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Refugee Festival Scotland - Arts Open fund

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Refugee Festival Scotland - Arts Open fund

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rts Open is a new initiative to help artists from refugee backgrounds show their work as part of Refugee Festival Scotland.

Every year Scottish Refugee Council organises events to run alongside the festival’s open programme.

Arts Open will provide three artists who have lived experience of the refugee and asylum system with funding and support to help them present their work in Scotland for the first time.

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Arts Open What is Arts Open? Arts Open is a new initiative to help artists from refugee backgrounds show their work as part of Refugee Festival Scotland. Every year Scottish...

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The residency provides a week of creative activity, workshops, and events, offering time for each resident to pursue their own interests and to take part in group projects. The residency will take place at Cove Park on Argyll’s Rosneath Peninsula. This rural hillside site is on Scotland’s west coast and is just over one hour from Glasgow by car or public transport . Only refugees now in Scotland aged over 40 are eligible to apply.

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This programme offers 10 artists, activists, and cultural practitioners the opportunity to be matched with experienced and established mentors who will help to support their creative development. Application Deadline 3rd July

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New residency opportunity with skills training and studio space and artists fee in Glasgow with a travel and accommodation bursary for those from further afield

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'Uncertain Futures' residency programme invites proposals from emerging artists based in Scotland to respond to the uncertainty of our current state, for example the cost of living crisis, climate emergency and the Covid-19 pandemic, though artists are free to interpret in other ways. These residencies aim to comment on our collective future as we move through unsettling times while offering artists space to process and create. 'Uncertain Futures' title touches upon the current vulnerabilities in our society at present, particularly for artists. The purpose of these residencies is to allow artists to comment on our shared future as we face significant changes and to provide them with a supportive environment to cultivate their artistic expression.

Another important reflection for this residency programme will be the selected artists' aim to consider the sustainability of their practice. Artists will be encouraged to examine social and environmental issues within their practice in light of the climate and ecological crisis, material use and how their future professional work will cause impacts as they design and build. Forging sustainable relationships with local organisations that can support their practice for future projects will also be a priority.

Sustainable creative practice and productivity during a cost of living crisis can seem insurmountable but by catalysing a familiarity with artists around them and making local facilities more approachable, Saltspace can help lessen this obstacle by offering financial support, connections, professional development, community and space, allowing more freedom to experiment creatively, to be ambitious and to take risks during our current state where unprecedented barriers exist.

'Uncertain Futures' residency programme offers a series of four, six-week multidisciplinary residencies. Each residency will be focused on developing new skills, collaborating with a specific local organisation specialising in different areas of visual art;

PrintClan is an inclusive screen printing studio that nurtures creativity in people at any ability. They accommodate social, design and fine art based projects by offering access to screen printing resources and training.

Glasgow Ceramics Studio was established in 1995 by six graduates of The Glasgow School of Art. It is recognised as the most well equipped ceramics studio in Scotland. Its facilities include a specific kiln room with a range of kilns and other facilities.

Street Level PhotoWorks is a leading photography arts organisation that provides artists and the public with a range of opportunities to make and engage with photography, providing a high quality artistic programme in the city of Glasgow that is challenging and accessible, local and international, diverse and highly individual.

GalGael is a community organisation based in Glasgow. Basic woodwork is the mainstay of their work, and they work around the ethos that craft generates skills, agency, and community. They offer many opportunities, including basic woodwork, community garden, and a weekly open studio, where anyone can come along for a hot meal and a space to work.

Studio space in our SaltSpace studios in Dornoch Street, providing 24 hour access for six weeks of your

hese dates have been agreed with the above organisations and cannot be changed, selected artists must be available for the above dates if selected for residency.

The artist fee of £1000 will be paid to the artist in three installments during their six week residency:

We are looking for emerging artists based in Scotland who are looking to learn new skills and develop their practice in innovative ways. You may have faced barriers accessing finances, facilities and struggled to get involved in a community. We particularly welcome applications from those with disabilities, from black, Asian or ethnic minority communities, LGBTQIA+ and those who have been socially and economically disadvantaged by their circumstances and upbringing.

No formal art education is required, we just require examples of your previous work with your submission form.

Please note: Unfortunately we cannot accept proposals from artists in full-time education 2023/24. You can h owever apply if you will have finished your education by the time your residency takes place.

To submit a proposal you will have to become a member below to receive the submission form. There is an option to submit a video as an alternative to written at on our submission form. If you require additional support or alternative ways to submit please email us for more information saltspacecoop@gmail.com.

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Uncertain Futures Residency open call | Saltspace Coop

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'Uncertain Futures' residency programme invites proposals from emerging artists based in Scotland to respond to the uncertainty of our current state, for example the cost of living crisis, climate emergency and the Covid-19 pandemic, though artists are free to interpret in other ways.

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looking for some free materials? post an add here...

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This guidance will help you write an artist statement that you will need to apply for residencies and other opportunities

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Whether it's a single piece of art or your whole body of work, an artist statement can provide clarity and context to your purposes and processes. A good artist statement can have the power to sway how an audience distinguishes your work. Providing insight on your choice of mediums or the themes you're aiming to convey can give viewers a deeper understanding and appreciation of your creative intentions.

In this complete guide to writing an artist statement, we will discuss the importance of an artist statement for your art career and provide tips for writing an artist statement. We will also share examples of excellent artist statements and explain what makes them so powerful.

Photography by Kelly Sikkema @kellysikkema | Image source: unsplash.com

What is an Artist Statement?

Simply put, an artist statement is a description of your work in your own words. It is an explanation of why you do what you do and how you made what you created. You can have an artist statement for each piece of art you create. You can also have an artist statement that represents your entire body of work. An artist statement explains your creative process, including your motivations, inspirations behind, mission, and methods. It should include your choice of mediums and use of tools and techniques.

A well-written artist statement can have the power to break a tie in an art competition, an artist grant application, or secure your spot in a coveted artist residency program. Think of your artist statement as a caption in a broadcast program, similar to what you would include on a social media post. An artist statement, like a caption, aims to improve engagement by giving the visual image desired context and relevance. It will likely appear alongside your work at a gallery, exhibition, art fair display or on a press release of your show.

Artist Statement vs. Artist Bio

An artist statement is not your life story, a manifesto, or a list of your accomplishments. It is also not an artist biography. An artist biography is a summary of the significant events of your life that lead up to your art career. Unlike an artist statement, an artist bio can be written in the third person. It will include when and where you were born and where you are now based.

An artist bio can talk about how you first became interested in art and where you studied. It can discuss your education, degrees, formal art training, or apprenticeship programs you participated in. Essentially, an artist bio connects the impact your life history has on your artwork and talks about your concepts, philosophies, inspirations, and influences.

An artist statement is typically required when you join an art competition, submit your portfolio to a gallery or museum; it may also be used in press releases. Your artist biography, on the other hand, can be used on your website or your profile on a gallery site. It may also be used in articles, interviews, or exhibition catalogs.

Because an artist bio is the account of your life as an artist, it should remain relatively the same throughout your art career. Artist statements, on the other hand, are more flexible and may change depending on its purpose. It may be changed or tweaked from time to time to stay relevant with any status or developmental changes in your work.

Why You Need an Artist Statement in 2021

From portfolio websites to artists galleries, arts professionals benefit from artist statements in more ways than one. Whether you're applying for residencies or art collectives, submitting your portfolio to a gallery, or participating in a competition, your artist statement will help you stand-out. Decision-makers will want to learn more about your process. When someone becomes familiar with you, they may search the internet to see what others are saying about your work.

Up-and-coming contemporary artists and performance artists alike use the online platforms to reach more audiences and spread their artistic messages. It's where people may see your work for the first time and learn about you as a talented visual artist. So without realizing it, your personal brand already exists online - especially if you are active on social media or have a website for your work. And while people are free to form their own opinions about your art, remember that you are the best person to represent and describe your work.

Writing an artist statement is how you can take control of your narrative. We live in a digital era where most things, even art, are first experienced on the internet. And unfortunately, seeing art on a screen can often make it impossible to determine the true nature of the piece.

If they are seeing your art online or a photograph, they will want to know your medium and methods. A still image of a performance art piece may be mistaken for photography while a picture of a sculpture may look like a painting. A hyperrealistic art piece may be so accurate and detailed that it is thought to be a photograph of a real person or object. And without the right description, it may go unnoticed that you have used mixed media or used a highly unique method that sets you apart.

Without proper context, an audience, whether online or in-person, can view your art and become confused, be misled, or often make their assumptions about your message or intention behind your work. And while you have little control over how people interpret your work, the goal of your artist statement is to tell your story in your own words and sway readers in the right direction.

Glass sculptures by Alison Sigethy | Image source: alisonsigethy.com

The Components of an Artist Statement

Artist statements vary in length, tone, and purpose. However, all effective artist statements have some qualities in common. They answer the "how," the "what," and the "why."

Medium, materials, and methods - Describing the medium and the materials you use to answer the "how." How do you create your art? Do you use acrylic, oil paint, or charcoal? Do you use metals, wood, stone, or recycled materials? Do you take your photography work using old film cameras and develop them in your darkroom? Or like everyone, a digital camera?

Subject matter - Sometimes subject matters aren't always obvious. And often, visual artists would prefer not to put labels on their work to let their audience interpret the work for themselves. However, you can describe your subject matter without directly saying it is. Instead, you can answer the "what" by saying it's an abstract painting, a landscape, or your interpretation of an everyday object.

Relationship between your concept and materials - Talk about your influences and how they manifest in your work. This is your opportunity to differentiate your work from art that is similar to yours and answer the "why." Explain why you do what you do and what you hope to achieve. What are your intentions? What message do you hope to convey?

Tips for Writing an Artist Statement

Feeling the pressure of being both artist and writer? Connecting with your audience by explaining your visual art through written words can be a challenge. However, it doesn't have to be a painful process. Here are some tips on how to help your audience understand your art and gain insight into your process:

Write in the first person - While some may argue that the third person sounds more professional, the goal of your artist statement is to communicate your work effectively. And the best way to do that is by using your own words, active voice, and first-person language to connect with your audience. When crafting your artist statement, imagine you're having a conversation with the reader; use "I" and "me." Allow the reader to see your work through your eyes. The problem with writing in the third person is that it may detach you from the reader and make it seem like someone else is describing your motivations.

Use your voice - Using your voice is different from writing in the first person. Your voice refers to your writing personality. Your style may be humorous, witty, technical, or heartfelt. When writing your artist statement, use your unique perspectives and experiences. And while many artists have inspired your work, try not to copy other people's words to describe art that is similar to yours.

Consider your audience - While it's important to stay true to your voice, different situations call for different artist statements. A basic artist statement will suffice if it accompanies your artwork on your website. However, if the artist's statement is for a grant opportunity, you may need to change your tone slightly to focus more on your goal, purpose, and/or techniques.

Write different versions - It is wise art practice to create different versions of your artist statement. This will save you the time of shortening and lengthening your statement depending on the situation. So before you write your artist statement, know your audience.

Because artist's statements are used for different purposes, they can vary in length. An artist's statement accompanying a single piece of work can be a few sentences or a short paragraph long. Generally, an artist statement should only be between 100-200 words because shorter statements are better for the average attention span.

On the other hand, an artist statement submitted with your portfolio for review by jurors on a grant committee or graduate art program may require a detailed description of your concept and processes. Therefore, they can be longer if the intended purpose for the artist statement requires a more comprehensive explanation of your work.

Answer the right questions - An effective artist statement answers the "how," the "what," and the "why. Think about all the questions you would typically have if you were looking at a piece of art. Interview yourself. What would a prospective buyer, grant-giving organization, or art competition judge want to know about your work?

Use accessible language - Overly technical language and art jargon can be intimidating for the average reader. And while an art expert or a scholar who may understand complex art terms may be reading your artist statement, using fanciful words may come off as pretentious. Instead, use clear, accessible vocabulary that will enlighten your audience rather than confuse them.

Read your statement aloud - When you read your artist statement out loud, does it sound like you or someone else? Remember that your artist statement should sound natural coming from you, after all, they are your words and your voice.

Read your artist statement to a fellow visual artist, a teacher, a mentor, or even an art critic. Sometimes it's best to seek the opinion of an unbiased third party who has no formal art background. Ask them to point out any inconsistencies, grammarly errors, or confusing comparisons.

"The dessert: harmony in red" (The red room), 1908, by Henri Matisse | Image source: henrimatisse.org

Excellent Examples of Artist Statements

To get inspiration when it's time to write about your work, read sample artist statements from reliable art resources, art news, artist books, related articles, and art business publications. The best artist statements have a few elements in common. They are short personal narratives that give the reader insight into the art-making process and deeper meaning of the art. They are also written in the writer's unique voice. Here are some of our favorite artist statements:

We start with an artist statement by Henri Matisse:

" I don't paint things; I paint only the differences between things... I do not literally paint that table, but the emotion it produces upon me. What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter - a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue. "

- Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse wrote this artist statement for his painting Harmony in Red (1908), considered to be Matisse's masterpiece by many critics and art historians. While this statement is over a hundred years old, it shows that a well-written artist statement stands the test of time and secures itself in art history.

Here is another artist statement that we love:

" Getting outside is good for the soul. Through my artwork, I try to bring the outside in. While I make no attempt to portray actual plants or animals, I do want my creations to look like they could have lived or grown somewhere. Living with beautiful objects that pay tribute to the natural world reminds us to slow down and helps us reconnect with nature. "

- Alison Sigethy

Alison Sigethy is an artist who makes environmentally themed sculptures out of glass. In her artist statement, she explains beautifully where she draws inspiration from when creating kinetic water features and nature-inspired glass art.

Here is another compelling artist statement from Charlene Fuhrman-Schulz:

" My subject matter is nature, whether it is a traditional landscape or a bird and flower painting. I use traditional materials, ink and brush on rice paper, to capture movement and life - making the brush dance and the ink sing. Everything is captured in the spontaneous dance and movement of the brush as it meets the rice paper. There is no going back and correcting when painting with ink and rice paper. This love of spontaneous Chinese painting has provided a unique segue for my exploration of more abstract techniques of Oriental painting such as "Splashing Ink" or "PoMo". These techniques entail pouring color and creating an image from the abstract through the use of traditional brush work. At this point my work ranges from the very traditional to abstract and a blending of the two. "

- Charlene Fuhrman-Schulz

Charlene Fuhrman-Schulz is a sumi-é artist who began Chinese Brush painting in 1989. We love her artist statement because it gets straight to the point and describes her medium, techniques, and intentions.

Painting "Jimson Weed/White Flower No 1" by Georgia O'Keeffe | Image source: telegraph.co.uk

Take a look at Georgia O'Keefe's artist statement for Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 (1932):

" When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else... Nobody really sees a flower - really - it is so small - we haven't time - and to see takes time... So I said to myself - I'll paint what I see - what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it. "

- Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O'Keefe's artist statement puts focus on the piece's subject matter, the flower. She talks about her motivations for painting it.

And finally, here is an artist statement from an old master:

" The pre-homoeroticized body forms both my field of action and the basis of my conceptual taxonomy. My sculptures explore both the flux of transfixable signifiers and their complimentary anecdotal formations. My choice of Carrara marble as a medium creates a dialectic between proto-Classical conceptions of idealized form and later Humanistic naturalism. Each figure's physical struggle is simultaneously inoperative and adjectival. "

- Michelangelo Buonarroti

In this excellent example of an artist statement, Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance, talks about The Rebellious Slave, a marble sculpture piece from 1513. What makes Michelangelo's artist statement so effective is that it answers the "how," the "what," and the "why" of the masterpiece sculpture.

The Rebellious Slave (Left) & The Dying Slave (Right), Michelangelo, 1513 | Image source: fotocommunity.de

Conclusion

Your artist statement is a useful tool for explaining your creative process and allows you to steer your narrative in the right direction rather than leave it open to misinterpretation and confusion. While you may dismiss writing an artist statement to allow your visual work a chance to speak without verbal cues, remember that artist statements are necessary if you want to grow as an artist and gain the attention of audiences and potential patrons and buyers.

Whether you're in New York City or Los Angeles, somewhere in Europe or Latin America, applying for national or international residency programs, or a hardworking emerging artist finding your niche in the artistic community, an artist statement is your ticket to the art world.

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The Complete Guide to Writing an Artist Statement

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Whether it's a single piece of art or your whole body of work, an artist statement can provide clarity and context to your purposes and processes. A good artist statement can have the power to sway how an audience distinguishes your work.

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If you are unsure about how to write an artist biography, this gives some guidance and examples - you will each need one for the exhibition

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Writing An Artist Biography - Zealous - Submission Management

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As a creative, having an artist biography is something which becomes increasingly important. Whether you decide to build your own website, create an online portfolio, or apply to opportunities, writing a statement about yourself is something which you will need.

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They are based in the south of Scotland, but if you fancy running workshops especially those with a therapeutic theme, then this may be for you

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Playback in Ukraine... more important than ever

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Playback in Ukraine... more important than ever

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https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/war-as-theatre-at-a-private-home-in-kharkiv?fbclid=IwAR2ds2LVTdPpc0FxfNnVfzillfVzx72pStR30YPTF9jACFUqzliMnKgTh8M

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One week before the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, about twenty young people gathered in a house in Kharkiv. It was an odd setting, both an anomaly and a function of this moment: a rare private house in the very center of town, owned by a prominent architect but currently inhabited by his twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter, Iryna Lapina, known to most people as Lapa-a term of endearment that means "paw." On this night, the house was the venue for a semi-regular event, a performance in a genre known as Playback Theatre. It involves a group of actors; a person referred to as the conductor, who directs the show in real time; and an audience. Members of the audience come forward to tell stories, which the actors, prompted by the conductor, reinterpret.

Two nights before, several Russian rockets had hit the city, damaging civilian infrastructure. Now, as the actors prepared in an adjacent room, applying glitter makeup to their cheekbones, audience members arranged themselves in the main room of the house. A dozen people crowded onto a couch, an armchair, and the floor. Lapa, who had just that day dyed her hair platinum blond with pink tips, sat on the kitchen counter, playing a guitar. A dildo lay on the gray slate floor near the stainless-steel stove. A few people grabbed pillows and went to sit on an open-riser staircase. Above the stairs, two pieces of plaster, each about three by twelve feet, hung precariously from the ceiling; two white pendant lights, still connected to the wiring above, hung down from each of them. The ceiling had been like this since March 1, 2022, when a Russian missile destroyed the regional administration building nearby. A small sign in a large gilded frame on an exposed-brick wall behind the audience said, in Russian, "This Will Not Last Forever."

The sign predated the war by about a year, but now its message referred to the war, as did its language. Kharkiv had long been a Russian-speaking city. Russia's first invasion, in 2014, made a dent in the dominance of Russian, along with a series of laws passed by the national government: signage is in Ukrainian now, and official city business is conducted in Ukrainian. Some people have switched to Ukrainian in their private lives. But much of the graffiti is still in Russian, as are most conversations. When the actors came out to introduce themselves, four out of five spoke Russian. By this time, someone had discreetly stowed away the dildo.

Kharkiv theatres closed at the start of the war; by the summer, the city's famous puppet theatre performed a show about wartime in Bucha. Lapa has been hosting these performances at her house for the past three months. The actors, all of them dressed in black, sat down on folding chairs, facing the audience to wait for stories. "My name is Sasha," the first speaker began. He had close-cropped blond hair and a sharp nose and, like the actors, was wearing a black hoodie. "For the past year, none of us have been stories in ourselves-all of us are absorbing other people's stories, many of them very painful," he said. He was struggling to put words to an experience familiar to anyone who has lived or visited Ukraine during the war. Stories of pain and loss, death and destruction, are everywhere, and, however bad one's story is, there is always a worse one. The conductor, a large man in a hot-pink hoodie with buzzed hair and a long, untrimmed beard, goes by the name Shabanov. He tried to coax a story out of Sasha.

"My story is that we are all sinking together," Sasha finally said.

"Are you sinking?" Shabanov asked.

"I am a buoy. I am holding everyone afloat."

Four of the actors stood up to enact Sasha's story. All of them were under thirty. Two of them were now living in Germany and were visiting family and friends in Kharkiv. The other two had stayed in Kharkiv through the worst of the shelling, and both had become involved with Playback Theatre in the past year. After a few moments of stillness, they interacted, entangling with one another. They moved slowly, tenderly, apparently trying to hold one another and hold one another up, but in the end their common motion brought them down to the floor.

The audience clapped loudly. Lapa's two puppies, Hanna and Pichie, barked in an upstairs room.

A man with a ponytail, wearing a red cowl-neck sweater and a green jacket, spoke next. "My story is about it being harder to change homes than to change people," he said. He'd lived in the same apartment for most of his life. A few years ago, he had moved-first abroad, then back to Kharkiv, but to a different apartment. When the war started, he felt he had to return to his old home. But he found that the connection to home that had always felt so secure was barely a trace, like a pencil drawing that had been erased. "I am living in a home with which I cannot have a connection, because I don't know what will happen tomorrow-what if I have to change homes again?" he asked.

As Lapa played guitar, an actor named Deniza danced. She appeared to be holding on to something, and then she was lost, she was flailing, she grabbed on to things that seemed like ropes but turned out to be just pieces of string, she held out her hands, waiting for something, she cautiously touched invisible surfaces, she balanced on one foot with her hands behind her back, then she was set in motion again, scrambling, searching, then back on one foot, but she kept losing her balance.

"I'm warning you, I may cry," a woman named Inna said, before starting her story. She had long, copper-colored, straight hair, and was wearing orange pants and a gray hoodie. Inna was a psychologist who had been working for an international relief organization since the beginning of the war. This work had felt more meaningful than anything that she had done before. Now her organization was wrapping up in Kharkiv, and Inna was grieving. The next storyteller, a tall, baby-faced man with dark, wavy hair, spoke of something similar. The war had awakened him, he said, turning a "provincial boy" into a driven, full-time relief worker. "I'm interested in everything and ready to do anything," he said.

The actors riffed on these stories, looking for ways to capture the sense that a war that had upended their lives had now become a way of life, that it gave life meaning and took it away, that the feeling that the war had receded was at once welcome and disappointing, and also, likely, misleading. At one point, the actors were interrupting one another, almost shouting their reassurances, all of them desperate and unconvincing.

An actor named Illia played an important role in this scene. He is twenty-six and writes grants for one of Kharkiv's many universities. His work now involved applying for relief funds. About two weeks earlier, a rocket had hit his university, destroying an entire wing. The strike came in the morning and no one was killed. Ukrainian authorities do not disclose the exact locations of Russian strikes, to avoid feeding information to the enemy, but, when Illia saw a photo of the damaged building on a local Telegram channel, he knew where the explosion he had heard in the wee hours had been. For a moment, he felt like he couldn't breathe.

A stocky woman with dark, curly hair and blue eyes, wearing a green hoodie and black jeans, had been giving Shabanov angry looks since the start of the evening. He finally called on her. Her name was Sasha. She herself had been a part of Playback performances, but hadn't been participating in recent weeks. "All I can think about is why everyone is speaking Russian," she said.

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War as Theatre, at a Private Home in Kharkiv

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One week before the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, about twenty young people gathered in a house in Kharkiv. It was an odd setting, both an anomaly and a function of this moment: a rare private house in the very center of town, owned by a prominent architect but currently inhabited by his twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter, Iryna Lapina, known to most people as Lapa-a term of endearment that means "paw."

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OuterSpaces is a charity collaborating with artists, art collectives, organisations and commercial property owners to occupy and activate the nation’s empty commercial spaces.  If you can see an empty shop or office near you that could make a studio space, then why not contact Outerspaces and see if they can help you transform it into a space for you to work?

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OuterSpaces is a charity collaborating with artists, art collectives, organisations and commercial property owners to activate and reanimate the nation's empty commercial spaces

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A great job opportunity for someone with digital media skills

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Digital Communications Lead

Scottish Contemporary Art Network

Reports to: The Director

Salary: £28,000 p.a. pro rata (3 days a week)

This role will be offered initially as a fixed-term post until March 31, 2024 due to current funding arrangements.

Can you deliver exciting and fresh approaches across our digital channels? Do you have experience in growing online engagement and creating interesting and ambitious content?

We are looking for a Digital Communications Lead who will can develop our online presence and help us to share the achievements and needs of the visual arts community.

Our digital platforms are vital in delivering SCAN's work in championing contemporary art with a wide range of audiences including our members, the wider public, media and policymakers. We want you to build on our digital reach and engagement, increase our digital profile, and deliver exciting and fresh approaches across our digital channels.

This role will deliver innovative and ambitious digital content to share the achievements and needs of the visual arts community. As part of our small team this role will also help bring positive change in the cultural sector through challenging inequalities, supporting Fair Work practice and encouraging environmental sustainability.

How to apply

Download the job description here.

Please send us a covering letter outlining your experience and suitability for the role alongside your CV to [email protected] by 5pm, Friday 17th March 2023.

We would also be grateful if you could also fill out our equal opportunities monitoring form to accompany your application.

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 28th March 2023.
All jobs and opportunities

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Digital Communications Lead - Scottish Contemporary Art Network

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This role will be offered initially as a fixed-term post until March 31, 2024 due to current funding arrangements. Can you deliver exciting and fresh approaches across our digital channels? Do you have experience in growing online engagement and creating interesting and ambitious content?

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for our participants in Inverness, this is a good way to connect with other artists.  They have an exhibition opening on the evening of 17 Feb https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=8750645578310094&set=gm.1624596044641434&idorvanity=254828411618211

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Event by Andrew Dawson on Saturday, February 18 2023

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Our fire (and light) from our first evening lingers…

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Alina Potemska was born in Kyiv and graduated from The Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. She specialises in visual arts and games. She designs board games and researches effective methods for transferring the cognitive function of books to games. She consider game and art as a helpful tool in understanding the world. She captures daily scenes in life drawings and illustrations.

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Shatha Altowai is a Yemeni artist based in Edinburgh, UK. She has presented at several art galleries in Yemen and beyond.  Shatha graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology with Honours from the University of Utara Malaysia (2014) in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. In 2018, she left her technical work and decided to fully engage in her passion for art.

Much of Shatha’s work reflects aspects of life in her society, and the suffering caused by the ongoing civil war in Yemen. Through her figurative, cubist, and abstract paintings, Shatha seeks to shed light on issues such as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), women, coexistence, and families in Yemen.

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Shatha Altowai is a Yemeni award-winning artist based in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. شذى التوي، هي فنانة تشكيلية يمنية مقيمة في إدنبره، اسكتلندا، المملكة المتحدة. حاصلة على عدة جوائز فنية

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Iman Tajik is an Iranian artist and photographer based in Glasgow, Scotland. Founder of the “ Who is? Project” His work is anchored in a strong social interest and demonstrates an effort to make work that is a critical tool connected to international movements for social change. Tajik’s work addresses issues of contemporary conditions of life with a particular focus on migration and globalisation – thereby bridging the gap between art and activism, to create work as a form of socio-political currency, addressing power structures.

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| An artist who fled Russia because of his anti-war stance has unveiled a sculpture of a suitcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to highlight the plight of refugees. The artwork by Kostya Benkovich is a cage-like object, constructed of reinforced steel which is also used to make prison bars in Russia. Benkovich challenges the established order in the art world with his work: Benkovich excels by working on a conceptual level and with affordable materials. Results are achieved by simply surpassing other artists. In recent years, the artist’s work has mainly been dominated by major projects and museum exhibitions.

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Konstantin Benkovich appears to me to be the most fitting and fit-for success media artist of the late 2010s. Mediality as a term is quite volatile, but it has been gaining more and more semantic weight and become indispensable for analytical perception of modern art....

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My aspiration for my art to touch others and speak to them. Perhaps even to act as a reflection, as if art, frames and highlights our emotions.

I was born and raised in Homs, Syria, and now based in Glasgow, Scotland

I believe in art and the powerful role it plays in revolutions and storytelling. I hope one day, to leave my own unique mark on the canvas of the art world.  www.mousaalnana.com

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syrian artist mousa glasgow painter fine art graphic designer

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Syrian born | Glasgow based | Artist | Painter | Graphic Designer

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No agony like bearing an untold story inside you

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No agony like bearing an untold story inside you

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There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.[1]

[1] Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography (New York: Harper Collins, 2006), 154.

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The ‘primary aim [of improvisation] is to produce beginnings’.

~Gary Peters, philosopher

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https://playbacktheatrenetwork.org/what-is-playback-theatre/

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.Playback Theatre is an interactive form of improvisational theatre in which audience members tell stories from their lives and watch them enacted on the spot. Created in 1975, Playback Theatre is now used in over 70 countries around the world to help build bridges across differences and to honor the human condition. In addition to public performances, in person and online, Playback Theatre is used with all ages and in a wide variety of contexts-education, health, social services, businesses, and community organizations. Its applications include social dialogue, peace building, conflict resolution, organizational change management, team building, celebrations, and much more.

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What is Playback Theatre - International Playback Theatre Network

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Playback Theatre is an interactive form of improvisational theatre in which audience members tell stories from their lives and watch them enacted on the spot. Created in 1975, Playback Theatre is now used in over 70 countries around the world to help build bridges across differences and to honor the human condition.

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‘Every ending has an echo of other endings.’ – Steve Nash, 17 Jan 2023

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‘Every ending has an echo of other endings.’ – Steve Nash, 17 Jan 2023

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Same could be said about beginnings...

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Guide to some of the Artist Grants and Opportunities available this year

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Each year the Artwork Archive team goes on a mission to find the best art opportunities, grants, and calls-for-entry for the upcoming year.

Below you will find a list of the top artist residencies, international open calls, artist grants, exhibition opportunities and art competitions that we believe will benefit artists in 2023!

This year, we added another new feature! You can now save the important deadlines for your favorite opportunities right in your Artwork Archive account.

When you find a call that interests you, simply click 'Add to Schedule' and the call's deadline will be automatically added to your Schedule. You'll also receive weekly reminders to keep you on top of your game.

We will be updating this list throughout the year, so make sure to bookmark the page, check back often, and let us know if there is an opportunity that should be listed!

Submission Deadline: January 13, 2023

Type: Public Art & Proposals

Categories: Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Sculpture

Location: Pasadena, California

Submission Deadline: January 14, 2023

Type: Other

Categories: Sculpture

Submission Deadline: January 27, 2023

Type: Other

Eligibility: National

Categories: Photography, Drawing, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. OK Learn more

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Guide to the Best Artist Grants and Opportunities in 2023

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Below you will find a list of the top artist residencies, international open calls, artist grants, exhibition opportunities and art competitions that we believe will benefit artists in 2023! This year, we added another new feature! You can now save the important deadlines for your favorite opportunities right in your Artwork Archive account.

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The public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here.

We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life.

We distribute funding from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.

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Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the creative and cultural sector across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here.

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Lobbies on behalf of visual artists working in Scotland, defending their rights, expanding their benefits and fighting to make their professional practice a means to support a better quality of life

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A good site for finding opportunities, and you can make an artist profile here too

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Contract of Self Care

Luminara Florescu

This toolkit supports a best practice model for artists who have a social practice as well as the participating members of the public involved in their projects. It explores ways of working as a social practice artist that are sustainable for artists, including those with physical and mental health disabilities. Funded by a-n Artist Bursary 2021 TIME, SPACE, MONEY.

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Intelligent tools for curators, galleries, and artists | CuratorSpace

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helps curators manage their exhibitions by accepting and managing applications online for multiple exhibitions.

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The largest artist-led organisation in Scotland. We lead a diverse and ambitious programme and invite artists based anywhere in the world to join us

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International Art In Scotland, Scottish Art Internationally

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charity that aims to provide a platform for artists who face significant barriers to the art world due to health, disability, social circumstance or isolation.

Outside In’s work covers three main areas: artist development, exhibitions and training. These activities, supported by fundraising and communications, all aim to create a fairer art world by supporting artists, creating opportunities and influencing arts organisations.

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Outside In is a catalyst for change. Founded in 2006, it is now an established national charity that aims to provide a platform for artists who face significant barriers to the art world due to health, disability, social circumstance or isolation.

Outside In's work covers three main areas: Artist development, exhibitions and training. These activities, supported by fundraising and communications, all aim to create a fairer art world by supporting artists, creating opportunities and influencing arts organisations.

Find out more › Already an Outside In artist? ›

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Outside In is a catalyst for change. Founded in 2006, it is now an established national charity that aims to provide a platform for artists who face significant barriers to the art world due to health, disability, social circumstance or isolation. Outside In's work covers three main areas: Artist development, exhibitions and training.

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We advocate for the cultural rights of refugees and asylum seekers, where the right to creative expression, the right to participate in cultural life and the right to earn a living from artistic and cultural pursuits is widely recognised and supported across society.

We amplify and empower the voices of artists and cultural practitioners with lived experience of seeking refugee protection, and whose work is helping shape the changing cultural landscape of Scotland.

We nurture the development and visibility of artists and cultural practitioners with lived experience of seeking refugee protection by collaboratively programming and producing multi-disciplinary art work.

This is a link to artists supported by the Scottish Refugee Council: https://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/cross-borders-nurturing-global-creative-talent-in-scotland/

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Arts & Culture - Scottish Refugee Council

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Arts and culture Creating new stories to tell about ourselves About our arts and culture...

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Paid opportunity to make work considering the role of Women

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Paid opportunity to make work considering the role of Women

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You are able to 'work from home' for this opportunity, so no need to travel if you dont want to

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We are excited to announce a new project that we are undertaking, working with emerging artists and creatives in all sorts of disciplines. If you want to make something wonderful inspired by Jane Austen's life, works or legacy, we want to hear from you!
Last year, our residency programme Painting and Poetry saw us welcome eight brilliant young artists and writers to undertake a digital residency at Jane Austen's House. We were delighted by the works our residents produced - from spooky animations and charming iPad illustrations to beautiful (and tasty) biscuit artworks!

Building on these, we are now delighted to be launching a new series of artistic residencies, funded by Art Fund. Our Reimagine Residencies programme will run from Autumn 2022 - Winter 2023, and we're on the lookout for emerging artists and creatives in all sorts of disciplines to take part - from art, design and drama to food, film and photography!

We have six residencies available, to take place in 2023. Dates, times and projects are all flexible. We are open to in-person residencies here in Chawton, or virtual residencies that you complete from home, or a mixture of the two! (We'd love to see you in Chawton at some point though, if possible!)

Applications are now open!

If you are an artist or creative, emerging in your field, and are interested in and inspired by Jane Austen's work (you don't need to be an Austen expert, but an interest in her work, life or times is important), we'd love to hear from you! Download the brief to find out more...

Deadlines:

* Applications for residencies in May - August 2023 must be received by 3 April 2023
* Applications for residencies in September - December 2023 must be received 1 August 2023
NB: If we like your application but our residencies for the slot you apply for are full, we'll hold it for the next slots. No penalties for applying early!

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Reimagine Residencies: call for creatives! | Jane Austen's House

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We are excited to announce a new project that we are undertaking, working with emerging artists and creatives in all sorts of disciplines. If you want to make something wonderful inspired by Jane Austen's life, works or legacy, we want to hear from you!

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This space is available for your own exhibition for free! - more details here:
https://opportunities.creativescotland.com/opportunity/index/064c50b5-a543-4857-9dc9-baf797dd0f51/?Ref=%2Fhome%2Fsearch%2F%3Fq%3Dnew%2520scots%26page%3D13

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Offers awards, for fine art portraiture, photographic Portraiture, and landscape art works

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We are grateful for the support of several donors who have been with us for many years, and share our vision of creating new platforms to celebrate and promote Scottish talent through voluntary action. Our special thanks to the William Grant Foundation who have provided such generous support that has enabled the Scottish Arts Trust to grow, and fulfill many of our goals. Our thanks also to long term supporters of the Trust, including Siobhán Coward, the Robert Haldane Smith Foundation, Irene Adams, Sheila Colvin, Bill and Mary Scott, Richard and Avril Jacques, Golden Hare Books and the Isobel Lodge Memorial Fund.

We are delighted to welcome the prestigious financial services firm, Sutherland Independent, as a new donor, and are very grateful for their commitment to provide funding for three years to support the Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art.

We are also pleased to introduce our newest major donor, MPB and their funding for the new MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Photography. MPB is a rapidly expanding online platform for trading used camera and video equipment.

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We are grateful for the support of several donors who have been with us for many years, and share our vision of creating new platforms to celebrate and promote Scottish talent through voluntary action. Our special thanks to the William Grant Foundation who have provided such generous support that has enabled the Scottish Arts Trust to grow, and fulfill many of our goals.

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Standing Tall Arts

We work with lots of different artists and we are always looking to connect with new creatives, especially those with care experience or experience of seeking asylum.

Artists we have worked with have ranged from actors to potters, clowns to break dancers. We are always keen to hear about your practice and our Participation Manager is always available to assist you in developing workshop plans of a session. We work with young people of colour living in care in Scotland, so we are always keen to connect with BPOC artists or those with lived experience of care or the asylum system.

Our rates of pay are currently set as £35 per hour (typically paid at 3 hrs for sessions including 2 hr delivery and 1 hr prep)

If you want to know more, please send an email about why you are interested to work with us alongside your CV to Megan Reid at megan@standingtallarts.co.uk

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for young people across Scotland.

Since 2016, we have partnered with the Scottish Guardianship Service to organise regular arts activities, workshops and residentials with refugee children and young people, and victims of trafficking who arrive in Scotland alone.
Find out more

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for young people across Scotland. Since 2016, we have partnered with the Scottish Guardianship Service to organise regular arts activities, workshops and residentials with refugee children and young people, and victims of trafficking who arrive in Scotland alone. Find out more

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In From The Margins@ Edinburgh Printmakers

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In From The Margins@ Edinburgh Printmakers

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In from the Margins is a European programme of Studios of Sanctuary residencies that provides: supported workspaces for 30 artists from refugee and migrant backgrounds; exchanges of their work; and engagement with refugee, schools and wider communities. Work with refugee and migrant artists is currently largely focused on outreach and engagement programmes of major galleries. The project will bring this work 'in from the margins' to mainstream programming.

Led by Edinburgh Printmakers, the project connects the UK's first open access print studio with Cork Printmakers, Ireland, AGA LAB , Amsterdam, Netherlands, Funen Printmaking Studio, Odense, Denmark and International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Made possible with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Instagram: @infromthemargins YouTube: In from the Margins playlist

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In from the Margins is a European programme of Studios of Sanctuary residencies that provides: supported workspaces for 30 artists from refugee and migrant backgrounds; exchanges of their work; and engagement with refugee, schools and wider communities. Work with refugee and migrant artists is currently largely focused on outreach and...

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Renovates empty properties for those in need.  It uses Interior Designers to add the finishing touches for potential tenants, and has a growing community of New Scots as tenants - perhaps you would like to ask about volunteering?

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Happy Homes, Sound Investments Big Issue Invest new partner in £3 million deal BII, the social investment arm of The Big Issue, made the most recent equity and debt investment of just over £3m from its Social Enterprise Investment Fund II (SEIF II) in Homes for Good.

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Arts and Place MA Fully Funded Scholarship for refugee/assylum seeker

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During MA Arts and Place, there is one six-week timetabled teaching period at Dartington when you must live on site (or nearby in Totnes or the vicinity) and participate in the learning community, unless you choose an online-only pathway. From March to June 2021 there are three 10-day fieldtrips when you will be in residence at three other locations in the UK.

Outside of the six-week period at Dartington and the three 10-day fieldtrips, international students (only) can request accommodation and full board onsite for terms 1 and 2 and this would require you to participate in the learning community activities. Alternatively, you can opt to live nearby or anywhere in the UK and travel to and from Dartington for the six-week taught period and to and from the three fieldtrip locations.

We have a limited number of residential places available for international students. Apply as early as possible.
Module One: Approaching Residencies (30 credits)
A grounding in methods and concepts to support collaborative practice and inter-transdisciplinary engagement with complexity. Using the Dartington estate as a residency focus, this module is an introduction to the history, theory and practice of making artworks in residency contexts. Techniques for engaging with site and community in relation to your own practice are developed.
Module Two: Urban Places (30 credits)
This module explores the development of arts practice in an urban residency context through fieldwork with a residency host and the development of a project. Students extend their understanding and creative engagement with the complexity of place into urban contexts.
Module Three: Contemporary Remote (30 credits)
This module explores the development of arts practice in a rural or digital residency context through fieldwork with a residency host and the development of a project. It further develops students' creative engagements with the complexities of place.
Module Four: Themes in Residency (30 credits)
This module explores the development of arts practice in response to themed residency contexts through fieldwork with a residency host and the development of a project. It allows students to make work in response to key issues such as social justice, climate change, the role of cultural workers in contemporary society and well-being.
Module Five: Final Major Project (60 credits)
The final major project enables students to pursue a creative project of their own interest, or an academic essay interrogating arts and place, arts practice in residency theory and practice, or a combination of project and essay (50/50). The outcome is presented in the public domain at Dartington or at one of the host residency locations.

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During MA Arts and Place, there is one six-week timetabled teaching period at Dartington when you must live on site (or nearby in Totnes or the vicinity) and participate in the learning community, unless you choose an online-only pathway.

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This organisation helps Ukranians in scotland achieve their career goals, coaching in interviews and presenting CVs in a way scottish employers will understand them. All help is free - there is also the opportunity to volunteer a couple of hours a week as a graphic designer