The Creatives in Residence (CIR) scheme at Leeds Arts University aims to provide a platform for recent graduates to realise their ambitions to develop and work on a specific project within a secure environment. The residency has been created to offset the initial difficulty of getting a new idea, product and practice set up. A tangible project plan, including monthly milestones and a timeline, is required and outcomes must be agreed by the receiving course area. The residency will culminate in a presentation on your final project.
The Creatives in Residence scheme is particularly suited to those graduates who are looking to set up as independent creatives for commission and freelance based work, gallery and community based projects or those actively developing a range or product for launch as a potential enterprise or exhibition.
“The residency has helped me so much in my own practice. Firstly, having a creative desk space to work from was incredible, and being back in university I really felt part of the creative community.”
Holly Greenwood, BA (Hons) Textile Design graduate and Creative in Residence
What you get from us
Successful applicants will participate in the scheme for three months. The residency is suitable if you are working part-time but not if you are working full-time. You will be provided with access to facilities and a support network that is coordinated by our Alumni Relations and Development Officer and Careers, Enterprise & Employability (CEE) team. In some cases, a small studio space may be provided.
You will not receive tuition, although you will have the chance to discuss work and projects with your fellow CIRs. Support will also be available through the careers team, including online careers workshops, careers guidance appointments and access to the career discovery feed through the Careers Portal.
During your time as a CIR you will be able to access the following:
Workshops as agreed and linked to the development of your work as outlined in your application form
A tutor assigned to have an initial meeting at the outset of the project to facilitate your reintroduction to your course community
Loan of equipment as specified in your application form and access to the computer resource room
Library access with borrowing rights
Life After University workshops and Summer Programme
Careers opportunities including online workshops
Any overdue equipment or library books will be subject to the usual student fines, as detailed in the equipment and Library Loan Policy. Please note, current students have priority on the use of studio space, workshops and the loan of equipment and books.
What we expect from you
Whilst you are a CIR it is expected that you will:
Act as a role model and engage informally with students in workshops and studio-based practice, as agreed with the host course
Share experience, practice and specialist skills.
Attend and present at the termly CIR meetings
Provide regular updates throughout the residency
Host one session with students about your practice or business and its development
Commitments and costs
You will not be charged a fee, but will be expected to cover the cost of any materials used whilst a CIR. The receiving course will expect you to realise your individual projects in full whilst engaging purposefully with external and internal audiences. If you are allocated studio/workshop space, it is expected that you would make regular use of the space provided.
If accepted onto the scheme the receiving course will monitor commitment and adherence to the agreed proposal and reserves the right to terminate the agreement if they deem it not to be working as intended.
Eligibility
The Creatives in Residence scheme is available to Leeds Arts University undergraduate alumni from the past five graduating years who have not engaged in further study, as well as to Leeds Arts University postgraduate alumni from the past five graduating years.
For undergraduate courses, applications must be within the subject discipline that you have studied, or in an area in which you are able to demonstrate relevant experience. Where places are offered, the decision as to suitability will be made by the receiving Course Leader, the Employability and Enterprise Advisor and the Alumni Relations and Development Officer.
For postgraduate CIRs, the decision as to suitability will be made by the Head of Postgraduate Studies, the Employability & Enterprise Advisor and the Alumni Relations and Development Officer.
Proposal submission
Within the submission you should address your aims and objectives with additional reference to the following points:
The course area/discipline you wish to join as a Creative in Residence
The nature of your work/practice
The project and what you wish to achieve on the Creatives in Residence scheme. Please include a timeline with monthly milestones.
The period of time that you feel you would want the Residency to run within a three-month period from 19 October 2023 to 31 May 2024.
Outline how the Creatives in Residence experience and project will engage with external and internal audiences. For example this could include a publication, exhibition, blog, networking, events or commissions.
The facilities that you are likely to require, including how you would use access to studio space if available.
How to apply
For 2023/24, all undergraduate and postgraduate course areas will be accepting applications for Creatives in Residence.
To apply, please register on our Careers Portal and complete the online application form.
Please note, it is not possible to save the form and come back to it so we recommend you download the Overview of Application Form questions so you are able to draft your answers in advance.
You will be notified of the outcome within three weeks of the submission date.
If you have any queries or require support with your application, please contact us at alumni@leeds-art.ac.uk.