VOICING THE OTHER: HUMAN AND NON-HUMAN

This April 2026, we welcome artists, researchers and collaborators Jaana Erkkilä-Hill and Angela Bartram for a three-week residency in the project space, exploring Voicing the Other.

Voicing the Other is rooted in taking time—time to linger within an idea, an action, and a relationship.

Jaana and Angela say:

“Our work connects the elements of making with the presence of others. We write handwritten, personal letters to each other’s animals: a Fox Red Labrador named Lääb and a half-thoroughbred black horse named Domino. We read these letters aloud to them, sharing messages from pen pals they may never meet.”

Alongside letters, they make drawings, record sounds and moments of interaction, and create videos that honour and adore our non-human companions.

They say:

“The process is slow, intimate, and reflective. It reaches back to pets long gone, acknowledging how they continue to live in memory and through acts of care, repetition, and connection”.

The artwork becomes a way of sharing these stories and forming new networks of engagement across species.

They also share our collaborative approach to artistic research within the Voicing the Other project. This “recipe” demonstrates the simple yet meaningful ways that communication with others, human and non-human, can unfold.

EXPERIENCE THE METHODS FIRST HAND

You are invited to spend time with their communications with animals through their work, to connect with each other, and to slow their own pace of living. You are welcome to watch the artists work, to talk with them, ask questions, and participate in the process.

You are also invited to continue the exchange of letters by writing to Domino and Lääb themselves, knowing they may never meet them, but choosing to reach out nonetheless.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Dr Jaana Erkkilä-Hill
Dr Jaana Erkkilä-Hill is Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Lapland. Her practice explores relational and participatory approaches to art-making, often focusing on care, communication, and human–animal relationships within contemporary artistic research.

Angela Bartram
Angela Bartram is Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Derby. Her work engages with interdisciplinary and research-led practices, exploring language, embodiment, and expanded forms of communication across artistic and academic contexts.

About #DIYRESIDENCIES at Grow
Artists and collectives take over the project space to experiment and test out new idea. These residencies support artistic exploration across sustainability, food and drink, inclusion, grassroots culture, music, and heritage. All with the aim of nurturing Plymouth’s creative scene.