A funded opportunity for artists graduating in 2015 to use Assembly Houses project space as a studio to develop a body of work throughout September. The Artists will help develop Assembly Houses' October programme to coincide with the British Art Show opening in Leeds, using the work they produce during the residency as a starting point. Applicants will be selected by Poppy Burrows, assistant curator of the Whitechapel Gallery.

Assembly House is an artist-led studios and project space in Leeds, located within the district of Armley, an area exemplary of many changes to the British way of life over the last century.


Situated in a historic textiles mill along the Leeds Liverpool canal, the studio plays host to a varied group of creatives, with work ranging from fine art painting and sculpture to illustration, photography and design. In addition to this we run a public programme which includes one or two exhibitions a month, and various educational events. 

The intention of our exhibition programme has been to be unpredictable, not developing a house style and whilst acknowledging trends both locally and nationally not being beholden to them. We feel that art thrives in diversity and that the arts should not be a field set apart from broader culture.

In October 2015, Leeds will play host to the opening of the British Art Show. To coincide with this, Assembly house have chosen to create a graduate residency. Two separate places are offered, for graduates of any discipline, to work in our project space throughout September, and help to develop our programme during October to coincide with the British Art Show.

Applicants are welcomed from across the UK from any discipline, including those from outside of the arts, but must be graduating from a programme of study in summer 2015, and available throughout most of September and parts of October 2015.

In light of the British Art Show 8 opening in Leeds, we would like you to consider in your expression of interest how aspects of British identity relate to your practice. There is no set brief for how this topic should be explored during the residency, or what specific form the culminating events should take.

Successful applicants will receive £500 each towards developing their work, the dedicated use of our project space for September, and the opportunity to present work during the British Art Show in October. Applicants will not be expected to collaborate with each other to produce work, but an openness to some element of shared exlopration and dialogue would be helpful when putting together proposals for Octobers exhibiton programme.

We are not explicitly looking for detailed project proposals with concrete endpoints, but rather an indication of your interests, and the gneeral appoach you would bring to this residency. Successful applicants will be expected to develop and deliver several public-facing events of their choosing during the residency period, including one to coincide with the opening of the British Art Show 8 on October 9th 2015.  Throughout the residency period, we will be on hand to support the delivery of the project.

People may apply individually or as a group. Size limitations mean we unfortunately cannot host large groups. Successful applicants will be expected to work in-situ at Assembly House throughout September and into October 2015.

 
For consideration, please submit:

• An expression of interest outlaying your interest in this specific opportunity, and an indication of how you would approach the project (50-300 words)
• An artist’s statement or similar (up to 500 words)
• Up to 10 examples of your work, with a link to an online portfolio/blog/website if possible

If you have any additional questions at all please feel free to contact us through Curator Space or e-mail them directly to info@assemblyhousestudios.co.uk