Applications for the Jerwood Writer in Residence 2022 will open on Tuesday 9 November 2021.
What is the Jerwood Writer in Residence 2022?
The Jerwood Writer in Residence 2022 programme is an opportunity for promising UK-based early-career visual arts writers to develop their practice. It includes a £1,500 fee, access to a £300 mentoring budget and a £500 production budget for the commissioning of four to five pieces of new critical responses to both Jerwood Arts’ Exhibitions and Events programme at Jerwood Space in London, and Jerwood Arts’ wider work. Writers may use the £1,500 fee to research towards their self-directed interests and the production budget to disseminate their thinking and research through means of an event, DIY publication, video recording, podcast or other activity.
There are two Jerwood Writer in Residence opportunities in 2022. Each residency is six months long and responds to two of three exhibitions.
Since launching in 2011, the Jerwood Writer in Residence programme has supported 27 writers: Alex Hull, Marek Sullivan, Joseph Constable, Gwen Burlington, Taylor Le Melle, Nicolas Helm-Grovas, Tom Emery, Hatty Nestor, James Gormley, Kathryn Lloyd, Philomena Epps, Lizzie Homersham, Tom Overton, Alice Butler, Elinor Morgan, Patrick Langley, Basia Lewandowska Cummings, Shama Khanna, George Vasey, Morgan Quaintance, Eleanor Nairne, Jessica Lack, Colin Perry, Gareth Evans, Chris Fite-Wassilak, David Trigg and Louisa Elderton.
What is involved?
The residency aims to support early-career arts writers to produce up to five responses during their residency, with workload adapted to support more ambitious activities within the project accordingly. It is aimed at writers who are seeking an opportunity to explore their experimental critical voices and have their practice engaged with across Jerwood Arts’ audience and extended networks.
Responses are self-directed and developed in dialogue with the Jerwood Arts team. They are hosted on the Writing and Media pages on the Jerwood Arts website and shared through our social media channels. Where the opportunity allows, Jerwood Arts will aim to share writer’s responses across our partnerships in order to even further extend the writers’ reach.
Jerwood Writer in Residence 1: January-June 2022
Responding to:
Jerwood Art Fund Maker’s Open 2022, 28 January – 9 April 2022. A biennial commissioning opportunity that recognises and promotes the significance of making practice and process within contemporary visual arts.
Jerwood/FVU Awards 2022, 6 May – 23 July. A major annual opportunity for moving-image artists run in partnership by Jerwood Arts and FVU.
Jerwood Writer in Residence 2: July-December 2022
Responding to:
Jerwood/FVU Awards 2022, 6 May – 23 July 2022. A major annual opportunity for moving-image artists run in partnership by Jerwood Arts and FVU.
Jerwood/Photoworks Awards 2022, 30 September – 17 December 2022, Supports photographers, or artists using photography, to make new work and significantly develop their practice.
Who are the residencies for?
We welcome applications from early-career arts writers specialising in visual arts criticism.
We do accept applications from fiction and poetry writers, but we ask that you demonstrate past experience of writing critically about exhibitions and/or visual art in your application.
We welcome applications from writers:
- able to demonstrate at least one years’ track record of professional writing practice but not yet regularly contributing to established arts publications.
- living and working in the UK.
- who are seeking to experiment and grow their practice at a pivotal moment.
- who are outside formal education at the time of application and throughout their chosen residency period.
- who have experience in writing with criticality about visual arts and/or exhibitions.
Can I access further support in making my application?
If you have any questions about the opportunity or application process, please contact gallery@jerwoodarts.org.
Slots for advice sessions will be available for applicants to book once the application portal is open.
When can I apply and when will I learn the outcome of my application?
Timeframe and deadlines
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 24 November 2021, 10am.
All applicants will be notified about the status of their application by Friday 3 December 2021, 5pm.
Interviews for shortlisted applicants will take place on Monday 6 December 2021.
We will let you know the final outcome of the decision-making process by Friday 10 December 2021, 5pm.
Selection and decision making process
Each application will be read by the Jerwood Arts team with support from Jerwood Writer in Residence Alumni.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview in-person or via Zoom.
How can I apply?
The application portal will open on Tuesday 9 November 2021.
To apply you will be asked to :
- Provide a statement outlining: your interest in Jerwood Arts’ programme; a short proposal outlining how you would approach the residency; and some ideas for how you would like to use the mentoring fund (no more than 700 words in total).
- Indicate your preference of residency slot depending on your availability in 2022 by ticking the appropriate box in the application form.
- Provide two examples of your writing (500 words each). These can be an extract of a longer work.
