ROUND 3
This opportunity is currently closed
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During Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture, Coventry Artspace is administering 21 x £500 bursaries for local artists to create work for Coventry communities.
This project is inspired by artists, all over the world, who have found ways to bring moments of light to their neighbourhoods during the pandemic by sharing their work in windows, balconies and on the streets. The project is funded by Arts Council England, National Lottery Community Fund, Coventry City Council and Coventry City of Culture Trust (CCCT) and builds on the Window Wanderland trails led by CCCT in 2021.
In addition to the £500 commission there will be support with signage, funds for materials, free training and access to 3 hours of free 1-2-1 mentoring through the new Coventry Artspace Consultancy Bank. For some artists there will also be additional funding for engagement activities.
Artists will be featured on the Artspace website and audio recordings about the artwork will be shared on Echoes audio app so that visitors can find out more about them and their practice. The work will be professionally photographed and promoted through Coventry Artspace and Coventry City of Culture Trust social media channels.
In this third round we will be allocating commissions to 8 artists to develop and share work for at least 21 days between 14th March and 15 April 2022 (installation week beginning 7 March).
See the work of previous artists
Further details
All artists selected will be linked up with a building-based community group, business or empty building in a neighbourhood of Coventry or Warwickshire. The Artist On My Street project aims to show art in areas of low cultural engagement.
Artists will be expected to create work in the windows of the building they have been allocated, in consultation with the community group, business or shop owner as appropriate. The work must be suitable and relevant to the neighbourhood and to the City of Culture themes, which are:
WELCOME – SANCTUARY – HARMONY – FREEDOM – PEACE – UTOPIA – COVENTRY IN THE WORLD –
LIGHT (CITY OF) – BEING HUMAN – HOPE – AMAZING WOMEN – GREEN FUTURE
The work must be on display for at least 21 days (minimum 5 hours per day), between 14 March – 15 April 2022.
Note: Artists are not expected to be with the work for 21 days. It is expected that this work will be shown in windows or open spaces, so it should not need invigilation, although it may need support with opening shutters or some such. Artspace will support the artists with these arrangements.
In-kind support will include:
- Signage to support the work with artist details including vinyl poster and audio
- 3hrs of online bespoke consultancy/mentor support worth £150
- Professional photography and promotion of the work as part of the Artist On My Street project
- Support from the Artspace Lead Producer as required to troubleshoot and manage relationships
- Opportunity to feature in a group exhibition at Arcadia Gallery of Artist On My Street work in May 2022
Commissioned artists will be required to attend a group meeting on Friday 11th February 3 – 6pm
How to apply
To apply for the third round of commissions, please complete this online form or submit a video (maximum length 5 minutes) with your answers to the application questions, by 4pm, 31st January 2022. One application per artist.
If you experience challenges or would like support with your application, please email sophie@coventry-artspace.co.uk with ‘AOMS Application Support’ in the subject line or call 0247 655 3533. Alternatively you can answer the questions in the application via a video sent with up to 3 examples of your work + weblinks to sophie@coventry-artspace.co.uk. Please mark any emails sent in relation to this application ‘AOMS Application’ in the subject line.
Coventry Artspace is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer actively working towards becoming a safe(r) organisation welcoming, supporting, and caring for beings from different routes and with different needs. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age or any other category protected by law.
Selection
The successful artists will be selected by members of the Artspace Artist Advisory Group and a representative of Coventry City of Culture Trust and will be informed within 1 week after the closing date for applications.
Criteria – You should:
- Be able to connect to a city of culture theme
- Have an interest and willingness to spend time on personal development and engagement with other artists
- Create work that is suitable for public display
Selection is based on:
- Quality of the artwork
- How well it is likely to engage public interest
- Suitability of the artwork for the neighbourhood (we aim to find venues in areas in where cultural engagement is deemed as low, to improve engagement with art)
Feedback to unsuccessful applicants is provided on request.