Opening June 9: [sic] Jess Heritage

[sic] Jess Heritage
Exhibition dates: 1 1–28 June 2026.
Opening hours: Thur–Sat 12–5pm or by appointment

Launch evening: 9 June, 6–8pm, free all welcome

Metroland Cultures is pleased to announce [sic], an exhibition which marks the culmination of Jess Heritage’s year-long residency at Metroland Studios, supported by The Perimeter. Revisiting a live performance originally staged through a phone call, [sic] restages the work as an audio installation. Fractured signals, interruptions, and moments of disconnection are relayed through a singular screen in the gallery which acts as a prompter, or a guide to a conversation perpetually on the verge of dropping out of earshot.

Jess Heritage is the recipient of The Perimeter Studio Award 2025/26.

The Perimeter Studio Award is a scholarship programme for emerging artists after the completion of their degree at the Slade, University College of London, in partnership with Metroland Cultures.⁠This award supports one graduating MA/MFA student for a 1-year rent free studio space, professional development opportunities, mentorship sessions and a cash bursary.⁠

Artist Bio

Jess Heritage (b.1993, Pontefract) works predominantly with speech and performance.

The work often begins in the middle; a conversation already underway, or just out of earshot. Performances tend to circle around doubt and indeterminacy, producing registers of speech which falter, defer, or fail to wholly arrive. Her performances seek to make visible what is produced in the gaps and slippages that open up in communication; attempting to continually make present and undermine the often unacknowledged dominant structures inherent to language.

Jess’ performances take the form of scripted dialogues which tend towards deviation and interruption. Disfluent narratives unfold between performers, or from within audio-visual installations where she often uses live voice-over and audio description to generate proliferating encounters with pre-recorded images. 

She often works with modest materials, building stripped-back and provisional architectural structures which exist in states of assembly or disassembly. These structures, like her register of speech, are understated and continually unresolved.

Jess graduated with an MA in Fine Art Media from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2025, and with a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in 2017. She was the recipient of The Perimeter Studio Award 2025, The Sarabande Foundation Scholarship 2023, and the Acme ASP studio award 2017-2019. Recent exhibitions include ‘Between States’ at Chilli Art Projects and‘Same as it ever was’ ANNEX at the Koppel Project. She has previously performed at the Live Art Development Agency and Royal Academy Lates.

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2026/27 Open Call

Applications are now open for next The Perimeter Studio Award, a scholarship programme designed to increase opportunities for emerging artists after the completion of their degree at the Slade, University College of London, in partnership with Metroland Cultures.⁠
⁠
This award will select one graduating MA/MFA student for a 1-year rent-free studio space, professional development opportunities, mentorship sessions and a cash bursary.⁠
⁠
As a neighbouring institution, The Perimeter Studio Award aims to support one emerging artist graduating from the Slade by recognising the challenges faced during the precarious and pivotal transitional period from leaving art school and entering a career as an independent artist.⁠
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Awards will be allocated based on merit and need. Applications will be received through an open call for eligible students and selected by two shortlisting panels.⁠
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This 1-year award will provide⁠
• A rent-free studio space at Metroland Cultures⁠
• A bursary of £2,000⁠
• An individualised programme of mentoring and professional development⁠
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Eligible Students⁠
• Final Year MA or MFA Fine Art⁠ students at the Slade School of Fine Art⁠
• Eligible to remain in the UK for the duration of the residency from 1 September 2026 until September 2027
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Application Deadline: Friday 29 May 2026⁠
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The awarded applicant will be selected by a panel of institutions, curators and artists including:⁠
⁠
Louise Shelley (Deputy Director, Metroland Cultures)⁠
Mary Evans (Slade, Director)⁠
Holly Hendry (Slade, PG)⁠
Izzie Beirne (Programmes Manager, The Perimeter)⁠
Alexander V. Petalas (Founder, The Perimeter)⁠
Polly Staple (Curator)⁠
Adam Farah-Saad (Artist, Metroland Cultures studio holder, Tutor)⁠
Sasha Ercole (Director, The Perimeter)⁠
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For further information on the full application pack, please reach out to UCL Slade School of Fine Art or for general enquires to info@theperimeter.co.uk⁠