In partnership with Art Fund, FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) is pleased to invite curators, in particular those from underrepresented backgrounds, to present proposals for our forthcoming Autumn/Winter Season. FACT’s 2019 programme explores issues of gender and representation, and we are excited to work closely with a curator in residence in the development of our last season of the year. Opening in October, Autumn/Winter will look at themes of intersectionality through an exhibition as well as associated public and learning programmes.
Candidates should submit a 500-word proposal (which can also include images, links and digital content) alongside a CV and an equal opportunities and monitoring form to residency@fact.co.uk. Please see below for full details, eligibility and conditions.
Context
Resonating with the wider world’s focus on women’s voices and stories, FACT’s 2019 Artistic Programme invites audiences to participate in a year-long discussion and exploration of gender and feminist practice, and the empowering role of technology within. The programme consists of three interrelated seasons, including three major exhibitions, at least three new commissions, and an integrated learning and public programme focusing on identity, representation and feminism, from a range of perspectives.
The year kicks off with our Spring season, focusing on female identity, and how it is constructed both socially and culturally. Summer explores our precarious contemporary workplaces, delving into the notion of invisible and unrecognised labour. Finally, Autumn/Winter supports our commitment to diversity and inclusion, looking more closely at gender politics and their intersection with issues of race, class and sexuality. Alongside, our newly reinstated Learning Space, in the foyer, is continuously open to the public as a resource, gathering area, and platform for conversations and sharing.
The curator in residence will focus mainly on the Autumn/Winter season, in response to three key aims:
- To expand FACT’s thinking by developing new ideas and perspectives, broadening the scope of our programme and audiences.
- To provide opportunities for curators from backgrounds which are currently underrepresented or under-supported within the arts sector (Including, but not limited to under-represented Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ identities, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, those with disabilities and/or caring responsibilities).
- To ground our programme in contemporary arts research and practice, reflecting current discourses and experimenting with new models of working within arts organisations.
Expectations
The Curator will operate both from within and outside of the organisation to research and shape the narratives around the Autumn/Winter season, translating them into two key outputs: a major gallery exhibition and an associated programme of events.
The main aim of the season is to foreground gender politics and their intersection with issues of race, class and sexuality. We will consider how experimentation, exploration and adaptability might better shape our sense of self and the world around us – particularly in a moment of unprecedented political, social and technological change. Some keywords which might help guide proposals are: Intersectionality; World creation; Sub- and Countercultures; Construction of identities; Blurred Boundaries; Speculative Futures; Posthumanism; Queer Theory; Genderjamming; Transition.
Within a window of six months (based at FACT for approximately six weeks, exact days to be jointly defined), the Curator will be responsible for drafting curatorial texts, selecting and working with artists, building partnerships, contributing to the audience development plan, and designing a public programme that expands the main curatorial ideas and provides multiple entry points to the wider season.
The Curator will work collaboratively across FACT’s programme strands (Exhibitions and Public Programmes, Learning, Research, and Marketing) to stimulate meaningful exchange and ensure that the resulting season is embedded within the organisation and its context.
Ultimately, we encourage proposals which consider FACT’s wide-ranging audiences and which seek to create affecting, immersive artistic experiences both inside the gallery and outside. Some of FACT’s previous shows which can be used as reference are Roleplay Reality, Wu Tsang: Under Cinema, Group Therapy and How much of this is fiction?. These exhibitions sought to create environments which encouraged the visitor to explore urgent areas of thought in relation to art, technology, and how the digital affects our everyday lives. The proposed exhibition will be similar in approach and should include three to five artists, but we are keen to explore new models and formats by which to do this. If you require any more information about these, or any other, FACT programmes in order to write your proposal, please do get in touch at residency@fact.co.uk.
Conditions
- Curatorial Fee of £5,000 GDP
- Travel and accommodation expenses available up to £2,000 (covering approximately 6 weeks – TBD)
- Production budget, managed by FACT, of approx £25,000 for the exhibition and £2,000 for the associated public programme
- Support of FACT’s production and technical teams
Selection and eligibility
- Candidates should submit a 500-word proposal, which can also include images, links and digital content, alongside a CV and completed Equalities Monitoring Form to residency@fact.co.uk
- An internal selection panel will be responsible for shortlisting a maximum of five applications, which will then be invited to interview.
- Candidates will be selected based on the strength of their proposal as well as their ability to deliver, and a demonstration that the residency will be beneficial for both parties.
- We particularly want to address the imbalances in representation within the sector and will prioritise applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people and practitioners whose work is intersectional in approach.
- If you have any support requirements or would like to discuss access, please do get in touch with: residency@fact.co.uk, or call us on 0151 707 4444
Timeline
Open call published: 26 March 2019
Deadline: 22 April 2019
Selection panel: 24 April 2019
Interviews (where appropriate): w/c 29 April 2019
Residency time frame (six weeks, exact dates TBC): May – November 2019 Autumn/Winter exhibition: 31 October 2019 – 3 March 2020
