We share the intuition behind the old idea that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. This residency asks what it really means for properties to emerge: What is the process? What does it look like? How does it happen across media, systems, and scales?
We aim to bring together artists, engineers, writers, scientists, philosophers, and people of multiple disciplines to explore these questions. Expect a mix of lectures, collaborative sessions, quiet work, and time outdoors.
In order to give us a common ground to work from, we have prepared a reading list which will be distributed ahead of time. These works span disciplines (science, theory, fiction, and art) and are deliberately meant to be unfamiliar at least in part to everyone. We ask that participants make a good-faith effort to read and engage with each of these works including noting down points of confusion, disagreement, and interest. In addition, we would like each participant to bring a micro-experiment (algorithm, improvisation score, poem fragment, visual seed) that others can iterate on. Our goal is to create emergent works in real time.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | Meditation in the great room |
| 08:45 | Breakfast laid out in the kitchen; optional. |
| 09:30 | Collaborative work begins; lectures, discussion, or outside work |
| 13:00 | Lunch (self-organized) |
| Afternoon | Self-guided work · nature walks · art time · optional workshops |
| 18:30 | Dinner; cooked on a communal schedule |
| 20:00 | Meditation |
| Evening | Reading, stargazing, or social time · quiet hours 23:00–07:00 |
Themes: Pattern · Threshold · Agency · Unpredictability · Beauty
The residency will be limited-connectivity. Stroanfreggan has no consistent internet connection; staff will have phones with hotspots and service but these will be turned off except for emergencies. Resident phones will be collected upon arrival on the first day and returned 24 hours before departure.
Getting to Stroanfreggan from Edinburgh (airport: EDI) or Glasgow (airport: GLA) requires a car. We will arrange pickup from Glasgow city center on the first day of the residency. A rental car will be available for the duration of the residency for local trips to the nearest town, the sea, etc. A grocery delivery will be arranged for the first day and additional trips can be arranged. All travel and gas costs will be billed to residents based on use. You must travel with a licensed UK driver or visitor registered with the rental car company.
Stroanfreggan House is a converted school building from the 1930s, kept in the Brander family since the 1970s. It has a great room with a wood-burning fireplace, a dining room and fully stocked kitchen, and a series of bedrooms. Housing will be dorm-style, with 2–4 people per room. There are two equipped bathrooms with showers.
The team coordinating the residency and shaping the week’s themes. Participants will be added below as they commit.
Speculative Fiction · Artificial Intelligence · Bioengineering
Charlotte recently completed a PhD in Biomedical Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh focused on the application of machine learning to mathematical models of engineered cells. She writes the newsletter Speculation Lab along with fantasy and science fiction. She was a 2025 Resident Artist at Arteles Creative Center, and has published papers in various peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Neuroscience · Queer Theory
Andy has experience across the scientific and discursive worlds of academia and biotechnology, primarily focused on the systems and circuit Neuroscience of pain in the body. Interested in how novel techniques that elucidate internal connectivity can influence and organize community, he is a graduate student in Neuroscience at the University of Washington and holds a BA in Molecular Biology and Gender Studies from Pomona College.
Transformative Futures · Speculative Fiction · Collective Storytelling
Liam is a student and writer living in Stockholm. During business hours, he studies futuring and forecasting methods as a PhD student at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, with a particular focus on approaches to the future that foreground the diversity of ways that people connect to nature. Liam also (intermittently) updates the newsletter Loose Δ, writes poetry and science fiction, and talks to anyone who will listen about tabletop roleplaying games.