The V&A is inviting applications from experienced and established practitioners for a New Media residency in the Sackler Centre for Arts Education, the first in an exciting new programme of residencies.

We are particularly interested in UK based practitioners, who wish to work with the Museum’s spaces and use the facilities in our new Digital Studio with visitors,and who have a track record of development and regular exposure of new work.

Purpose of the Residency

The new Sackler Centre at the V&A, opening in Spring 2008, will have two studios for museum residencies which will be occupied by artists/ craftspeople/ designers/ writers/ performers/ architects/ film and video makers etc. There will be 4 residencies of 6 months ( 26 weeks ) each year. This programme is integral to the philosophy of the Sackler Centre, helping to make it a dynamic, creative space. The residency offers practitioners the opportunity to develop new work, re-assess their practice or see work in different contexts by responding to and working with the Museum’s collections and to promote greater understanding of art and design processes for the public.

The aims of the residency are to:

– Enable the selected practitioner to carry out research, develop new skills and explore new ideas towards the creation of new work in the future

– Promote greater understanding of new media production processes for the V&A’s audiences.

– Create links between the V&A’s collections and contemporary art practice.

– Develop practitioners as ‘artist educators’.

– Raise the profile of contemporary art practice with the V&A’s diverse audiences.

The residencies will include a research and developmentphase, enabling practitioners to consider new directions for their own work, work with the collections and plan a project with the public. This could include holding open studios, running workshops or master classes, giving talks and presentations or working with specific groups to produce work for display. This programme of work will be negotiated with the successful candidate and confirmed by the V&A. Any additional activities, such as involvement in the Museum’s public programme will be separately negotiated and an appropriate additional fee agreed.

The resident artist will be supported in their public projects by the V&A’s experienced Education, Access and Diversity staff. This will make a significant contribution to the artist’s own CPD and help to develop a pool of ‘artist educators’ for future museum projects.

Expectations

The focus of the residencies will be on process and on engagement with audiences. We would like to achieve a balance of benefits for the artist, the public and the V&A. Evaluation is a very important component of the residency programme since we will be piloting new approaches and the resident will be asked to contribute to this.

Residents will be expected to:

– be based in the museum for a minimum of 3 days per week

– open their studio to the public for a minimum of one weekday, two late night Fridays per month and one weekend per month (to be arranged in advance)

– display work in progress in their studio (there may also be other opportunities for display elsewhere)

– contribute to the process of dissemination on the V&A website

– provide feedback for the purposes of evaluation

Note : work produced during the residency remains the property of the maker, but the residency programme must be acknowledged in any subsequent public or press showing. Any work produced with the public as part of this residency is owned by the V&A .

Selection Criteria

The residency should be dynamic, ambitious and inspiring – pushing forward boundaries of perception about contemporary art and design. We are looking for residents who can adopt a range of different roles and who are keen to develop those aspects of their career which include using collections, engaging in public programmes and communicating about their work.

Candidates must demonstrate:

– originality, and evidence of a strong personal style in their work

– dynamic and inspiring ideas about how they would use this opportunity and how they intend to meet the aims of the Museum
Residency

– ideas for innovative ways to respond to the V&A’s collections

– an established practice, through a track record of development and regular exposure of new work through exhibitions at a regional, national and international level

– an interest in or experience of working in educational / community settings

– an ability to work and communicate with a diverse range of people

Payment

This appointment will be on an Occasional Professional Assistant (OPA) basis and, for the avoidance of doubt, there is no intention to render the Resident an employee of the V&A.

The artist will be paid approximately £7000 during their 6 month residency. This will be paid on completion of agreed work stages at the equivalent of £1083 a month (plus 8.3% rolled up holiday pay). Please note that PAYE tax and NI deductions will be applied as
appropriate.PAYE applies to this work even if you have a “schedule D” number, or are registered as self employed. The only exceptions are those persons registered as a limited company with a valid company registration number.There will be an additional budget for the following:

• equipment
• materials
• technical support
• public programmes
• documentation and evaluation

This is to be agreed in negotiation with both parties.

Use of Studio

The Studio selected for this residency is approximately 360cm x 315 cm; has plywood finished walls (painted white); has one 300 cm x 500 cm west facing window (with blackout and solar control and is on Level 1 of the Sackler Centre. It has water, power, light,wi-fi and space for display. There is both secure storage, and the capacity to lock the studio when not in use by the resident. The studios are suitable for a full range of practical work but, because of safety in the museum, this work should not require heavy processes or specialist ventilation. They can be customised with additional equipment and materials by individual artists to suit their work (to be agreed by the Museum).

To apply

Applicants should apply online at the V&A’s website at www.vam.ac.uk/jobs where you will be asked to submit a current CV and covering letter.

The covering letter should include details of how you intend to meet the New Media Residency aims. These are to :

– Enable the selected practitioner to carry out research, develop new skills, explore new ideas towards the creation of new work in the future

– Promote greater understanding of new media production processes for the V&A’s audiences.

– Create links between the V&A’s collections and contemporary art and design practice.

– Develop practitioners as ‘artist educators’.

Raise the profile of contemporary art and design practice with the V&A’s diverse audiences

In addition to submitting your application on-line, please also send 12 images of your work to us, which must be provided on CD. They must be file size 70 dpi and no larger than 9 x 12cm (portrait or landscape), 340 x 255 pixels.

Please file the twelve images in one folder on a CD, labelled with your name.

Within the folder, each image should be labelled with your name and number from 1 to 12

Digital images must be saved as JPEG files and should have the suffix .jpg . Please provide a description of each image following the outline below:

• Image 1
• Title
• Materials used
• Dimensions
• Year Made
• Description

Please send this to: Amanda Reid, HR Department, V&A, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

The selection process will be carried out by a panel of V&A representatives. Applicants will be shortlisted from the images and
supporting information and those selected will be invited for interview in early October at the V&A.

If you have any queries regarding the recruitment process, you can email us – or telephone us on 020 7942 2937.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 14 September 2007

The New Media Residency is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation