All domesticated cattle trace their origins to a narrow genetic bottleneck, descended from 80 individuals domesticated over 10,000 years ago. In the wild cattle of Swona, echoes of their ancestry persist in a self-sustaining herd. Their continued existence offers a rare opportunity to explore themes of ecological consequences of abandonment.
This is a photographic study that merges visual storytelling with scientific inquiry, documenting a unique herd whose behaviour and social structure present urgent environmental questions. As rainfall increases across Scotland, vegetation cycles change, and new ecological pressures arise, the future of the animals and the island needs crucial documentation.
This bursary will allow me to carry out the critical next phase, preparing and executing field research on Swona, producing the final photographic works, and developing a multidisciplinary exhibition with my collaborators. It enables me to hire the kit, cover travel and accommodation and compensate for the team’s creative input as well as covering carbon offsetting and a charitable contribution to the island.
It is backed by key stakeholders, the Annul family, Swona Heritage Group, and Orkney’s wider arts community (Pier Arts Centre). It has also been pre-confirmed to be a feature project at the Orkney International Science Festival in September 2026. This bursary will ensure that the project is delivered to the highest standard, in time for this important cultural moment.
7 days in Orkney/Swona, in July 2026 includes:
1 – travel and preparation
2,3,4 – fieldwork on Swona (including one day with selected local students producing work for the exhibition)
5,6 – community engagement, meetings and critique sessions with project partners, institutions and collaborators
7 – travel
It will provide the infrastructure to move this project from development to delivery, transforming an environmentally urgent, artistically rich concept into a public-facing body of work that informs, inspires, and endures. Beyond this it will act as the anchor point for me to pitch it as a touring exhibition, starting at Crown Street Gallery in Darlington as the primary initial sharing point, and to then be exhibited in galleries across the UK and globally, therefore pushing me to obtain gallery representation.
This project has been pre-selected as a flagship presentation for the Orkney International Science Festival (OISF), benefiting from strong promotional backing through the festival’s established networks. This includes local press such as The Orcadian, and extensive outreach to audiences across science, education, and community sectors in the UK.
The first exhibition is planned for The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, with their outreach team supporting regional promotion. Plans to then connect with Crown Street Art Gallery in Darlington to bring the exhibition south, establishing Darlington as the project’s first sharing point in England. A pitch deck will support approaches to galleries, museums, and festivals across the UK, aiming to develop a touring exhibition. A photobook and online archive will further extend its reach, with all future iterations tracing back to Darlington, reinforcing the town’s commitment to the arts and independent creativity.
Additional support and sharing comes from Will Annul, the Swona Heritage Group, and the partnership with UHI Orkney. To ensure national visibility, collaborators, some with followings over 10,000, will share custom promotional materials via their platforms. This collective effort will maximise public engagement and highlight Darlington’s role in championing contemporary creative work across the UK.
I have been an award winning lens based artist since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2016, taking the Grand Prize at the Nikon Photo Contest 2022-2023, being long listed for the BBA Gallery Artist Prize 2022 and the Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award in 2021, being awarded a certificate of artistic achievement from the Luxembourg Art Prize 2024 and getting chosen to be part of the CIRCA x Dazed Class of 2021, to name a few. Originally shooting documentary journalistic photography, focusing on different communities or major events, like the death of Queen Elizabeth II, around the world, in places such as Japan, Canada and Iceland. My ‘Ultraviolet’ series made up a core pillar of work for the initial years, where I would only use my modified full spectrum to capture my street style photographs. In recent years, my practice has evolved into focused/research based photo series. Beyond the project I have presented here, I have multiple on-going projects based in local and global communities. I am documenting a local lawn bowls club in my series ‘Conditions of Play’ which focuses on the dwindling community of lawn bowls across the UK, ideas on aging out of traditions and spaces that could be lost with time. I am partnering with marathons across the world in 2026, such as Ireland and Thailand, to capture my unique portraits of endurance runners for my series ‘Life: The Only Endurance Race. On top of this my series ‘People of the Pier’ which documents the diversity of the UK through the action that surrounds a nostalgic photo board on Brighton Pier is consistently growing, to become a photobook and exhibition after a full year has been shot. Most recently a piece from my preliminary project for the one presented here, wild, still, was exhibited at Roseberry Road Studios, Bath. Along with this a portrait from my series ‘Conditions of Play’ has been shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Photo Prize 2025.
I have a comprehensive background in visual arts, having progressed through all levels of formal training. I began with a Foundation in Art and Design at Northbrook College, Worthing (2009–2010), where I explored a wide range of media including illustration, photography, filmmaking, and sculpture. This laid the groundwork for my understanding of visual communication and how best to adapt ideas to specific mediums.
I went on to complete a BA in Illustration at Cardiff Metropolitan University (2010–2013), where the course encouraged experimentation beyond traditional forms. I focused on lens-based work, producing photographic and video projects that led to a First-Class Honours degree. Since then, lens-based media has remained central to my practice.
From 2013 to 2015, I studied Visual Communication at the Royal College of Art. This MA gave me the critical tools to challenge and deepen my artistic thinking. It provided a space to explore complex ideas and refine my conceptual approach, helping shape my work into one that is both reflective and socially engaged.
The most significant recognition in my career to date was winning the Grand Prize at the Nikon Film and Photo Contest in 2023. This award provided top-tier equipment, which enabled me to elevate my practice and take on more professional and ambitious projects. Since then, my work has gained increased visibility and critical acclaim.
Last year, I received a Certificate of Artistic Achievement for The Infinite Arcade, a project shot in Tokyo, focusing on the intense and often eerie arcades scattered around the city. This respected award marked an important milestone and affirmed the creative direction of my recent work.
Earlier, in 2021, I was selected for the inaugural Dazed x CIRCA ‘Class of 2021’, joining 29 other filmmakers whose work was showcased online and on large-scale public screens in three of the world’s most populous cities. This exposure significantly raised the profile of my short film, which later went on to win the Nikon Prize.
I have worked as an independent artist for nearly a decade, creating my own professional opportunities and managing projects from concept to completion. My practice spans documenting exhibitions, producing marketing content for artists, and leading my own creative work, handling everything from client outreach to final delivery, promotion, and live sharing.
While I collaborate with specialists when needed, I typically manage all aspects of my projects myself. This hands-on experience has made me confident and adaptable, able to navigate challenges such as limited budgets, tight timelines, or small teams. I currently lead four major photography projects of my own inception, bringing in designers, writers, and producers where appropriate.
Since graduating from the Royal College of Art, my work has been exhibited internationally, including a solo show and film screenings in iconic cinemas. This experience has given me a deep understanding of every stage of the creative process and what it takes to see ambitious ideas through to completion. I often work with Studio Koseda, a London based design studio, documenting exhibitions and new work that they produce with institutions, like the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins.
My most recent features, reviews or coverage of my work, in online platforms and offline mediums is as followed;
2019 –
The Evening Standard
Mutual Art
2021
Dazed
Circa
It’s Nice That
2022
Bleach Magazine
Videoarchive.com
The Times
2023
LoosenArt
The Photographers Gallery – Small File Photo Festival
Athens Digital Arts Festival
2024
Nikon Film and Photo Contest
2025
Sussex Express
Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2025 Catalogue (upcoming)
Email: joshspindler001@gmail.com
Address: 24 Ditchling Rise, East Sussex, Brighton, BN14QL, GB
Local Authority: Brighton and Hove City Council
