Pollinate & Create: a new arts residency with Suffolk Community Libraries

By James Powell | 26 January 2026

Suffolk Community Libraries is working in collaboration with Suffolk Artlink, Culture Health & Wellbeing Alliance, Natural Habitat, Green Light Trust and Suffolk Wildlife Trust, inviting six creatives to take part in a week-long intensive at Lowestoft Library.

‘Pollinate & Create’ will explore the potential of community health interventions that connect with and are inspired by environmental advocacy – exploring the role of libraries as places at the intersection between creativity, wellbeing and environmental responsibility.

The week-long residency will take place at Biblioteca Lowestoft from Monday 23 March to Friday 27 March. Artists will receive a total fee of £700 for taking part (plus a £1000 commissioning opportunity to be delivered later in the year).

The residency is being offered through Suffolk Community Libraries creative communities programme which has offered several residencies to support the development of emerging local talent using libraries as a base.

Melissa Matthews, Cultural Programmes Manager, said:

“The very nature of the library service involves ‘recycling’ books and other items which are borrowed many times over but there is plenty more we can do to explore our environmental responsibility as a service.
 
“This project represents the next steps in our environmental vision and a really exciting moment in the development of our creative programme as we explore the role of libraries to support access to green and blue spaces through creativity.
 
“Libraries are welcoming, flexible and creative spaces with great links to their communities, so they are perfect places for artists to test bed new ideas. For Pollinate & Create we’re particularly interested in working with creative people with an interest in the environment and connecting with nature.”

Chrissie Meikle, Creative Health Producer, added:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with artists working in this area of practice or would like to extend their knowledge and expertise. Our ambition is to develop the profile of creative health and the inherent wellbeing benefits of being in nature – not only to support the development of this work, but to highlight the positive impact creativity has on health outcomes within our local communities.’’

There are full details about Pollinate & Create including an application pack and details on how to apply in our arts residencies web section. You can also email libraries.arts@suffolk.gov.uk if you need more help and information.

The closing date for applications is Monday 19 February at 09:00.