[spectre] Art House / Esmee Fairbairn Artists' Bursary Scheme

[Taylor Nuttall]

Art House / Esmee Fairbairn Artists’ Bursary Scheme

Project Description

The Art House has secured funding for 12 artists’ bursaries from the Esmee
Fairbairn Foundation, Barclays and supported by the National Lottery through
the Arts Council of England A4E scheme. The bursaries will be offered over a
three year period (2003 / 2004 / 2005).

The bursaries will be awarded primarily to visual artists and craftspeople,
working in a wide range of media including digital media, sound,
installation, sculpture and other media. Please get in touch if you are
unsure whether your work is suitable.

The Art House is an inclusive organisation and our intention is that artists
with and without disabilities will be appointed. All of the artists will be
enabled to make new work while receiving professional development training
and access support. The Art House will provide all necessary to support to
disabled artists in applying for the bursaries and all partner venues have
good access. We will provide additional support to artists with disabilities
in undertaking bursary projects.

The artists will all be at an early stage of their careers, probably within
the first three years of their professional practice.

It will be possible for collaborating artists as well as individual artists
to apply to the scheme.
Six of the bursaries will be offered in Yorkshire and six elsewhere in the
country.

The bursaries will be offered in partnership with other organisations, which
will provide the artists with space in which to work and exhibit.

The brief for each residency will be different and reflect the character of
the partner organisation as well as the aspirations of The Art House.

The partners range from studio complexes such as Yorkshire Artspace Society
in Sheffield, to internationally recognised sites such as Grizedale Arts and
Yorkshire Sculpture Park. They include conventional gallery spaces, non-art
spaces and public art opportunities, ensuring a wide range of potential
projects. The briefs will be very open in many cases, allowing for artists
working in a variety of media to respond, and for research and development
within the bursary. Most are not commissions but opportunities for artists
to extend their practice.

Synergy between the residencies will be maximised, as it is important that
the scheme operates as a single project rather than as 12 isolated
residencies. This will occur through face to face contact and through a
dedicated website, which will develop throughout the project. This will
include visual and textual documentation of process, work in progress,
finished work, critical assessment of the work and issues raised during the
project, as well as being a medium for communication through a discussion
forum and webchats. There will be a conference / event at the end of the
project, which will bring together the artists, partners and other
participants in the project, showcasing the work produced and establishing
models of good practice for the future. This will be accompanied by a
publication.

How to apply
To be eligible you should preferably be in the first three years of working
as a practicing professional artist. This means you should be no more than
three years out of full time education, or be no more than three years into
returning to a career as an artist after a break, whether this was for
reasons of illness, disability, economics, childcare or any other reason. If
you are unsure whether you are eligible please contact us before applying.

Please only apply for one bursary. You will not be given more than one award
during the three years of the project. If you are unsuccessful this year you
are free to apply again in future years.

You need not necessarily apply for a bursary close to where you live, as
there is likely to be support for accommodation near to the partner venues.
We would encourage you to apply for the opportunity that most interests you.

Please submit the following information:

* No more than two sides of A4 describing your current practice / statement.

* No more than two sides of A4 describing your approach to the venue you are
applying to work at, and a proposal for the project you would like to
undertake there. You may include sketches or other visual material as part
of your proposal. You should take into account the nature of the venue and
its audience, but most importantly you should make a proposal which will
significantly extend your artistic practice. You should list equipment and
materials you expect to use, and if possible give a rough idea of what these
would cost. Get in touch if you want to discuss your proposal before
submitting it.
* Curriculum Vitae
* Samples of work. Ideally one or more of the following : 6 to 12 slides or
prints and / or catalogue excerpts; CD-ROMs; list of URLs; audio cassette
tape or CD; showreel tape in VHS PAL format (no longer than 30 mins). You
may submit material in more than one format. Please include a sheet listing
any work included by medium, date produced and title.
* Copies of any press reviews of your work.
* A stamped self-addressed envelope for the return of material. We will only
return work accompanied by an SAE.
* Please ensure that you submit your application by the application deadline
for the bursary you are applying for. Late applications will not be
considered.

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Bursary One / Two
St Luke’s Church and Parish Hall, Grimethorpe

Background:
Grimethorpe is situated in the Dearne Valley near Barnsley in South
Yorkshire. The area was formerly a mining community and is now economically
depressed. The church is larger than is needed for the village, so the
intention is to divide the building into two parts, forming a Parish Hall
for community use and small business support, and retaining part of the
building as the Church.

The Bursary:
Two bursaries are available here, though a single artist may apply for both.

An artist will work with the appointed architects to identify potential for
art input in the extensive refiguring of the building and to influence the
design process. This may concentrate on the detailed design of a single
feature, such as a stained glass window, as well as engaging with the wider
design process. The brief is primarily a design brief, so please indicate
what your approach to the project might be, and why you feel you have the
appropriate skills to undertake the brief; for example the ability to work
as part of a design team, specific artistic skill or related experience.

Location: the artist will work on site in Grimethorpe, with the architects
at their offices in Buxton, and may also carry out design work at their
studio / home.

Timescale: late January – March 2003

Fee: £2,000 (for the equivalent of approximately 20 days work) Support will
be available towards expenses and accommodation costs.

An artist / maker will design / make an altar and lectern for the church.
The design will respond to the building, the location and its history, and
the final brief will be negotiated between the artist, the vicar and the Art
House.

Location: the artist will carry out research and design work on site in
Grimethorpe. The work may be made locally to Grimethorpe or at the artist’s
studio, whichever is most appropriate.

Timescale: late January – March 2003

Fee: £3,000 including materials (additional funding may be available)
Support will be available towards expenses and accommodation costs.

Application Deadline: Applications for both these opportunities must be
received by Friday 10 January 2003.

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Bursary Three
Folly Gallery, Lancaster

Background:
Folly promotes photographic, video, digital art and live art from its
premises close to the centre of Lancaster.   Folly has established itself as
an innovative promoter of digital and media arts through its programme of
exhibitions and events, and through its website. Further information at
www.folly.co.uk

The vision for Folly is:
to act as a centre for excellence for emergent contemporary arts practice

The aims of Folly are to:
establish itself as a forum and melting pot to develop dialogue & discourse
around the creative use of digital media, thereby raising the profile of
contemporary art and artists in the region;
become a centre for excellence for research-based practice in photography,
film & video, digital media and live art;
develop skills and provide progressive experiences for all its participants;
ensure that the use of its resources is maximised.

Folly is developing new resources to extend its current base of a publicly
accessible darkroom, a linear video editing suite, a Linux based media lab
and good online access with broad band connection. Current funding plans are
in place to additionally provide an Apple Mac based laptop suite.

The Bursary:
The bursary will place an artist working in installation / new media or
other suitable media in residence with a number of local artists to act as a
catalyst for a broad range of interventions in non gallery settings. It is
anticipated that in addition documentation in progress and discussion
activities will take place online. The residency will form part of Folly's
ongoing ‘edit/copy/paste’ and ‘unencoded’ programme (see
www.unencoded.co.uk).

To coincide with the project a one-week practical workshop will be based
within the gallery, and the commissioned artist will be invited to
participate in this workshop event and lead part of it.

Location: the artist will be in residence at Folly Gallery and in the homes
of artists local to Lancaster.

Timescale: the start point for the project will be July 4th / 5th when Folly
will be jointly hosting a film and new media festival. Current / previous
work by the commissioned artist will be presented as part of a one day
forum. The residency will run over a 2-month period from this event.

Fee: £4,500 including materials. Support will be available towards expenses
and accommodation costs.

Application Deadline: Applications must be received by Friday 31 January
2003.

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Bursary Four
Yorkshire Artspace Society, Sheffield

Background:
Yorkshire ArtSpace exists to support visual artists and craftspeople by
offering them affordable studio space, business support services and access
to outreach opportunities. Just as importantly they aim to increase public
access to the skills of artists and every year they offer a wide range of
visual art and craft events and activities. Further information at
www.artspace.org.uk .

Persistence Works, designed by award winning Feilden Clegg Bradley
Architects, is the UK’s first purpose built fine art and craft studio
complex. It provides a permanent new base for Yorkshire ArtSpace with 51
studios providing workspace for 68 artists and makers including painters,
sculptors, jewellers, furniture makers and ceramicists.

The Bursary:
The bursary is for an artist working in any medium. The Public Art Space
will become the studio of the successful candidate for the duration of the
bursary and like all studios at Persistence Works is fully accessible and
designed to accommodate the various needs of artists and makers in an
atmosphere that offers privacy and security. Access to studios is 24/7.
The public art space is 14m x 10m x 5m high so very large. The space would
be suitable for a variety of working practices such as: large sculpture or
installation, projections or lightworks or any process which takes full
advantage of the space available. The studio is north facing, on ground
level, has a concrete floor and block work walls, heating, lighting, power
points, a sink with hot and cold water and extractor point. As the space is
adjacent to the public reception area it is also ideal for showing work and
is regularly used for this purpose.

Location: The artist will be in residence at Persistence Works, Yorkshire
Artspace’s building in Sheffield.

Timescale: The artist will be in residence for approximately six weeks
between 14 April and 26 May.

Fee: £3500 including materials. Support will be available towards expenses
and accommodation costs.

Application Deadline: Applications must be received by Friday 31 January
2003.

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Bursary Five
Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester

Background:
The Richard Attenborough Centre (RAC) is an arts education centre, open to
all but giving priority to people with disabilities and others who have
previously found access to arts education difficult.

Part of the University of Leicester’s Institute of Lifelong Learning, the
RAC offers a full programme of performances, exhibitions and adult education
courses in various artforms, and works with partners in the education, arts
and social service sectors to deliver community projects aimed at skills
development and widening access. The Centre currently serves some 500 people
each week, of whom 25-30% identify themselves as having a disability.

Opened in 1997 with capital funding from the National Lottery, the building
won a national design competition and offers maximum physical accessibility.
In 2002 the RAC featured in the Arts Council’s publication Pride of Place,
which celebrates the achievements of Lottery-funded organizations that have
"changed the landscape" of the arts in Britain. Further information at
www.le.ac.uk/racentre

The Bursary:
The bursary is open to artists working in any medium. The RAC’s aspirations
for the residency are:
To support an artist in the creation of new work
To enable our students and the public to interact with a visual artist and
benefit from that creative dialogue
Through interface with our diverse student body, to enable the artist to act
as a role model for new and emerging artists
To provide the opportunity to produce work of exhibition quality for use by
the Centre and potential other venues
To generate widespread public awareness of the project
To contribute to creative growth within the Centre, Leicester and beyond
To provide a unique and high quality range of developmental opportunities
for the artist

Location: The artist will usually be in residence at the Richard
Attenborough Centre. There will be an opportunity to exhibit work at the end
of the residency if this is appropriate.

Timescale: The residency will run during Spring/Summer 2003. The artist is
expected to work at the centre or at an associated location for a minimum of
2½ days a week. The anticipated timetable is as follows:
Spring Term: 3 March - 16 April
Easter Break
Summer Term: 23 April – 16 May
Possible Exhibition Preview: 17 May
Possible Exhibition Dates: 17 May – 13 June

Fee: £4,250 including materials. Support will be available towards expenses
and accommodation costs. The Richard Attenborough Centre is financially
supporting the bursary.

Practicalities: We anticipate that this opportunity will equate loosely to a
half-time commitment on the part of the artist. Therefore it is likely to be
of interest to artists living within the East Midlands region or within
reasonable travelling distance.

Access: If you consider yourself to be disabled the Richard Attenborough
Centre is very keen to explore ways in which it can support you in
fulfilling the aims of the residency.

Application Deadline: Applications must be received by Friday 10 January
2003.

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