Open Call for Artists of Colour
We are looking for 6 creative practitioners of colour to join us on a 6-month mentorship programme: Multiplicity. The programme aims to create a supportive space for artists to explore the multifaceted nature of self-identity and belonging and will give opportunities to engage with a community of diverse creatives, the chance to develop your artistic practice and give a platform for a wider discussion of your work through a major exhibition at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
About the project
Aberystwyth Arts Centre and artist Jasmine Violet are working in partnership as part of a wider project called Perspective(s), collaborating with the Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, to bring about a step change on how the visual arts and heritage sector reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of our society.
We have created these opportunities for artists of colour based in Mid and West Wales as we wish to celebrate the diverse communities that presently make up Wales, giving a platform to tell untold stories and to create artistic responses that represent intersectionality, multiplicity, and being between lands and identity. The project will focus on the importance and relevance of people of colour to the Welsh community and the impact diversity has had on past and present Wales.
Through giving a platform to exhibit the creative work produced as part of the project, we aim to create a discussion with the wider community in mid Wales and beyond through a public programme of talks and workshops. The project seeks to challenge current ways of thinking by engaging with communities to explore the visual arts and heritage sector through an anti-racist and decolonial lens.
The Opportunity
The project is led by artist Jasmine Violet, with workshop sessions crafted by specialist mentors.
Through working with Jasmine, the mentors and Ffion Rhys, exhibition curator at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, we aim to give opportunities for artists to:
- Develop their creative practice in a supportive environment of diverse creatives and mentors.
- Take part in 6 creative workshops with specialist mentors that will introduce new techniques and practices, including ceramics, printmaking, performance and others.
- Explore the multifaceted nature of self-identity and belonging through engaging in dialogues and collaborative projects and by fostering a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives.
- Create new work that will form a major exhibition at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
- Work closely with Jasmine and Ffion to curate the exhibition, making decisions on interpretation, marketing and public programme planning.
What we offer
- A fee of £2,000 to create new work
- Material and travel expenses
- Fee for taking part in community events/workshops
- Artistic and curatorial support from the lead artist Jasmine Violet and Ffion Rhys, curator
- An exhibition at Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Key Dates
– Call out closes 30th August 2024
– Interviews 10th September
– First meeting of the cohort of artists – September 23rd
– Six creative session with artistic mentors from October to January.
– Exhibition planning – curatorial, interpretation, marketing and public programme plan with Jasmine and Ffion – January and February
– Exhibition March 2025
Person specification
- Mid or West Wales artist (there is budget to facilitate travel when needed)
- An artist of colour or diverse cultural and ethnical
- A socially and politically engaged artist whose practice explores the multifaceted nature of self-identity and belonging.
- Open to artists working in all mediums and disciplines.
- Must be able to commit to the full 6-month program and the exhibition in March 2025.
- Works well within a team, enabling a shared and positive learning experience within the cohort of artists, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and the wider community.
- Willing to partake in community engagement events including tours and talks that build new connections and conversations between communities enabling a better understanding of each other’s cultures.
*We define an ‘artist of colour’ and ‘culturally and ethnically diverse’ as:
- Anyone from the African, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, Latino, Eastern European or Middle Eastern diaspora in Wales.
- Anyone who identifies as being from an ethnic group that is not exclusively White
- Anyone from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities.
How to Apply
Please send us:
– An artist statement that describes your practice and a proposal that outlines:
- why you would like this opportunity and why is this the right time for you now.
- how your work aligns with the themes of belonging, identity, and multiplicity.
- what do you hope to gain or achieve.
- how do you plan to use the funds to create new work for the exhibition.
– 5 images of recent work and link to websites/work online if you have this.
– CV/Resume that includes relevant exhibitions, projects, and professional experience.
Please submit your application by 30th August to multiplicity@aber.ac.uk
We are happy to receive submissions by text document or audio file.
If you have any questions – please contact us at multiplicity@aber.ac.uk
We look forward to receiving your applications and exploring the rich diversity of perspectives that will shape the Multiplicity project.
More about the Perspective(s) project.
Perspective(s) is a new collaboration between the Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, which seeks to bring about a step change on how the visual arts and heritage sector reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of our society. Over a two-year period, creative professionals – in our case Jasmine Violet from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds – will work with the museums and visual arts organisations, to platform untold stories, create artistic responses and act as an agent for change. The programme seeks to challenge current ways of thinking by engaging with communities to explore the visual arts and heritage sector through an anti-racist and decolonial lens.
Perspective(s) | Arts Council of Wales
More about Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of the largest Arts Centre’s in Wales and is a multi-art-form venue producing and presenting a programme of theatre, film, music, exhibitions alongside a creative learning programme that serves the university campus, Ceredigion community and beyond. Our exhibitions programme gives a platform to showcase the very best in contemporary art, exhibiting work by national and international contemporary artists. We offer a high-quality environment to display work, with one of the largest contemporary art spaces in Wales in our purpose-built Gallery 1 for established artists and large-scale exhibitions, Gallery 2 as a dedicated space to support our next generation of emerging artists and the café gallery and Piazza window space for community focused work. We have a rolling programme of artist in residencies with our specially built studio space, giving artists opportunities to develop their own practice in a safe and supportive environment.
Home – Aber Arts (aberystwythartscentre.co.uk)
