As Australia's largest artist residency program, Bundanon Artists in Residence has been fostering creative excellence for over 30 years. The program continues to expand through dynamic partnerships with leading arts organisations, cultural agencies and benefactors, creating vital opportunities for artists to develop transformative work.
The British Council Residency supports contemporary arts practice by providing space for UK-based artists to experiment, conceive and develop new work and ideas in the areas of nature-based and rural arts, arts as place-based climate action, creative sense-making for present and future, storytelling and narrative change, collaboration between arts and science, culture as an ally in activism and/or experiments in futures.
We caught up with 2025 British Council Fellowship recipient Bebe Ashley to hear about her experience at Bundanon's world-renowned residency—a time of creative exploration in one of Australia's most inspiring artistic environments.
Q: What drew you to apply for the British Council Fellowship at Bundanon?
A: Every year I try to put in a wildcard application and the British Council Fellowship for Bundanon was one of them! For me, a wildcard application means an application that feels ambitious but that I do feel qualified for. It’s maybe a reach or a step up from my previous experience or is an opportunity that none of the other artists I know have been on. These types of applications encourage me to be brave and push my ideas further. When I saw the photos of Bundanon online combining an architectural art museum, which is so often my go-to place for writing, and the really incredible landscape, I knew this was a unique experience and one I absolutely had to apply for.
Q: What did a typical day at Bundanon look like for you during the residency?
A: My days were somewhat dictated by the wildlife which was something I hadn’t really expected. I’d often be woken really early in the morning by the most enthusiastic of birds and I always wanted to go on a late afternoon walk when all the kangaroo left the treeline and wombats emerged from their burrows. In the middle, I’d write and plan, and think about writing some more. I’d spend most of the day looking out of the window if I was inside. Every day I would see something new. Whether it was a lizard or echidna or tree frog in the shower, the days never felt predictable.
Bundanon’s programme is really engaging so every few days I would have the opportunity to meet other artists in a really diverse range of events. There was a sensory friendly day at the museum so I joined a group for a tour. I went to a Persian Classical concert where I heard Persian instruments for the first time, then the next week I went to the craft market and met all kinds of artists. I’d go pick up a really nice coffee and chocolate muffins and chat to people visiting the homestead.
Q: How did being part of the natural environment at Bundanon impact your creative process?
A: I feel much more grounded and connected to the landscape here. I’ve been reflecting on my personal impact on the environment more, as I work with technology often with 3D-printing Braille. I really enjoyed returning to pen, paper, and a clipboard in my writing practice here. One project I wanted to develop was a series of audio description style narratives inspired by the landscape but in attempting to do so I realised how quickly and often the landscape changed in front of me, especially in the five minutes before sunset. There is a sense of urgency in the environment that I think we need to react to.
Q: What are you taking away from this experience that will stay with you in the future?
A: Being at Bundanon has given me the opportunity to think of the future again. When I arrived I was really burnt out from an intense year and taking those first few days to just rest and walk and properly think about what I wanted to make allowed me to recuperate my creative energy and find connections I’m excited about again.
I think the biggest takeaway I had was to slow down and enjoy it. It was so fun to look up and see the kangaroo right outside my window and to spot the joeys. I drew some little sketches, I painted some bad watercolours and it was so much better than being distracted by battery life and screens and deadlines because once I had done things like painting I really wanted to write. I feel like so many things have began at Bundanon for me and I’m looking forward to taking them home to nurture and develop them.