HX Launches First-Ever Artist in Residence Programme

New global annual initiative will bring artists from across disciplines on selected sailings, beginning with Novelist Katie Hale taking the Northwest Passage voyage this September.

London, 12 June 2026 – HX Expeditions (HX), the world’s first and longest-running expedition cruise company, today announces its first-ever Artist in Residence programme, launching with acclaimed writer and novelist Katie Hale. The new initiative is designed to bring fresh creative perspectives on board selected sailings, giving guests new ways to engage with the places they visit while supporting the arts and feeding curious minds through inspiring cultural experiences.

Hale’s appointment is a fitting beginning for the programme as her latest novel, The Edge of Solitude (a thought-provoking novel based on climate crisis) was inspired by her sailing on an HX vessel to Antarctica in 2020, making this residency a full-circle moment between artist and expedition line.

As official HX Artist in Residence in 2026, Hale will join certain sailings to share her creative practice through talks, workshops and informal moments of reflection that help guests connect more deeply with the landscapes, wildlife and cultures around them.

The HX Artist in Residence programme will become a global annual event for HX, inviting artists from a range of disciplines to sail with the company in the years ahead. From writers and visual artists to poets, musicians and other creative practitioners, the programme reflects HX’s commitment to broadening the guest experience through meaningful, curiosity-led encounters that both enrich life on board and provide tangible support for the arts.

Hale said: “We come together through travel and through stories; as well as finding my own inspiration, I want to give guests an opportunity to explore their own responses to this incredible region of the world, through creativity and writing.”

Hale’s first sailing as Artist in Residence will be on HX’s Northwest Passage voyage this September on the Arctic Canada and Greenland Expedition - Circumnavigating Baffin Bay sailing - a 21-day expedition cruise through Arctic Canada and Greenland. Workshops that Hale will be offering guests (at no cost) will include workshops such as ‘Writing the Arctic’ and ‘From Idea to Story’ as well offering ‘Quiet Writing’ mindful hours and a talk/reading about her book The Edge of Solitude: in conversation with the author.

Hale added: “The Arctic is such an ecologically dynamic region, it can be difficult to put into words. How do you describe a place as magnificent and changeable as the Arctic? The idea for my second novel, The Edge of Solitude, arrived during an HX expedition to Antarctica in 2020. Since then, I've been thinking more and more about the north of the planet. I'm hoping that voyaging to Greenland and Arctic Canada as HX Artist in Residence will provide inspiration for the next book! I'm hugely excited by the opportunity to experience Baffin Bay with HX, to learn about the cultures, wildlife and landscapes that make up this region, and to make connections with other travellers.”

Gebhard Rainer, CEO of HX concluded: “By introducing artists on board selected voyages, HX is creating new ways for guests to experience expedition travel - not only through our core offering of science, nature and exploration, but through creativity too. This new offer underscores the company’s belief that travel can open minds, spark ideas and create lasting connections, while helping champion artistic talent on a global stage.”

Guests on board can expect opportunities to hear from Hale directly and take part in numerous creative sessions shaped by one of the world’s most storied and remote expedition routes. For travellers inspired to join the journey, cabins are still available.