Visual Artist Mentee Opportunity
engage Cymru/Oriel Davies Project – Galleries engaging Young People
Project Description
engage Cymru and Oriel Davies are offering the opportunity for an artist or a recent arts graduate, to develop their arts education practice working alongside an experienced artist in the delivery of a project engaging disaffected or vulnerable young people in contemporary visual arts at Oriel Davies, Newtown, Powys between April – July 2013.
This project forms part of a strategic Wales-wide engage Cymru programme developing best practice in gallery education for artists working with young people, and enabling them opportunities to engage with contemporary visual arts and crafts.
Lead Project Artist – Tom Goddard – will be working with between 8 – 10 young people who have been recommended by Powys County Council Youth Intervention Service.
Mentee Artist
The project will involve you working in a peer-led approach with Tom Goddard and Oriel Davies in the following areas:
• Project session planning
• Attending and observing delivery of project sessions learning from Tom’s successful approach to engaging young people in contemporary visual arts
• Evaluation
There is a one-off inclusive payment of £1,000 available.
Mentee Artist Requirements
Essential
• Demonstrate a commitment and passion to develop your practice as an artist educator
• A commitment to helping break down barriers to contemporary visual arts for vulnerable young people
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of gallery education
• Enhanced CRB certificate (although it may be possible for engage Cymru or Oriel Davies to support an application on your behalf)
Desirable
• Access to a car
• Familiarity with Oriel Davies programme
• You will be an engage member
Timing
The start date of the project is 23rd April 2013. Other projects are still to be confirmed, but it is likely that the majority of sessions will take place on Tuesdays between 23rd April – end July. There will be approximately 10 sessions, running from 11am – 3pm.
The project sessions will mainly take place at Oriel Davies, although some sessions may take place in other locations in Powys. We are looking for an artist mentee (this could be an experienced artist keen to develop their practice with young people, an early career artist educator or a recent arts graduate) to work alongside Tom during the project.
Application Procedure
For an informal chat about the project, please call Angela Rogers, engage Cymru Development Coordinator. If you would like to apply for the position, please email your CV and a covering letter (not more than 2 sides of A4) outlining what you would hope to gain from this opportunity, and what you could bring to the project to cymru@engage.org
The closing date for applications is: Thursday 28th March 2013. Shortlisted artists will be contacted by telephone the following week to discuss the role further.
engage Cymru
engage is the leading membership organization in the UK and exists to promote access, understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts. engage Cymru supports its members through four key areas of work – training, advocacy, sharing practice and research projects. We have recently delivered five Reach the Heights projects with galleries across Wales aimed at young people who are (NEET), not in education, training or employment. www.engage.org
Oriel Davies
Oriel Davies’ education programmes and facilities are used by people throughout Powys, Shropshire and beyond, and are designed for primary and secondary schools and colleges, individuals of all ages, specific needs and special interest groups and community groups. The education offer includes skills based workshops, artists residencies, talks and events led by artists and curators and exhibition related activities. www.orieldavies.org
Tom Goddard
Alongside his own practice, Tom has delivered a number of highly successful Reach the Heights projects in partnership with Oriel Myrddin and engage Cymru. His work as an artist educator was celebrated and recognized by the engage Marsh Award for Excellence 2011. As Learning Officer at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Tom regularly works with a wide range of groups and individuals both within formal and informal education. He is Axis current Artist of the Month and his recent exhibition ‘From Ape to Adam to Apocalpyse’ was shown in Chapter’s Art in the Bar programme. You can read more about Tom’s work and achievements at www.ohmygodtom.com
This project is funded by the Arts Council of Wales and Powys County Council, with support from engage Cymru and Oriel Davies.
