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Green Man Trust Visual Arts began in 2016 to carve out a new space for art in the music festival scene. We invite artists and audiences to think outside the white cube, offering the only programme in the UK festival scene with an approach that is nurturing to artists.

110+

early-career artists since 2016

Visual Arts Programme
As one of only 3 independent festivals remaining, Green Man is an ideal space to guarantee the artistic integrity of the work developed outside of commercial corporate interests that commonly compromise art.

Through a combined residency and commissioning model over 12 months, early-career visual artists have the support of Green Man’s experienced team to confidently explore the possibilities of public art in unconventional contexts. It equips them with the tools to create large-scale outdoor works, often for the first time, present them to a live audience of thousands and tap into national media who attend the festival each year.

We offer:
- Structured, fairly paid, well-resourced and accessible professional development programme tailored to artists’ needs;
- Dedicated support of a programme producer, expert technical and production teams; a supportive space and access to a large and respected international platform with significant live and digital audience reach;
- Access to a programme of residencies, networking events, mentoring and coaching, 1-2-1s, group workshops and talks led by and contributed to by a community of artists and national and international industry networks;
- Pathways to show the work beyond the festival;
- Artists also benefit from professional photography and from being platformed through Green Man.
We’ve co-commissioned work with FACT, Forma, QUAD, g39 and Southwark Park Galleries and our commissions have toured A Dreamy Place in Crawley, Somos Gallery in Berlin, GS Artists in Swansea and g39 Cardiff among others. Our residency programme attracts a critical mass of expert mentors and guest speakers: Karen Mackinnon, Glynn Vivian Gallery; Judith Carlton, SPG; Ceri Hand, Somerset House; Ben Borthwick, curator; Shonagh Manson, GLA; Peter Bonnell, QUAD; Helen Starr, curator, founder of Mechatronic Library; Rachel Cunningham-Clarke, Forma and Maitreyi Maheshwari, FACT.
Key Facts
- - 110+ early-career artists supported
  - 31 commissions (including 2 collectives)
  - 74 artist residencies
  - 65% female artists
  - 21% disabled and/or neurodivergent artists
  - 223,200+ live audiences since 2016
Case Study - Gweni Llwyd

Gweni Llwyd is a Welsh artist who works across tactile and digital realms - predominately through moving-image, drawing and installation. Gweni’s work playfully weaves together personal, collective and more-than-human experiences, drawing attention to how all life is part of a messy, shared metabolism.

Gweni completed a Green Man Trust artist residency in 2020 during the pandemic and was selected for the programme in 2021. The commission for Green Man was the artist’s first outdoor project working at scale and has toured S1 Art Space in Sheffield after our introduction to them. Her work has since also been shown at the Venice Biennale, at W139 in Amsterdam and MaMA in Rotterdam.

‘Festivals are the perfect settings for video/light-based installations. Showing work outdoors is challenging but the results are really special and worth the stress. The support of the team was invaluable to making the work and increasing my confidence in my practice and myself!’ Gweni Llwyd