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Arts University Plymouth lecturer wins landmark Finnish photobook grant
Wednesday, 14 May, 2025 — Tim Sullivan secures €20,000 award from The Cultura Foundation — believed to be the largest of its kind from the Finnish government-funded organisation
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.timjsullivan.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tim Sullivan</a>, Lecturer on the<a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/foundation-diploma-in-art-and-design-post-a-level" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Foundation Diploma in Art & Design</a> at Arts University Plymouth, has been awarded a prestigious €20,000 grant from the Finnish Government through The Cultura Foundation to produce a new photobook. Believed to be the largest grant awarded by The Cultura Foundation for a book of its type, the award recognises Sullivan’s long-standing expertise in photography, visual research, and cross-cultural dialogue.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The forthcoming photobook will document post-Soviet Russian language learners in Finland, exploring how their personal stories intersect with shifting political landscapes in the wake of the collapse of the Iron Curtain. The work builds on Tim’s ongoing research into borders and borderlands, using photography to engage with memory, identity, and the afterlives of geopolitical change.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I have been working in central Finland on a funded residency over the past summers, in a print studio with a black and white darkroom,” Tim said. “My research focus throughout has been on the topic of borders. I began interviewing people with cross border connections with my Finnish friend and colleague Anni Huttu. We have had many conversations, but one question which keeps recurring is: How does the post-cold war era of globalisation square with our current moment? This was the spark that lit the proposal."<br /></p>
Border Trees by Tim Sullivan
<p dir="ltr">Tim’s work explores themes of history, migration, and the representation of place. His research often investigates how visual technologies can be repurposed to foster cross-cultural understanding, particularly in today’s hyper-mediated, and often divided, social landscape.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His previous projects, such as ‘Wo/anders – Elsewhere’ (2017) and ‘Havina’ (2022), have examined historical landscapes and contested spaces, often responding to the legacy of Romanticism and the evolving relationship between land and memory.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His practice has been recognised through multiple awards and international residencies, including funding from Arts Council England and the British Council. He has previously undertaken a British Council-funded residency on the Russian border in Estonia, as well as other residencies across Northern Europe.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Photographs present us with the borderlands of the expressive and the causal,” Tim said. “This combination of framing and contingency is what has always motivated me to pursue image making.”<br /></p>
Border Post by Tim Sullivan
<p dir="ltr">Tim’s latest €20,000 grant success highlights the international recognition of his work and research within the photographic and publishing communities. The photobook will contribute to ongoing discussions about history, migration, and language, offering a unique perspective on how past geopolitical shifts continue to shape identities today.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Featuring photography and interview-based texts produced in collaboration with Finnish journalist Anni Huttu, the photobook is set for publication in early 2027, with accompanying international exhibitions planned.<br /></p>
Globe by Tim Sullivan
<p dir="ltr">“This project creates new opportunities to connect with people in valuable ways,” Tim said. “It also forms part of my wider academic research into aesthetic theory (focussed on sense perception), landscape and the topic of borderlands. Without overstating the already stated, our hyper-mediated age has created significant cultural divisions. I hope that by repurposing visual technologies, such as photography, we can create new spaces to connect cross-culturally.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Publication of the project in Finland is already being planned, with future publication in the UK under consideration. The photobook will become a cornerstone of Sullivan’s broader research into aesthetics, perception, and the critical role of art in understanding complex histories.<br /></p>
Portrait by Tim Sullivan
<p dir="ltr">Professor Stephen Felmingham, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Arts University Plymouth, said: “Tim’s project exemplifies the power of photography to open dialogues across cultures. The scale of this Finnish award recognises both his artistic rigour and commitment to socially engaged practice. Our Foundation Diploma in Art & Design students enjoy the opportunity to learn from a leader in his field, benefiting from the depth of Tim’s experience working on transnational creative collaborations.”</p>
<p>For more information about the <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/foundation-diploma-in-art-and-design-post-a-level" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Foundation Diploma in Art & Design</a> at Arts University Plymouth, visit <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aup.ac.uk</a>.</p>
