• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
HX Expeditions has introduced its first Artist in Residence programme, a new initiative designed to bring creative professionals aboard selected voyages and offer guests additional cultural and intellectual perspectives during their expeditions. The programme will begin in 2026 with the appointment of acclaimed novelist and writer Katie Hale.
The initiative is intended to enrich the onboard experience by connecting guests with artists from a variety of disciplines, encouraging deeper engagement with the destinations, landscapes, wildlife and cultures encountered during expedition voyages. According to HX, the programme will become an annual global initiative, welcoming writers, visual artists, poets, musicians and other creative practitioners on future sailings.
Hale's appointment carries particular significance for the company, as her novel The Edge of Solitude, which explores themes related to the climate crisis, was inspired by an HX expedition to Antarctica in 2020. Her residency therefore represents a return to the expedition line that helped shape her creative work.
As HX's inaugural Artist in Residence, Hale will join selected voyages throughout 2026, offering lectures, workshops and informal discussions focused on creativity, storytelling and personal reflection. The aim is to provide guests with additional ways to interpret and connect with the environments they visit.
Hale indicated that travel and storytelling share a common ability to bring people together and noted that, alongside finding inspiration for her own work, she hoped to encourage guests to explore their own responses to remote regions through writing and creative expression.
Her first voyage in the role will be HX's 21-day Arctic Canada and Greenland Expedition – Circumnavigating Baffin Bay, scheduled for September. During the sailing, guests will be able to participate in complimentary workshops including Writing the Arctic, From Idea to Story, and dedicated "Quiet Writing" sessions, as well as attend discussions and readings related to The Edge of Solitude.
Reflecting on the upcoming voyage, Hale observed that the Arctic's ecological complexity and constantly changing nature present a unique challenge for writers seeking to capture the region in words. She noted that her Antarctic expedition in 2020 had provided the inspiration for her second novel and suggested that the journey through Greenland and Arctic Canada could influence future literary projects. She also expressed interest in learning more about the region's cultures, landscapes and wildlife while engaging with fellow travellers.
HX Chief Executive Officer Gebhard Rainer stated that the introduction of artists aboard selected voyages broadens the company's expedition offering beyond science, nature and exploration by incorporating creative perspectives. He added that the programme reflects the belief that travel can inspire new ideas, foster meaningful connections and support artistic talent on an international scale.
Guests participating in the Northwest Passage expedition will have opportunities to engage directly with Hale through a series of creative sessions and presentations set against one of the world's most remote and historically significant expedition routes.
Fuente: Cruise Mapper
