Park Royal Design District (PRDD) and ArtReview have announced an open call for the inaugural Manufactory x ArtReview Writer’s Residency 2026, a four-week program from 17 August to 13 September 2026. Two UK-based writers will receive a £2,000 stipend, editorial mentorship from ArtReview, and access to Park Royal’s industrial estate, where they will produce place-responsive writing engaging with the area’s architectures of production, creative ecologies, and communities. The residency is part of Manufactory, a new interdisciplinary festival exploring contemporary cultures of making across art, industry, science, and technology.
This residency matters because it bridges critical writing and industrial heritage, offering emerging and established writers a rare opportunity to embed themselves in London’s largest industrial estate—a site often overlooked in art discourse. By supporting experimental, research-driven writing that responds to themes like labor, material innovation, and urban systems, the program fosters new narratives at the intersection of art, design, and production. It also strengthens ArtReview’s commitment to nurturing critical voices and expands the cultural programming of the Park Royal Design District, potentially setting a model for future residencies that merge art criticism with place-based inquiry.