Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival are pleased to announce applications are now open for our annual artist's residency. The residency is for a six month period beginning in April 2018 and is an opportunity for an artist with a moving image-based practice to create a new work. A bursary of £7500 as well as private accommodation and studio space in Berwick-upon-Tweed are available. The outcome of the residency will be premiered at Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival between 20th and 23rd September 2018.

1.0 Introduction

Now in its sixth year Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival are committed to working in partnership to support a unique residency opportunity. The previous artists selected were – Cecilia Stenbom (2013), Katie Davies, (2014), Paul Rooney (2015), Lucy Parker (2016) and Charlotte Prodger (2017).

LHB, Charlotte Prodger’s video produced during her 2017 residency, was included in coverage of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival in Art Monthly and Sight & Sound. They described it as follows:

'Prodger’s 25-minute video LHB (2017) carries forward the artist’s established concerns with landscape, technology, and desire. Leaving behind the metropolitan settings that most often ground representations of queer life, Prodger imagines an expansive rural geography, linking the 4279 kilometres of the Pacific Coast Trail with her train travel and walks in Scotland and Northumberland. By no means a retreat into a timeless nature, LHB delves into the affects of networked existence…' — Erika Balsom, Sight & Sound, November 2017

'Prodger’s confident narration knocks down taboos…In a seminar hosted by Prodger and writer Laura Guy, the artist described how the video and residency are not ‘really about Berwick, but me being in Berwick’ — Shama Khanna, Art Monthly, November 2017

2016 Artist in Residence, Lucy Parker wrote the following about her Berwick experience:

'The residency in Berwick came at an ideal time for me, punctuating a longer research project. This time outside of my usual work environment enabled me to explore my interests in community dynamics in a different environment, I developed a stronger understanding of the political structures of a smaller town.  I found the people in Berwick extremely welcoming, open and supportive.  I spent time visiting a number of groups who would become part of the film I produced. Aside from developing the film it was great to spend time on the coast and visiting neighbouring areas as well as Edinburgh and Newcastle. The festival at the end of the residency was a great experience in sharing the film viewing experience of some incredible films with other film enthusiasts and people I had met in the town.'

To get a better idea of two partner organisations’ programmes and range of interests go to www.berwickvisualarts.co.uk for Berwick Visual Arts and www.bfmaf.org for Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival. You may also like to browse Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival's 2017 catalogue here. 

2.0 Eligibility

The residency is open to artists currently resident in the UK and Europe, or international artists who already have permission to work in the UK.

Applicants should also be able to demonstrate a commitment to their artistic practice through a strong track record of creating new work through projects, exhibitions and commissions.

The applicant artist must have been out of college (BA graduate) for a minimum of 3 years, or have fully completed an MA and/or PhD.

The residency offers the successful applicant a short intense period to focus their practice on one area of work or project. Applicants must be able to work under their own initiative, be able to effectively plan and deliver an end outcome for the residency with the budget and timescale available and have the ability to communicate and engage effectively with a wide range of people.

3.0 About the residency 

The residency is an opportunity for a moving-image artist to create a new work in Berwick that could benefit from either of the following:

•the possibility to spend six months in Berwick to produce new work at a crucial development point within their practice, with Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival’s support.

•the opportunity to develop current research or existing project ideas within the context of Berwick and the wider county of Northumberland

Artists' proposals should demonstrate an initial concept, project or way of working that responds to any of these possibilities and indicate how this project will be delivered. We are aware that proposals will naturally evolve once the successful artist is resident in Berwick.

The final work’s presentation, format and its exhibition context (either as an installation or cinema screening for instance) will be developed in collaboration with Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival’s curatorial team.

4.0 Practical Information

The residency is for a six-month period and the successful applicant will be required to produce an outcome for exhibition at Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival between 20th and 23rd September 2018.

The residency start date is to be agreed between the artist, Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival, but it is anticipated it will commence in early April 2018.

The artist will be expected to live and work in Berwick for the residency. This can be discussed and varied, dependent upon the artist’s personal circumstances.

Berwick Visual Arts will provide a small studio/office space for the artist in The Maltings Theatre and Cinema and accommodation for the duration of the residency. 

The selected artist will also be expected to provide up to four talks or presentations about their work over the course of the residency.

5.0 Funding

The funding available for the residency is up to £7500.  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, material costs and production costs for the final outcome.

Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival will provide support for the exhibition of the final outcome during the Festival period.

The funding available remains the same when applied to artist collaboration, where 2 or a group of artists work as one practice.

Both organisations can also support the artist in residence in applying for further funds to support the development of the new work.

6.0 Application process

Artists are asked to submit their proposals by completing the application form provided.  

Prior to interview applications will be assessed with the following criteria:

•Eligibility – see point 2.0

•Artistic merit of examples of previous work submitted.

•Strength of written proposal. 

•Impact and benefits to artist’s own practice.

•Impact and benefit to Berwick-upon Tweed, Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival.

Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. 

You must download the Equal Opportunities Form here, complete this and attach it to your application before you can submit it. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE is Monday 18th December 2017 at 5pm (UK Time).

Shortlisted artists will be invited for interview during the week beginning 22nd January 2018.

Travel expenses will be reimbursed for those artists who are based in the UK. Artists not based in the UK will be invited to undertake an interview via Skype.