David Appleyard was the Trust’s artist in residence during 2025, taking part in a 20-day research residency during February and March 2025. 

David is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores storytelling through objects, installations and site specific interventions. His work is infused with historical narratives, a sense of wit, and reflections on our place in the world. Collaboration is central to David’s process. He frequently works with individuals, communities, craftspeople, and manufacturers, fostering exchanges of knowledge and expertise. His work encourages audiences to engage with the past in new ways, posing questions about myth, belief, and how we reinterpret heritage.

Whilst living and working from Vindolanda, David researched the collection and immersed himself in the landscape, spending time with our staff, volunteers and academic colleagues to get to know Vindolanda past and present. You can read more about David's residency at Vindolanda in his blog.

 At the end of his residency period, David proposed a new temporary artwork VOTUM, which was exhibited at Vindolanda during October 2025. The images below are taken from David’s sketchbooks and visually reflect David’s research and development process during his residency. These sketchbooks, alongside David’s project notes are now held within Vindolanda collections. 

Previous work by David Appleyard