engage Cymru – Artists as learners

NEW! Professional development training opportunity for visual artists & makers in Wales
Application deadline Tuesday 23rd July 12.00 noon

engage Cymru is seeking applications from emerging, early or mid-career visual artists or makers  who have a commitment to gallery education and would like to develop their practice to work with ‘hard to reach’ or vulnerable young people. 

Artists as Learners is a new professional development programme for visual artists and makers living and working in Wales, which will pilot in the autumn term 2013. It has been developed as a direct response to recent engage Cymru programmes, such as Reach the Heights www.engage.org/reachtheheights, which highlighted a shortage of visual artists and makers with the skills and experience required to work with hard to reach or vulnerable young people in a gallery setting.

The programme aims to build capacity of artists with the necessary skills, approach and experience to work with ‘hard to reach’ young people, and to engage them in gallery education projects or learning through the visual arts or crafts.

Participants will be mentored by an experienced lead artist and the programme will run in partnership with Oriel Mostyn, Ceredigion Museum & Gallery, Glynn Vivian Museum & Gallery and Denbighshire Arts Service / Rhyl Library & Art Gallery. Each venue will host two ‘artist-learners’ for a total of eight places on the pilot course.

Each course is anticipated to run for 6 days in September, October or November – dates to be confirmed. Previous experience working with young people is not required, but we are looking for artists and makers who have a genuine interest in developing their practice in this direction.

Participants will gain:

• skills, experience and confidence to devise & lead projects with young people
• the opportunity to be mentored by / learn directly from an artist experienced in working with hard to reach young people
• a wider knowledge and understanding of gallery learning programmes
• access to a range of engage and Unitas learning resources
• the opportunity to build their professional network with colleagues working in the visual arts, museums and local authorities

 

 

DRAFT PROGRAMME

Day 1	Training day delivered by Unitas Cymru http://cymru.unitas.uk.net/ exploring formal aspects of planning and running projects with hard to reach young people, including: Introduction to safeguarding / duty of care / legal framework Why young people may be at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET) Child Poverty Agenda in Wales Two workshops will be held: one for Ceredigion and Swansea participants, and one for Denbighshire and Llandudno – venues and dates tba.
Day 2Host venue	Morning – Introduction to: Host gallery and its education programme Partner organisation and its role with young people Project artist and artist-learners
	Afternoon – project planning: The artist-learners and lead artist will work together to plan a short gallery-based / artwork-inspired project for group of young people
Days 3-5	Morning: Project deliveryAfternoon: review, reflect, plan
Day 6	Programme evaluationTwo reflection sessions will be held: one for Ceredigion and Swansea participants, and one for Denbighshire and Llandudno – venues tba.

 

PROGRAMME FEE

The course fee is £175 non-engage members / £150 engage members. For details on joining engage go to www.engage.org/membership.  Funding (which can also support subsistence and travel) may be available through Arts Council of Wales small training grants programme.

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible for this programme you need to meet the following criteria:

Essential

• Be an emerging, early- or mid-career visual artist or maker
• Be living and working in Wales
• NOT be a current student (whether on a full- or part-time course)

• Have a commitment to socially-engaged artistic practice

• Have a demonstrable interest in developing your practice to work with hard to reach young people
• Be available to participate on at least two consecutive weeks in September or October 2013 (programme dates to be confirmed)
• Possess a current enhanced CRB disclosure, or be willing to undergo the process to obtain one

Desirable

• Have some experience of delivering or supporting learning programmes in a gallery

• Have some experience planning and delivering learning or visual arts projects with young people ages 14-25
• Have some understanding of the factors which may cause young people to be socially disadvantaged
• Have some awareness of Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Government policies / strategies relating to young people

 

HOW TO APPLY

Please complete the application form and send with your CV and the names of two references to Angela Rogers, engage Cymru Coordinator, cymru@engage.org.

Applications must be received by noon on Tuesday 23rd July 2013.

 

If you would like to discuss the course before making your application, please contact Angela Rogers, engage Cymru Development Coordinator at cymru@engage.org or telephone 01834 870121.

 

We will let you know by Monday 29^th July if you have a place on the course