ArtsTaunton Artist in Residence Opportunity
What’s special about Taunton’s waterways and green spaces?
ArtsTaunton is an organisation working to make Taunton a great place to live somewhere where art and nature combine to make a town that has a unique identity. To achieve this aim ArtsTaunton has secured funding to support an artist to explore the character of the town’s waterways and green space – valuable attributes that are currently not fully utilised or valued. In the coming years ArtsTaunton want to support the town’s creative sector and stimulate the appetite in people for brilliant and meaningful art (art in it’s widest definition). This residency is one of the first steps to help us find out what would be meaningful for Taunton’s citizens.
We want to work with artists because they have the ability to see and communicate in fresh and accessible ways. Artists can often see acutely what is special in the ‘everyday’. The residency will ask an artist/s to explore Taunton’s waterways, the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal and River Tone, as well as the town’s green spaces. The waterways form a spine through the town, providing a rich ecology for wildlife and flora and fauna.
Throughout recent years Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) have been eager to preserve and enhance green space. Current and upcoming residential developments will include the creation of dedicated green space for new communities and TDBC will be working with Somerset Wildlife and the Local Nature Partnership to encourage closer relationship between wildlife and our gardens, green spaces and indeed the town centre so we no longer see wildlife as separate but as part of daily life. Taunton Deane’s strategy has been awarded Garden Town status.
The artist/s will hosted by Taunton Deane Borough Council’s Green Infrastructure and Landscape Officer with provision of work space within the Major Developments team. TDBC will connect the artist/s with partners and communities and further community engagement will be supported through Somerset Art Works. We envisage the artist/s delivering around 12 days between 24 April and 9 June 2017, specific days to be agreed between the artist/s and host.
During the residency period we want the artist/s to look for what is special about the town’s waterways and green space, how people use them in the past, how they are used now and how we could make greater use of them. We are not asking for a tangible work of art only that the artist/s deliver a creative presentation of their research findings at a public event in July 2017 and provide ArtsTaunton with research documentation.
What you will get:
- – Research opportunity with the Taunton Deane Borough Council over a 6 week period
- – Access to a range of skills, knowledge, networks and expertise across the Counciland it’s partners
- – Support to access cultural and heritage sites and other organisations within Taunton
- – Support from Somerset Art Works
- – A fee of £1.5k
- – There is a budget to cover reasonable travel and accommodation and out of pocketexpenses up to £500
- – Workspace at the Taunton Deane Borough Council with internet access
- – Support with research and external engagement throughout the the residency
What is expected of you:
- – Over the 6 week research period the artist/s will spend time in Taunton to undertake research with Taunton Deane Borough Council and partners
- – It is expected that the artist will be in Taunton for an agreed portion of the residency (days to be agreed between the artist/s, ArtsTaunton and the host)
- – It is expected that the artist/s will be available to do at least one public event during the residency and be available to give a creative presentation of their research at a public event in July
- – The artist will be expected to engage with and provide material for the host’s and ArtsTaunton’s website and social media campaigns and be available for press interviews
The process:
- Deadline for responses 31 March 2017 Interviews: week of 10 April 2017
- Residency period between: 24 April – 9 June
How to apply:
Please send a statement (no more than 500 words) that outlines your interest in the residency and a further statement (no more than 500 words) outlining your relevant experience and how you will approach the residency (including how you might present your findings).
In support of your application please also supply a current CV and up to 12 Jpegs or video links, sound recordings or other methods of documentation that appropriately illustrate your practice.
Please also give details of two referees who we will contact if you are shortlisted.
We welcome inter/national applications from across the spectrum of artform disciplines and from artists of all ages.
Email your applications to:
If you have any questions please contact:
Ann Jones at [email protected]
Further Reading:
http://www.taunton.uk.com/MyFiles/Files/Taunton%20Rethink.pdf
Published on February 21, 2017 // artweeks
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