Offer: two residencies, each up to 6 months duration ... - The Maltings

OPPORTUNITY - THE BERWICK RESIDENCY
1.0 Introduction
Berwick Visual Arts is pleased to announce the second of its annual residency opportunities for visual
artists.
Berwick upon Tweed has for many years supported professional artists through its International
Gymnasium Residency programme managed by English Heritage and supported by Arts Council England.
Previous residency artists include Marcus Coates, Mike Nelson, Zoe Walker & Neil Bromwich, Annie Catrell
and Marcus Taylor.
Berwick Visual Arts an initiative of The Maltings (Berwick) Trust, which is an Arts Council national portfolio
organisation, is committed to continuing that support.
No longer tied to one building or space, the residencies now being offered, widen the scope of possibilities
for artists to research and develop a project and/or new work. The residency programme will enable artists
to respond to what Berwick offers in terms of its unique history, coastal and border location, unusual
spaces, archives and collections, social contexts and to work with its people.
Our second residency opportunity is in partnership with The Centre for Rural Economy (CRE). The Centre
for Rural Economy (CRE) is a University Research Centre at Newcastle University which specialises in
interdisciplinary social science and applied policy research into issues around rural development.
This residency opportunity offers an artist the opportunity to develop new work over a six month period
that explores current rural issues, changing concepts of rurality or rural identities.
2.0 Eligibility
The residency opportunity is open to UK and internationally based artists.
The residency opportunity requires the applicant artist to have been out of college (BA graduate) for a
minimum of 3 years. Those who have completed an MA are also welcome to apply
Applicants should also be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to their artistic practice and evidence
a body of work and strong track record, through new work, projects, exhibitions, publishing, and/or
commissions.
As our residency in partnership with Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival is focused around artists whose
main practice is moving image we will prioritise applications from artists who main focus of activity is not
moving image.
However if you are a moving image artist who can demonstrate a strong interest and response to the
theme, we would welcome your application.

3.0 About the residency
The residency is for a 6 month period and is required to produce an outcome for public display in Berwickupon-Tweed
at the end of the residency period.
In partnership with the CRE the artist is required to respond to current themes or issues relating rural
environments and work within the context of Berwick-upon-Tweed. We take a broad approach to this
theme which can cover cultural, heritage, environmental and social issues. We have included some areas
current research currently explored by the CRE in section 6.0 of this application pack but we also welcome
new approaches to the theme.
The artist will be expected to live in Berwick or close proximity to the town for the duration of the
residency and Berwick Visual Arts will provide overall support for the residency artist.
The Centre for Rural Economy at Newcastle University will also provide office space for the artist and
access to the library and facilities at the University to support any research activity required as part of the
residency.
The Centre for Rural Economy also has strong links with the School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle
University which can be utilised if required.
There will also be the option to engage with staff at the CRE and join discussions and seminars where
appropriate to support them in the development of new work during the residency.
However this activity will also need to be balanced with the importance of maximising the artist in
residences time in Berwick-upon-Tweed and developing relationships with those who live and work within
the town.
The residency artist will also be expected to provide up to 5 talks / presentations about their work during
the period of the residency.
The Residency start dates are to be agreed between the artist, Berwick Visual Arts and The Centre for Rural
Economy but are expected to start between April and June 2013.
4.0 Funding
The funding available for the residency is up to £12,000. This figure is based on a residency period of 6
months spent living and working in the area. This figure is inclusive of artist’s commission fee,
accommodation in Berwick, material costs and production costs for the final outcome.
There maybe options to apply for further funds through Newcastle University for additional aspects of the
residency programme, if this supports specific strands of research the University is willing to support, and
/or encourages public engagement in university research.
Berwick Visual Arts can also offer support to develop further artist-led funding applications to support the
development of any outcomes from the residency period.
The funding available remains the same when applied to artist collaboration, where 2 or a group of artists
work as one practice.

5.0 Application process
Artists are asked to submit their proposals by completing the application form provided. Shortlisted artists
will be invited for interview during the week beginning the 15 th April 2013
Travel expenses will be reimbursed for those who are invited to attend interview. Applications will be
assessed on the following criteria:
Eligibility – see point 2.0
Artistic merit of examples previous work submitted.
Strength of written proposal – including concept and response to themes.
Impact and benefits to artists own practice .
Impact and benefit to Berwick-upon Tweed, Berwick Visual Arts and The Centre for Rural Economy,
Newcastle University.
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS Friday 22 nd March at 5pm. Applications will strictly not be accepted after 5pm
Applications must be submitted via email to berwickvisualarts@maltingsberwick.co.uk and
berwickvisualarts@gmail.com or via the online form.
If you have any questions about the opportunity or application process please contact James Lowther –
Head of Visual Arts for Berwick Visual Art please email at berwickvisualarts@maltingsberwick.co.uk
If you wish to have an informal discussion about the residency, please email your contact details to the
above email address and we will contact you.

6.0 Further information and context
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a town with a population over 11,000 people in the county of Northumberland. It
is the northern most town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5
miles (4 km) South of the English border with Scotland.
For a number of years, English Heritage’s Gymnasium Gallery and its associated artist’s residency
programme (The Gymnasium Fellowships) were the principal means of promoting contemporary visual arts
in the area. Following major cuts in 2011, English Heritage decided that it was no longer able to continue
to fund the Gymnasium Gallery or Fellowship programme and these activities ceased on 31 March 2012.
The Maltings (Berwick) Trust runs the Maltings Theatre and Cinema, which is the major provider of
performing arts and film in the area. In granting The Maltings (Berwick) Trust NPO status, Arts Council
England North East recognised this loss of provision and a key element of the enhanced funding has been
to enable the organisation to take forward a lead role in visual arts in the area under the Berwick Visual
Arts initiative.
The Maltings (Berwick) Trust has secured agreement with English Heritage to have access to The Berwick
Gymnasium and associated spaces to deliver a successor programme called The Berwick Residency that will
run until the conclusion of the NPO agreement on 31 March 2015 and with scope for it to continue
thereafter.
Film-maker Cecilia Stenbom was appointed as our first artist-in-residence in November 2012. Cecilia will
produce a new piece of work during her residency that will be premiered at Berwick Film and Media Arts
Festival in September 2013.
The Centre for Rural Economy (CRE) is internationally recognised for its expertise in rural development. It
specializes in applied policy research oriented towards the achievement of a sustainable rural economy.
Around 60 researchers are associated with the Centre, including anthropologists, sociologists, geographers,
political scientists, economists, artists and historians. The CRE specialises in pushing the boundaries of
cross disciplinary working practices. It hosts one of the largest interdisciplinary research programmes ever
mounted by the UK Research Councils - the £25 million Rural Economy and Land Use Programme which
aims to advance understanding of the many challenges faced by rural areas today and in the future.
Specific areas of research include: agri-environmental policy, food production, affordable rural housing,
national parks, rural wellbeing and social exclusion, rural business, rural culture, nostalgia and identity,
representations of the rural.
In 2012 the CRE hosted its first artist in residence, choreographer Claire Pencak, funded through The
Leverhulme Trust. Claire worked with social scientists in the centre on a specific project around beekeeping
but collaborated much more widely with researchers around the university, leading to an event at BALTIC
Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead and further funded projects.

Berwick Visual Arts Residencies 2013 Application
All proposals should be submitted by email to berwickvisualarts@maltingsberwick.co.uk
and berwickvisualarts@gmail.com no later than 5pm on Friday 22 nd March
Please also attach an up to date CV when you return this form.
Name
Address
Contact telephone
number
Email address
Website address
Please complete the following information keeping to the word count and being as concise as possible.
1.0 Artist Statement
Please submit a brief statement about your practice: (500 words maximum)
2.0 Proposal
Artists are asked to write a proposal of between to demonstrate:
2.1 Please detail what current rural issues you are interested in exploring as part of this residency and
how you will do this through your creative practice: (250 words)
2.2 How will the residency benefit you as an artist (250 words)

2.3 What interests you in undertaking a residency in Berwick-upon-Tweed (250 words)
2.4 What do you see as the potential outcomes the residency (250 words maximum)
2.5 If offered the residency when would you be able to start (250 words maximum)
2.6 Please provide any other information in support of your application: (250 words maximum)
3.0 Budget:
The £12,000 funding is to cover the artist's fee, accommodation, materials, and production of new work
for exhibition or project - please indicate if possible how the funding will be allocated across the areas.
4.0 Please attach up to 5 jpeg images of previous work this application via email. The file name should
detail the title, medium and date of the work These should be jpegs no larger than 1MB each.
You can add any further information about these images below:
Image 1:
Image 2:
Image 3:
Image 4:
Image 5:
We will also look at your website if you have one for reference, so please include this on the first page
of the form. You can include three links to any other relevant websites that show your work here:
Website 1:
Website 2:
Website 3:
Signed
Name
Date