Marchmont House is creating The Green Shed studio as a new centre for original printmaking in the Borders.

It has partnered with Glasgow Print Studio (GPS) to search for an exceptional printmaker to be the first tenant and to play a key role in establishing the studio.

The Green Shed itself is a large building which is being renovated and equipped with high quality equipment and plenty of space for teaching classes. The first printmaker will have an input into the layout, design and equipment and will benefit from £1,000 of materials, two months free rent and their rent will be subsidised for the full two years of the opportunity.

Claire Forsyth, GPS Workshop Manager, said: “This is a fabulous opportunity to help create a new printmaking studio in the Borders and we are looking for an exceptionally talented person to take it on.

“They will not only have a fantastic studio for their own work, but will be able to earn income from teaching and sharing the space with others.”

The successful candidate will have a high level of technical skills and experience in wood engraving, woodcut and/or etching. 

Marchmont House is championing a Renaissance of the Arts & Crafts spirit. The ideal candidate would be inspired by the movement’s values of celebrating nature, traditional crafts skills and local community. 

The Green Shed will be the latest addition to Marchmont Creative Spaces, a suite of workshops and studios for high-quality artists and makers within the grounds of the 18th-century Palladian mansion.

Anthony Hughes-Onslow, General Manager of Marchmont, said: “We are very much looking forward to adding a well-equipped printmaking studio to our suite of Creative Spaces.

“Original printmaking will add a new dimension to Marchmont’s burgeoning community of artists and makers which includes painters, sculptors, chairmakers and stone cutters – all people of remarkable talent and creativity.”

The Green Shed, which was built as a workshop for the estate’s garden and grounds team, is part of a collection of outbuildings, in and around a courtyard area close to Marchmont House, that have been converted into quality studios and workshops.

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Notes for Editors

For media information contact Matthew Shelley at [email protected] or 07786 704299.

About the Green Shed and GPS

  • Deadline for applications is June 28th 2021.
  • This is a unique two-year opportunity to be part of the Green Shed print studio’s genesis and have active input into its design and equipment for use as a predominantly private space which will be shared with others at designated times throughout the year, at discretion and supervision of tenant. All equipment and fit out is covered by Marchmont and two months in the studio given rent free to acknowledge layout & design input. 
  • This opportunity is open to all UK residents. Accommodation is not provided but there is small relocation budget if the successful applicant is not local to the area and looking to move to the area.
  • Selection will be led by Glasgow Print Studio (GPS), with final decision in concert with Marchmont. 
  • GPS was founded in 1972 as an artist led initiative providing facilities and workshop space to artists using fine art printmaking. Now, as an internationally acclaimed centre of excellence in fine art printmaking, Glasgow Print Studio promotes contemporary and innovative printmaking through supporting artists, exhibitions, learning and conservation.

About Marchmont

  • Marchmont House is a 1750 Palladian mansion near Greenlaw in the Scottish Borders.
  • It was awarded the 2018 Historic Houses/Sotheby’s Award following a seven-year restoration, which was described by the jury as “stunning”.
  • The house has one of the finest Georgian and Arts & Crafts interiors in Scotland.
  • It is open to the public for a limited number of days each year, for tours and special events. 
  • The Marchmont team is dedicated to bringing the house alive as a home for makers and creators, celebrating innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship
  • The Creative Spaces project is entirely privately funded by Marchmont Farms Limited and has not called on grants from the public sector or charities – which are facing immense demands for their limited resources.
  • The studios and workshops have been created by the conversion of a series of 19th-century outbuildings round a courtyard near the house and its spectacular walled garden.
  • The project’s value has already been demonstrated by the establishing of The Marchmont Workshop, which has saved the great 19th-century tradition of Arts & Crafts rush seated ladder back chairs for a new chapter in the Scottish Borders.
  • Visit www.marchmonthouse.com for more information.
  • For information about The Marchmont Workshop see https://themarchmontworkshop.com

About Hugo Burge

  • Director of Marchmont Ventures which is building sustainable creativity in the arts, crafts and purpose driven business.
  • Director of Marchmont Farms Ltd., which operates Marchmont Estate, with a focus on restoring Marchmont House and bringing it back to life after a period of institutional usage.
  • Chairman of Motorway.co.uk, the UK’s fastest growing digital marketplace for selling your car from the comfort of your home. 
  • Former CEO of the Momondo Group which powers pioneering brands that shape and inspire global travel search.