Emma Henderson Joins Artica Svalbard Through NAARCA Staff Exchange Programme

This month, Artica Svalbard is pleased to host Emma Henderson, an artist, producer, and arts educator based in the west of Scotland, as part of the Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA) staff exchange programme. She joins us from Cove Park, a NAARCA partner residency located on Scotland’s west coast.

Henderson’s practice spans printmaking, textiles, and environmental learning, with a focus on natural inks made through slow, experimental processes. Her work explores feminist craft legacies while developing low-impact, circular systems for image-making. Alongside her artistic practice, she produces creative projects for local and national arts organisations—often rooted in place, nature connection, and sustainable living.

During her time at Artica Svalbard, Henderson will develop a shared natural printmaking toolkit and begin establishing a pigment library—a collaborative resource for current and future residents. Starting with pigments gathered in both Scotland and Svalbard, the pigment library will grow as an evolving archive of colour rooted in place. The toolkit will be published via NAARCA’s online resources, offering open access guidance for sustainable, low-waste printmaking.

She will also host a community workshop in Longyearbyen, inviting participants to explore natural printmaking techniques and ecological approaches to working with materials.

Emma Henderson’s exchange visit is supported by Nordisk Kulturfond as part of NAARCA’s ongoing commitment to fostering climate-conscious practices across its international residency network.