to investigate the intersection of science, invention and philosophy. Recent exhibitions include a solo presentation of Four Loom Weaver (2024), a kinetic sculpture accompanied by folk songs from weavers and striking millworkers, and a group exhibition at Central Saint Martins’ Degree Show. I was awarded the Muriel Wilson Prize for this work, and collaborated on Radiant Matter’s sustainable materials installation at the London Design Awards, contributing to its research, spatial planning, and documentation. My approach is rooted in research and often site-responsive, drawing from oral histories, archival encounters, and regional specificity to create minimal yet resonant forms. The Dover Prize would allow me to expand this practice across the North East, unearthing local sonic histories while further developing my sculptural language in dialogue with industrial space.
Yes. I hold a First-Class BA (Hons) in Fine Art with Study Abroad from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (2020–2024). During this degree, I undertook a year-long Diploma in Professional Studies, completing placements with Radiant Matter (sustainable materials innovation) and various arts organisations across the UK and France.
As part of the Erasmus programme, I studied sculpture and theory at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) in Paris. This period deepened my understanding of European post-industrial heritage and provided a comparative framework for my Cottonopolis research.
Yes. I was awarded the Muriel Wilson Award in 2024 for my final-year degree show at Central Saint Martins. This prize is given annually to a student who demonstrates exceptional potential in fine art practice.
Additionally, I received the UAL Creative Business Award for my contributions to socially-engaged arts projects, including the Fast Forward Residency and my work with Radiant Matter on sustainable materials for fashion and design industries.
Yes. I am a member of the DMZ artists collective, based at Wellington Mill in Manchester—a space for experimental, socially engaged, and post-industrial practice. As part of this group, I have been involved in developing critique sessions, open studios, and collaborative material experiments. DMZ has provided both a testing ground for new ideas and a growing network of artists concerned with legacy, labour, and locality.
Independently, I have also coordinated research-led projects including Wittgenstein’s Veil, a sound and sculpture concept that will debut at Burning Man. These self-initiated projects allow me to test new formats, build interdisciplinary partnerships, and present work in contexts beyond traditional gallery spaces.
Not yet by a UK public institution, but I have undertaken significant publicly-oriented commissions and open calls. I am currently developing Wittgenstein’s Veil, a sculptural and sound-based installation selected for presentation at Burning Man 2025, where it will form part of the Honorarium of selected funded artists. The project explores philosophical systems, aerial mapping, and perception—continuing my interest in control, coding, and conceptual legacies. This commission offers a unique opportunity to test the boundaries of my sculptural practice in a desert environment and in dialogue with a global creative community.
No, not yet. My work has been exhibited and recognised through institutional partnerships and awards, but I have not yet had a piece acquired by a public collection. Expanding the scale, polish, and public engagement of my installations—as the Dover Prize would allow—is a strategic step toward future acquisition and long-term placement.
Yes. My work with Radiant Matter has been featured in Dezeen, Design Week, and at Paris Fashion Week as part of a sustainable materials showcase. My involvement in the Fast Forward Residency was profiled by CVAN and Artquest, and my sculpture Four Loom Weaver most recently featured in Gulp Magazine and received internal commendation through UAL’s channels, including the Creative Futures blog. I am currently preparing written content for publication, reflecting on sound, class, and legacy in the British sculptural tradition.
No, I am currently an independent artist. However, I am in the early stages of building relationships with curators and artist-led spaces, particularly those focused on sound, sculpture, and social history. I am selective in my approach, aiming to build a practice that is rigorous, research-led, and capable of scaling into institutional partnerships or gallery representation where it aligns with my values.
Whilst I have not taken part in an artist’s residency I co-produced and participated in the Fast Forward artist development programme supported by Tate Modern and CVAN, focused on platforming emerging artists from non-traditional backgrounds through professional development and peer critique.
In addition, I worked on the installation of Radiant Matter’s sustainable materials project for the London Design Awards, collaborating on visual composition, documentation, and space planning. The project was later featured by partners such as Stella McCartney and LVMH.
I also completed an Erasmus-funded study year at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) in Paris, where I studied sculpture and European post-industrial history. This immersive year contributed significantly to the conceptual foundations of Cottonopolis and my interest in material systems of control.
Email: d97.harrison@gmail.com
Address: 242, Wilmslow Road, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 3BJ, GB
Local Authority: Stockport Council
