About

Liminal Residency - An artisitc residency in abandoned and liminal places.
Alton Towers Residency for Writers
Peterborough Service Area Liminal Residency | The main service station building | An alternative writing retreat
A photograph of the sign outside the main building of Peterborough Service Area
A photograph of planes on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport
Nobody Dies at Disneyland - An photograph of the largest chair-o-planes ride in the world, now derelict, in what was once Loudon Castle theme park

The Liminal Residency

The Liminal Residency is an alternative writers’ retreat which takes place in a range of neglected and unusual spaces, from service stations to theme parks to the terminals of international airports. Residents participate in workshops, share experiences, and work together to create and publish a unique pamphlet about their location.

Most ordinary retreats and residencies depend on isolation and the removal of distractions. The Liminal Residency depends on lived experience, random chance and shared adventure to inspire the creation of something unique and worthwhile. It combines the best elements of a game jam, a traditional writers’ retreat, and a roadtrip.

We believe that meaningful ideas rarely occur while sitting at a desk trying to write, meaningful connections are rarely made in isolation, and that there is inherent value in stepping outside your comfort zone.

A Brief History

The Liminal Residency takes place chiefly in forgotten or neglected locations. It may involve difficulty, dislocation, boredom, intense excitement, loneliness or self-discovery. It is an intentionally uncomfortable and unpredictable experience.

The project was started as a collaboration between Eloise CC Shepherd and Krishan Coupland, who have organised three Residencies to date.

The first Residency took place in April 2018 at Peterborough Service Area. Two researchers discovered a handbuilt church in the fields behind the site, followed a trail of hidden caches, and watched tens of thousands of visitors flow the service station building over the course of a weekend.

The second Residency was in Heathrow Airport in September 2018. Here five researchers walked the perimeter of the airport, deepened their understanding of sound, discussed beekeeping as a metaphor for writing, got lost on the internal transport network, and discovered the presence of birds in a bird-free zone.

The third Residency took place in Alton Towers Resort in April 2019. This Residency was supported by a grant from Arts Council England. Seven researchers explored the abandoned relics in the Gardens, went on a vision quest, and stayed in a very strange, very noisy, very disorientating hotel.

Get Involved

If you want to support the work of The Liminal Residency, you can make a donation, or purchase a pamphlet from our series. You can also spread the word about the project on Twitter and Instagram.

We are almost always open to submissions for our blog, and are intermittently open to applications to participate in future Residencies. To be kept up to date on our plans, please join the mailing list. You can also always get in touch with us via our contact form.