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Opportunities

Artist Commission Opportunity – Open Call

This is a partnership commission with WWT Caerlaverock, and Glengoyne

WWT x GlengoyneHide
WWT x GlengoyneHide

WWT Caerlaverock, with the support of The Stove Network, wishes to commission an artist(s) to lead a public art project at their site in Dumfries.

Funded through a partnership with Glengoyne Distillery, the aim of this commission is to bring the partnership to life through a reimagining of the Glengoyne Bird Hide, highlighting shared key themes.

Expected outcomes include a permanent art installation and a series of community / stakeholder engagement activities.

Project Idea

The key theme for the commission is of slowing down and taking time – aligned with both WWT’s aim to encourage visitors to lengthen their stay within the Glengoyne bird hide, allowing the time to settle into the landscape, and with Glengoyne’s theme of the joy of slow.

Additionally, the works should aim to increase a sense of inclusion and welcome to the hide, whilst taking consideration of practical aspects such as durability and weather resistance.

The commission should begin with a period of research and development, the artist(s) spending time with the hides and gaining a thorough understanding of the accessible requirements of the space and it’s user groups.

This can take place both onsite, and off site through engaging specific communities of interest, such as with young people and / or school groups, with support from WWT Caerlaverock, The Stove Network and Glengoyne.

The artist(s) would also be invited to Glengoyne Distillery to see their wetlands and immerse themselves in the Glengoyne story.

From this initial development, the artist(s) should develop a proposal to focus on one of three key areas, to be completed within the scope and budget of the project commission:

  • Visual impact of the space through art installation
  • Alternative seating emphasising comfort and settling in
  • Alternative forms of interpretation within the space

Considerations

The visual art element could take several forms, including options for wall murals or wall mounted displays, free standing elements that occupy the centre of the Hide (currently under-utilised), or hanging from the ceiling.

Seating should consider accessibility and durability but could include bespoke finishes or seating covers, using materials and elements that create a more welcoming environment for spending longer periods of time within the hide. Sensory elements could be considered here, and their impact on the space’s adaptability for a wider range of visitors/space users.

The existing interpretation panels are outdated and could be re-designed or considered for younger audiences or with a more contemporary approach to information and local knowledge sharing.

Budget and Materials

The total budget available for this project is £4,000.

This should include all artist fees, materials VAT (where applicable ) and expenses. On agreement of final proposal with WWT, additional budget may be possible for delivery of final artwork.

Application Process

Please supply the following:

  • An outline of your approach to the project proposal (max. 500 words). If you would like to submit in another format such as video or audio file please get in touch as we are happy to accommodate accessibility requirements.
  • Three examples of your work
  • CV or similar outlining your experience to date

Your entire submission should not exceed 10MB and should be sent to by email to: [email protected] with the heading ‘Glengoyne Hide Art Commission‘.

All submissions will be reviewed by a panel before a shortlisted selection of applications that will be invited to interview. Interviews are expected to take place on 13th-14th May 2024.

Project Timeline

  • Open Call: 11th April – 5th May 2024
  • Application Deadline: 9am, 6th May 2024
  • Selection Process: 7th-15th May 2024
  • Project Start Date: Research and Development: End May 2024
  • Community Engagement Sessions: June/July 2024
  • Agreement with WWT on final artwork proposals: End of July 2024
  • Fabrication and Installation: August – September 2024
  • Project launch/unveiling: October 2024 (coinciding with The Wild Goose Festival)

About WWT Caerlaverock and Glengoyne

WWT are the wetland restoration charity working for wetlands across the UK and the world. By working together with people we unlock the power of wetlands – and help nature burst back to life. Wetlands have the potential to save species from extinction, tackle climate change and improve our lives but we’re losing them at a staggering rate. That is why WWT is on a mission to restore wetlands and unlock their power.

Wetlands teem with biodiversity. They’re part of the natural infrastructure, providing essential protection against climate change, floods, droughts and pollution. They’re also vital for our health and wellbeing.

Wetlands like WWT Caerlaverock are one of the world’s most biodiverse habitats. They provide homes for many endangered species, offer a lifeline for freshwater species and act as vital ‘service stations’ for millions of migratory birds to rest and refuel. Many endemic species are found only in specific wetland areas. About 40% of the world’s plants and animals depend on wetlands.

Set up 50 years ago WWT Caerlaverock is a 1400 acre nature reserve on the north edge of the Solway Firth. It is a special home in the winter for thousands of ducks, swans, geese and waders, and in the summer for dragonflies, moths, spectacular spreads of wildflowers and rare invertebrates.

Longstanding WWT partner, Glengoyne, is the first Scotch whisky distillery to build its own water treatment wetlands on-site. Like WWT, they are leading the way with their focus on slowing down – as Glengoyne is distilled more slowly than any other malt whisky. The Glengoyne bird hide is single room log cabin style bird hide built 25 years ago and sits on the edge of the goose pastures of the Eastpark farm part of the nature reserve. The name ‘Glengoyne’ is derived from ‘Glen Guin’ or ‘valley of the geese’, which works wonderfully as a namesake for the hide. It can be a good place to see the Caerlaverock speciality, flocks of barnacle geese, but WWT are working to bring more nature all year round closer to the hide and make it an even more rewarding nature-watching experience.  

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News Opportunities

Commission: Waterfront Artist Stranraer

(This Opportunity is Now Closed)

The Stove Network is seeking a creative practitioner(s) to design and develop a programme of their own creative work which will be delivered with and for the community of Stranraer.

About the Commission:

Fee:

A fee of £10,000 is offered for this commission. This fee is inclusive of all expenses, materials, and VAT (if applicable)

Timescale:

The work is to be completed within a six-month window – mutually agreed milestones at beginning of commission (e.g., research period, schedule of events planned by Creative Stranraer and how work of Waterfront artist fits with this). 

Timeline: October – March 2024 

The purpose of the commission is to creatively engage the local people in the town’s waterfront area.

The creative practitioner is invited to utilise their own creative practice (and/or collaborate with others), to inspire a new conversation in the town about the waterfront and how it could once again form a vital part of the town’s future.

The commission will form part of a wider process of re-imagining the Waterfront and the Waterfront Artist will join a small team comprising:

  • Arts and Engagement Officer (AEO) – who has been working within the Stranraer community gathering the creative sector and working with them on creative community engagement with local people as part of the revitalisation of Stranraer. The AEO will support the Waterfront Artist in building relationships with local people/groups/partners, communications/marketing, and event production.
  • Research, Recording and Reporting (R, R+R) commission holder – this is a special commission to support the work of the Waterfront Artist by helping to gathering information research leads that surface through the work and write up all the information/ideas and opinions that are generated through the creative work with the Waterfront.
  • Support from The Stove Network – The Stove Network has been working in Stranraer supporting community-led regeneration projects for two years. The Stove is a leading Creative Placemaking organisation in Scotland and will actively support the creative engagement work on Stranraer Waterfront with the full range of services offered by the full Stove team (from production and communications to partnership building and operational systems)
  • Support from DG Council and local community groups – the Local Authority is working in partnership with a diverse range of local community groups as a broad-based community leadership group to deliver capital projects(including Waterfront projects such as Stranraer Marina, Stranraer Watersports Centre and a marine research facility) that will underpin a future Stranraer. This group will support the creative engagement work on the Waterfront with information, contacts, partnership events and assets.

This commission builds upon the Dandelion community garden project, which occupied a section of greenspace located by the waterfront as a community garden. The ‘Unexpected Garden’ was utilised as a community events space, hosting workshops, gigs and other events. 

Who we’re looking for:

We are in search of an experienced creative practitioner(s) with a strong background in community-embedded and social arts practices. 

An ability to effectively engage and acknowledge the diverse voices of Stranraer’s populace is vital. 

We seek an audacious individual(s) who can facilitate and envision exciting possibilities, instilling fresh connections with one of the town’s most valuable assets.

The commissioned practitioner(s) will have access to the Creative Stranraer ‘Hub’ located in the town’s High Street as well as significant support in community engagement as well as strategic interaction with the town’s established community events and festivals.

It is hoped the creative practitioner(s) will interact with Creative Stranraer’s programme of activities, weaving thematic considerations and activities, offering a diversity of experiences to ensure as wide a range of the community’s voices are heard.

What you’ll be doing:

The Creative Practitioner(s) will be expected to engage the community through creative activities, installations, interactive elements, and inspire conversation towards re-thinking the future use of the waterfront as a connected, culturally significant feature in the future of Stranraer.

The creative practitioner(s) are expected to:

  • Embrace the Waterfront’s inherent value and its potential for rejuvenation, using your creative lens to inspire new ideas, spark conversations, and incite actions that will lead to its revival. (Background: up until 10 years ago the waterfront was predominantly an ‘industrial’ environment as the embarkation point for the Stena Line vehicle and passenger ferry to Belfast)
  • Reflect the value of the Waterfront and the potential therein through a creative lens to inspire new ideas, conversations, and actions towards its regeneration.

Required outputs:

  • A series of interventions situated at the Waterfront to encourage a new relationship to the site. 
  • Contribution to one large-scale public event situated at or near the Waterfront at the commission’s conclusion (NB additional budget is held to produce this event)

How to apply:

Deadline for applications: Thursday 24th August 2023 at 5pm

We would like to hear from creative practitioners/artists with an initial response to the project in the form of a short proposal.

We are looking for proposals from creative practitioners/artists working in any discipline.

We are interested in processes that are responsive and adaptive, demonstrate a commitment to collaborative working and give a clear idea of the creative skills and tools you bring to developing this. We are open to joint proposals or those from performance collectives but would want to hear how this might impact on the financial support for the individual freelancers involved.

We are open to video/recorded sound applications that address the brief and would encourage those who may have additional access requirements or support needs, both in application and anticipated through delivery of the project, to please let us know what we can do to make this opportunity as accessible as possible.

TO APPLY:

Please send by email to [email protected] with a maximum file size of 10MB, before Thursday 24th August 2023 at 5pm and include the following:

  • Subject line: Waterfront Artist Stranraer
  • A statement of no more than 600 words stating what interests you about the Waterfront Artist commission including a brief description of your practice and an initial idea of how you might approach the project.
  • Current CV (max 2 pages)
  • Up to 4 examples of past work that you feel best supports your application – this can be in any form (images, films, texts, testimonials, links to online video or other online resources). 
  • If you are willing, please also complete our Equalities Monitoring form as part of your application:
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FORM

It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too. Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you. We will accept applications from anyone and everyone who feels they have the skills required to fulfil this role.

We will always send an email acknowledging receipt of any applications. If you do not receive an email, please contact us again. If you require specific support when making an application, please let us know. 

DOWNLOAD THE CLEAR TEXT VERSION HERE

If you have any questions you’d like answered before submitting your application, please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Background

Stranraer is at a pivotal point in its history. Ten years ago, the Stena Line ferry moved its operations from Stranraer to run their route to Northern Ireland from Cairnryan. A period of decline has followed for the town, but now Stranraer stands on the brink of a new chapter in its story with investment secured for a series of significant capital projects. These include projects for the Waterfront: a marina, a watersports centre, and a marine research facility. In the town centre the centrepiece project is the re-development of the former George Hotel into a culture and community centre including a bouldering centre and bunkhouse. These projects are all stitched into the community-led Place Plan for the town. The local community have worked in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Council and South of Scotland Enterprise, and this commission is part of an ongoing commitment to keep the community right at the heart of the future vision for Stranraer.

Categories
News Opportunities

Creative Spaces Associates

Three paid Creative Spaces Associate opportunities for young creatives* to work and learn within a dynamic arts and community organisation

Fee: £560 pcm freelance contract (equates to 8 days per month at £70 per day)

Duration: 10 months (8 days per calendar month from May 30th 2022–March 31st 2023)

Start Date: 30th May

Are you creative? Do you want to make a difference through what you do in your work? Do you like creatively solving problems and working as part of a team? If so, keep reading…

We are looking for 3 young people (18-30) who have a passion, and commitment, to building a creative career and working with communities. As a Creative Spaces Associate you will join The Stove team for a period of 10 months (May 30th 2022 – March 31st 2023) and work with us on professional arts projects as well as develop your own creative work through self-reflection, programming and production.

The Creative Spaces Associates are paid, part-time opportunities that run over a year of carefully programmed activity designed to give you active working experience across a range of skills needed for a career in the creative sector. You will work collaboratively as part of our team, who will support you at every stage and in any form of creative work you are interested in, to develop your potential. Previous Associates have benefitted from the extended network and wide range of experience from marketing to event production, workshop facilitation to film making and used their time with us as a step towards successful careers in arts, culture and/or community focused work.

Desired Experience:

  • Good communication skills
  • Relative IT skills
  • Interest and/or experience in the creative industries and community work
  • Interest and/or experience in working with other people
  • Ability to self-manage you own work flow

Person specification:

  • Adaptable
  • Engaging
  • Creative

These opportunities are open to those wishing to develop and grow a creative practice*. You do not need to define yourself as an ‘artist’ or ‘creative’ to apply for this opportunity as long as you are under 30, have an interest in working with people and communities (see About The Stove in Application Pack) and have some form of creative work you wish to develop. It does not require you to have studied and is open to those from all backgrounds and disciplines.

*We define ‘creative practice’ as anything from photography, to drawing, cookery, theatre and activism. Try us!

How to Apply

Deadline for Applications: Sunday 1st May, midnight

Please provide a CV and covering letter of no more than 500 words, identifying what interests you about this opportunity, why you feel you are suited to the role and any aspects you hope this opportunity will help you to develop.

(you can submit this written or in video format with the maximum video length being 5 mins).

Please send by email to [email protected] (max file size of 5MB) with heading Creative Spaces Associate

DOWNLOAD THE FULL JOB PACK HERE
DOWNLOAD THE CLEAR TEXT VERSION
Categories
Opportunities

Dumfries Fountain Project: Opportunities

The Stove Network is delighted to share some new commission opportunities to work as part of The Dumfries Fountain Restoration Project, a collaborative project between The Stove Network and Dumfries and Galloway Council.

We have three current opportunities:

  • Dumfries Fountain Public Art Commission
  • Young Filmmaker Commission
  • Young Musician or Composer Commission

These three opportunities have been created as part of the engagement phase of the project, which looks to work with local people to share the history of the fountain and Dumfries’ Water Story, and support interaction with the second phase of the project, which will include the complete refurbishment of the Fountain. Commissioned artists will work alongside and be supported by our Engagement Lead on the project, and The Stove’s Public Art Lead.

Public Art Commission

The Stove seeks to commission an experienced artist, designer or maker to design a permanent artwork to accompany the restoration of the Dumfries Fountain.

The commission is for the delivery of a fully costed and complete design for a permanent artwork to be developed alongside a creative community engagement project in the ‘water story of Dumfries.’ Further details and how to apply:

Public Art Commission

Young Filmmaker Commission

The Stove seeks to commission an emerging young filmmaker to document Stage One of the Dumfries Fountain Restoration Project.

We are looking for someone to document the programme of engagement, tell the story of the fountain and create a digital legacy for the project. Further details and how to apply:

Young Filmmaker Commission

Young Musician/Composer Commission

The Stove Network seeks to commission an emerging young musician or composer to create an original soundtrack composition for film as part of The Dumfries Fountain Restoration Project.

We are looking for someone to work collaboratively with our documentary filmmaker to create an accompanying soundtrack for their film documenting the history and restoration of Dumfries’ Fountain. Further details and how to apply:

Young Musician/composer Commission

Our two emerging commission opportunities have been supported and funded by The Holywood Trust, a charitable organisation which aims to help young people in Dumfries and Galloway.

Deadline for Applications: Sunday, 13th June 2021

For further information about this opportunity, or to ask us specific questions about this project please email [email protected].

Categories
News Opportunities

Opportunity for Freelance Artists/Creative Practitioners in Dumfries and Galloway

The Stove has been asked by the Wheatley Group to help them find creatives in D+G to put themselves forward for grants of up to £5,000 to develop and deliver new projects with children and young people in the region. Wheatley is a national organisation for social housing in Scotland and they are working in partnership with Creative Scotland on this project.

In the first instance the project is looking for expressions of interest from creatives with an idea for a project that can help improve the skills, confidence and wellbeing of young people. Projects are to be delivered within a year (though do not need to last a whole year) and you do not need to specify a community you would work with as Wheatley will help connect artists to communities locally.

If you are interested, there is more information available here including dates for online information sessions.

Please email [email protected] to receive an application pack. Deadline 5th March

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