Estonian writer, singer and artist Kaisa Ling spent two weeks in residence at Manchester’s Rogue Artists’ Studios.

The residency, supported by Manchester City of Literature, took place from 1-14 October, and gave Kaisa space to work on their own creative projects whilst engaging with Manchester’s local artistic and cultural scene. Kaisa dove straight in, attending a variety of events at Manchester venues ranging from poetry readings to exhibitions, writer’s socials to circus performances.

Kaisa’s residency marks a continuation of the relationship between Manchester and Tartu UNESCO Cities of Literature. This year, Manchester attended the annual UNESCO Cities of Literature conference in Tartu and took part in their Bus Poetry project, with a poem by local writer Billie Meredith appearing on buses in both English and Estonian.

In 2022, Manchester writer David Hartley was selected for a residency which culminated in a huge collaborative community event ‘Embassy of Utopia’ shared in Tartu as part of Tartu’s 2024 European City of Culture celebrations, and later hosted in Manchester as part of Festival of Libraries. Another Manchester writer Quigley CB also took residency in Tartu the year after David, and both have been invited back to continue writing and projects sparked between the two cities.

Residencies such as those undertaken by David, Quigley and Kaisa promote cultural exchange and collaboration, providing writers with an opportunity to develop their craft outside of their usual context. We would like to thank Kaisa for their enthusiastic engagement with Manchester’s literary and creative scene, and we look forward to seeing what that time here inspires…

During her time in the city, Kaisa stayed at Rogue Artists’ Studios’ residency cottage. Rogue is an artist-run Community Interest Company that provides accessible studio space close to Manchester City of Centre. Named after a Manchester artist and Rogue Benefactor, The Kate Davies Residency Cottage enables grass roots arts organisations working in the north west to provide overnight accommodation for those visiting from outside the region.

About Kaisa Ling