Artist Opportunity - Access and Inclusion Artist Facilitator

Artist Opportunity, Open Call

Wednesday 12th October 9:00am – Monday 7th November 2022 9:00am

‘a space’ arts is looking to work with an artist in the creation and expression of a new Access & Inclusion Action Plan (AIAP).  

The AIAP will give the organisation a new structure for delivering Access and Inclusion work. The final plan will include a set of commitments that are shared with the public.

The role is designed to bring the voice and views of a d/Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent artist into team discussions. The artist will work with the staff to create a realistic action plan.  They will also create an artistic outcome that communicates the final AIAP to the public.

We are open minded about the form this outcome takes. Examples could be a zine, an audio work or a moving image piece. The outcome should clearly communicate the AIAP to the public and take into account audience access needs. The team will work with the artist throughout the process to develop ideas for the final outcome.

Developing the AIAP

The AIAP will help to develop the organisation’s understanding of access and audience needs. The commitments will be created using the I’M IN framework. Find out more (musicmasters.org.uk/im-in/ – framework).

The I’M IN framework can be changed to suit the work of a visual arts organisation. More subjects will be included in team sessions to make sure the final outcome is relevant to our work and serve the artists, communities and audiences we work with. It will also make sure the outcome is achievable and meets the teams’ resource.

Over the last twelve months, the team have attended training and conferences, as well as conducting self-led research into subjects on access and inclusion. We have found examples of good practice and subjects we feel are relevant to our future work. These include how to better support D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people. This included staff, artists and audiences. This research has been very informative and the team have been sharing learning and ideas in group staff sessions. 

The AIAP will work with our current programme which aims to improve participation and provide more support for artists and audiences. The current programme includes projects such as the Making Room Residency. This aims to remove barriers and help artists to find studio space. Other projects include the Artist Access Fund which gives financial help to artists.

 

The Brief

This brief calls for an artist to work with the team in three ways:

  1. To take part in a series of sessions by contributing to and building conversations that help the organisation in the creation of the AIAP. We hope this will be a helpful learning experience for the artist.
  2. To organise and host a focus group with other d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists which will review the AIAP and commitments 
  3. To produce a creative outcome for the final AIAP and commitments which will be shared with the public. We are open minded on the outcome and this can be discussed during the production process.

 

You can download a PDF of the full brief here

You can download a large print PDF brief here

 

Timetable

The AIAP will be developed through the following stages:

  1. Artist recruitment:
  • Deadline for Expressions of Interest (EoI) – Monday 7th November 2022.
  • Selection and Decision – Tuesday 8th November 2022.

2. AIAP development sessions (including the I’M IN framework) – There will be 10 x 2 hour sessions taking place between Thursday 24th November 2022 to April 13th 2023.

  • All sessions will take place on Thursday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm (there are no sessions between December 12th 2022 and January 2nd 2023). They will be held at GHT.
  • Please only express an interest in this role if you can attend all of the sessions. We know this structure may be a challenge for some artists and we apologise for this. The sessions involve 9 – 10 other people and planning in advance is required. 

3. Focus group/peer review session – during week starting April 3rd 2023.

  • This can be hosted at an ‘a space’ arts venue, online or in a blended meeting.

4. Final AIAP and board approval – during week starting April 24th 2023.

AIAP outcome to be complete by week starting May 22nd 2023 (completing before this date is welcomed). The organisation will support the artist throughout the development period to explore and both agree on the form of the outcome.  The artist will then have around 4 weeks following board approval of the final AIAP to complete this element of the work.

AIAP launch – to support the launch campaign of the AIAP and act as an ambassador for the work – date TBC circa June/July 2023.

 

Budget

The budget includes the lead artist fees, materials, and fees for focus group artists – as indicated in the brackets and totals at the end.

  • Total project budget – £3150.
  • Development sessions – 10 x 2 hour sessions – £100 per session (artist fee £1000).
  • Artist focus group organisation and hosting – £200 (artist fee £200).
  • Focus group artists – £25 each. Up to 8 artists. 1 hour focus group (focus group artists £200).
  • Artistic expression – 4 days at £250 per day and materials budget of up to £500 (£1000 artist fee + materials up to £500).
  • Launch and ambassador role – 1 day at £250 (artist fee £250).

 

How to apply

To submit an Expression of Interest, or to ask any questions please email [email protected] or call 023 80 338 778

Please include with your EoI:

  • 250 words about your motivation to participate, how you think you would contribute and what you hope to get from the process.
  • 250 words about your practice and how you might approach creating a final artistic expression of the AIAP – you do not need to detail what the artistic outcome would be at this stage, please outline your methodology, practice or approach to making.
  • A link to a website or social media channel that shows your work and practice or up to 3 images of your work.

Our Artist Access Fund is available to help artists who want to apply. Please contact [email protected] to talk through any access needs we can help you with. 

 

Access

As an organisation we actively look to reduce barriers for artists applying for our opportunities and commissions, and we are committed to being fair, accessible, transparent and inclusive.

We offer a range of access support for artists, including alternative formats for information we release and submissions we receive as well as an artist access fund; please contact us so that we can discuss your individual needs and provide appropriate support. You can email us on [email protected] or call 023 80 338 778.