Join us as a Metal artist-in-residence on the local stretch of the central 86 bus route in our Liverpool neighbourhood, delivered in partnership with Arriva buses.
Opening date: Monday 11 September 2023
Closing date: Friday 6 October 2023 at 5pm
Notification: All artists will be notified of outcome by Friday 20 October 2023
Residency duration: 3 months
Residency period: Between November 2023 – April 2024
Number of residencies: 1
Offer: £2500, artists mentoring, use of Metal buildings, facilities and networks
Residency application form: https://form.jotform.com/232463949942064
What is the residency project?
It is part of Picton Play, a long-term experimental project designed to explore the creativity of our neighbourhood. In the first phase of Picton Play, we are hosting a number of artist ‘listening’ residencies in unusual spaces like Botanic Park and the 86 bus route designed to facilitate sharing, research and exchanging knowledge in our local area. So far, artist Victoria Opomu has worked with young people to explore their experiences of growing up in Edge Hill, Wavertree and Toxteth and artist and community organiser Josh Coates is creating pop-up experiences around Edge Hill that examine the nature of community spaces. The residencies will give you a chance to develop your practice or research an idea in different contexts and in collaboration with people in our neighbourhood.
What does the residency involve?
As a Metal artist-in-residence you will explore and respond to the Smithdown road stretch of the Arriva 86 bus route over a period of 3 months (between November 2023 – April 2024). We expect the residency to create a project that can gather inspiration from travelling on the bus route, engaging people on the bus, and collecting observations and stories. You will also visit the Arriva depot and meet the bus drivers. This residency will focus on the 86 bus route and the environment it covers, including the full stretch of Smithdown Road, the ‘big’ Asda and the Women’s Hospital.
Image credit: Arriva
What does the residency include?
This residency offer is a period of concentrated support for the development of your artistic practice and this project. You will receive a fee of £2500, as well as artist mentoring, access to our building and spaces, and our local and national networks of artists, communities and cultural organisations. Additional budget is available for production, depending on what emerges from your explorations. Arriva will supply you with a bus pass to cover your travel during your residency and will arrange a visit to the depot to meet the Arriva staff.
Who are the residencies for?
We are open to a range of imaginative approaches to the residency and outcomes. This opportunity is open to any artist from any discipline living in Liverpool City Region or with strong links to Liverpool and we especially welcome applications from artists living and working in our neighbourhood L7, L8 and L15.
We also particularly encourage applications from global majority, LGBTQIA+, disabled and/or working class people who are underrepresented at Metal – though each of these groups is represented in Metal’s leadership – and in our sector.
As part of Metal’s commitment to the environment, we are keen to receive proposals that incorporate environmental responsibility and demonstrate a consideration of sustainable materials and practices.
Access
The Metal team will work with you on an access document before the residency begins to try to remove any barriers to fully participating in the programme. Please get in touch if you have any questions.
How do I apply?
In the application form, we ask you to:
- Tell us a bit about you and your artistic practice (Please include your artist bio, let us know where we can see your work/projects and give a brief summary of anything that might be relevant to this residency – 500 words maximum).
- Tell us why you are drawn to this residency opportunity and what you will bring to this project (We are particularly keen to hear how your interests, skills and experience will support you to work collaboratively with participants and capture the imagination of people in our neighbourhood – 750 words maximum).
You do not have meet the maximum wordcount. It is designed to give you the space you need to share information.
Audio and video files are welcome as an alternative to written applications (maximum 8 minutes long).
You are welcome to apply for both of our current residency opportunities using the same application form. We have included a question on the form to clarify if you are applying for a single location or both residency opportunities. To learn more about our other residency opportunity, click here.
Contact us:
If you have any queries or would like a chat with us before applying, please contact us using the details below:
Metal Liverpool: edgehill@metalculture.com / 0151 7072277
In 2023, we are redeveloping our residency programme. If you have sugggestions for making this process more accessible, please get in touch.
Application feedback:
Metal is a small team, but we appreciate that making an application takes work, time and energy so we always try to give feedback where it is wanted.
