Tim Sullivan, a lecturer on the Foundation Diploma in Art & Design at Arts University Plymouth, has been awarded a prestigious €20,000 (approximately $22,000 / £17,000 / AU$35,000) grant from Finland’s Cultural Foundation to produce a new photobook; the largest grant of its kind awarded by the organization for a photographic publication.
The forthcoming book will document Russian-language learners living in Finland, capturing how their personal stories are shaped by wider historical and political shifts since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The work forms part of Sullivan’s broader research into borders, memory and the afterlives of geopolitical change.
"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 that keeps recurring is: How does the post-Cold War era of globalization square with our current moment? This was the spark that lit the proposal."
Sullivan’s photographic practice spans themes of history, migration, and the politics of place. Previous projects Wo/anders – Elsewhere (2017) and Havina (2022) have explored contested landscapes and the lingering impact of Romanticism on how we see land and memory.
His work has earned support from Arts Council England, the British Council and international residency programs across Northern Europe.
"Photographs present us with the borderlands of the expressive and the causal," he said. "This combination of framing and contingency is what has always motivated me to pursue image making."
The grant will support the production, design and publication of the photobook, which is set for release in early 2027. Developed in collaboration with Finnish journalist Anni Huttu, the project will include interview-based texts alongside photography, with exhibitions planned internationally.
"Tim’s project exemplifies the power of photography to open dialogues across cultures," said Professor Stephen Felmingham, pro vice-chancellor (academic) at Arts University Plymouth.
"The scale of this Finnish award recognizes both his artistic rigor 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."
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