PLANS for a new sound studio at a hillside arts centre have been announced as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.
Cove Park, a 50-acre rural residency in Helensburgh for national and international artists, unveiled plans for a new rehearsal and development workspace, which they said would not have been possible without funding from The Bridge Awards.
Organisers from Cove Park said The Bridge Awards, which fund individuals and organisations involved in literature, film, visual arts, theatre, dance, and music, along with cultural heritage, environmental, community, and healthcare projects, have been a “key partner” in their residency programme since 2026.
A spokesperson for Cove Park said: “The Bridge Awards Sound Studio will make possible new opportunities for local, national and international musicians and enrich Cove Park’s residency and engagement programmes as the organisation looks forward to the next chapter in its development.”
They added: “The Bridge Awards has been a key partner in Cove Park’s residency programme since 2016.
“Following their ongoing support of Cove Park’s Emerging Visual Artist Residency, the Cove Park/Varuna International Writers’ Exchange Programme, and The Bridge Awards Residencies, for artists recovering from breast cancer, Cove Park is thrilled to be working on this new capital development project with the directors of The Bridge Awards, Tracey Emerson, Susan Melville, and Mary Pattinson.”
Along with the announcement of The Bridge Awards, Sound Studio Cove Park revealed a new two-year partnership with the Bagri Foundation.
The two organisations have joined forces to launch a new programme of residencies, called the Sound Series, which aims to bring acclaimed international musicians to the UK.
The collaboration, called the Bagri Music Award, will seek to support emerging or mid-career musicians from west Asia, offering two residencies at Cove Park, with the first in 2025 and a second in 2026, alongside live performances.
Internationally-acclaimed Palestinian jazz pianist and composer Faraj Suleiman was also revealed as the inaugural recipient of the Bagri Music Award.
Based in Paris, Suleiman is widely regarded as a leading contemporary jazz pianist and composer, touring internationally and continually developing new music and projects.
His music is deeply influenced by Arabic and Eastern melodies and rhythms, and he frequently incorporates those scales and modalities in his compositions.
As part of the award, Suleiman will be performing twice in Scotland, in Cove Park on Saturday, November 1, from 6pm, and the following Saturday at 7pm in the Mackintosh Church, Glasgow.
A new limited edition print by the Glasgow-based visual and sound artist, photographer, DJ, and former Cove Park resident Matthew Arthur Williams has also been announced.
Commissioned by Cove Park to mark its 25th anniversary year, this special edition is accompanied by a new text on the artist’s work by his collaborator, friend, artist, and former resident Emmie McLuskey.
Entitled 77°F, and developed at DCA Print Studio Dundee, the edition is rooted in William’s interest in landscape, but also in the analogue techniques of photography and printmaking.
It skilfully combines the processes of screenprinting and hand dyeing to create a rich and layered work, and each of the 30 prints has its own finish and detail.
The prints are available for sale from Cove Park’s shop at a launch price of £300, with all proceeds from sales used to support future residencies and opportunities at the arts campus.
