About

FREE STUDIO & EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITY FOR 6 MONTHS
In partnership with Stowmarket Arts CIC and Mid Suffolk District Council  

1ST MAY – 1ST NOVEMBER 2023
DEADLINE TO APPLY: 16TH APRIL 6PM
We have 1 studio (30 sqm/323 sqft) and 1 public facing space (20 sqm/215 sqft) in the same building

We are looking for individual artists to use these spaces. The space will be newly renovated and is provided for free*  in return for the commitment to use the space fully &  organising some events as part of your residency. There will be a small pot of funding for public engagement (£500) please tell us how you would use this in the application form.
*Use of electricity and water will be the artists cost

We are looking for artists that would either like 6 months free studio and making space to try new ideas or we would love to hear from those who would like to install an exhibition in the public facing space. 

We are especially keen on the public programme of events that you propose that will appeal to the local community. This could be a performance, an exhibition opening, open studio days, talks or workshops for example. 

This opportunity is open to artists that can easily access the space, within one hour travel.  We will prioritise those that cannot normally afford exhibition space, and believe that this opportunity might help them reach the next stage of their career. We are committed to supporting creatives & communities most in need & will prioritise creatives who declare they are struggling – whether financially, mentally or physically.

Application Deadline

All applications must be made online using the link below, and must be received no later than 6pm on 16th April 2023.

Requirements

This opportunity is open to curators or artists that can easily access the space, so living within an hour of the site. We are especially interested in how you engage the local community of Stowmarket and Suffolk more widely. We will prioritise those that cannot normally afford exhibition space, and believe that this opportunity might help them reach the next stage of their career. We are committed to supporting creatives & communities most in need & will prioritise creatives who declare they are struggling – whether financially, mentally or physically.

Application Process

We accept applications from all creative practitioners and we have a variety of sites coming up to host a variety of art forms. We understand application processes can be time consuming so we have restricted the answers to a maximum of 100 words.

For short term project space we have application periods of approximately 3/4 weeks. For each placement we create a short list of 5 proposals that we put forward to our selection panel that will be comprised of our trustees and a local Cultural Partner (such as a curator of a museum). The success of your application for both the short list and being selected by the panel will be based on your answers in the application form so please read the questions carefully and follow the guidelines.

The areas that we will focus on are: what you plan to use the space for, how it would develop your practice and most importantly – the public event(s). This could be an exhibition walk through, talk, performance or whatever best suits your practice. You do not need a fully formed event as we understand your work in the studio space may inform what you do but we want to see what your initial thoughts are. The objective for this is to engage local communities but also for us to show your work to a wider audience.

Lastly, in the event that you are not successful, we will keep your application on file in the case that we will have other opportunities to put you forward for. If you do not want us to keep your application on file please let us know [email protected]

Occupancy availability

We are considering applications to start from the end of April onwards.