Open call for the Clare Thornton Memorial Residency
Artist Call
The deadline for applications is by 12pm midday on Monday 17th January, 2022.
Following the success of the first stage of the first residency with Watts and Dad, we are now inviting applications for another residency opportunity made possible by funds left by the late artist Clare Thornton and the subsequent monies raised through a successful CTMR Crowdfunder campaign.
The residency will take place between September and December 2022
It was Clare’s wish that these funds be used to support a residency opportunity in Plymouth for a mid-career artist, such as herself. The residency aims to provide the successful applicants with the time, space, funds and critical engagement to develop and begin to resolve new work. It is an opportunity to experiment with different ideas in a flexible studio setting.
The residency will take place at 37 Looe Street, which was the former home of Plymouth Arts Centre and the site for Clare’s much loved final solo show, Materials of Resistance. For us, this new residency space maintains a natural affinity to Clare, her work and her legacy. We are therefore looking for an artist who can make the most of the gallery/studio space at Looe Street.
37 Looe Street is located in the historic Barbican, in the heart of the city, and will offer a ground-floor double-fronted shop window and studio space plus a first-floor workshop/office space for the chosen artist, alongside other events and residencies being hosted there. The space is already beginning to host events for CAMP (Contemporary Art Membership Plymouth) and has an evolving programme that connects artists, writers and thinkers from across the world. 37 Looe Street is committed to supporting, producing and exhibiting creative arts that critically engage with questions of heritage, and to heritage projects that critically engage with the creative arts.
CAMP is a member-led network launched in 2019 for the creative and visual arts community in Devon and Cornwall, including artists, producers, curators and arts writers. With over 160 members, the chosen artist will also be supported by their programme of talks, crits, supper clubs and study groups to enable them to fully connect with the creative community in the city and beyond. Arts Council England has just announced a further 16 months of funding support for CAMP.
The Clare Thornton Memorial Residency is offering:
- Free, 24/7 access to a studio space at 37 Looe Street for a minimum of 25 days over the period of the residency. This may be spread over two visits, based on the successful artist’s own needs as balanced against those of 37 Looe Street
- Accomodation for the duration of the residency
- An artist fee for the residency of £2500
- A budget of up to £1650 for other expenses including materials, childcare, travel, accommodation etc.
Who can apply
The residency is open to those artists who consider themselves to be ‘mid-career’ and have an affinity to Clare’s practice. Applications are welcome from individuals working in all areas of contemporary visual and live art practice. You need to be a professional artist who has been making work for a minimum of 7 years and may be based in the UK or internationally.
How to apply for the residency in 2022
Please provide the following in your application:
- An artist statement (max. 200 words)
- A CV in pdf format with links to images and video (embedded). Please provide timecodes to specific points in video as we will only be able to view a maximum of 3 mins in this format.
- A breakdown of how you might use the funds available eg. travel, childcare, accommodation, materials etc.
- A proposal (max. 500 words) outlining how you intend to best utilise the time and funds available. We understand the time constraints and financial pressures which artists face and are therefore open to working with the successful applicant to devise a residency that is flexible and best suits their needs and desired outcomes.
To begin this process please include within your proposal:
- A plan of how and when you intend to use the space and resources
- What you intend to experiment with during the residency
- Why CTMR in particular might offer the right conditions for you and your work
Applications should be submitted by email via ctmresidency@gmail.com by midday Monday 17th January, 2022.
The selection panel includes:
Dr. Angela Piccini, Artist, Curator/Producer & Academic, Co-Director of 37 Looe Street
Emily Speed, Artist
Cheryl Jones, Director, Grand Union, Birmingham
Dane Watkins, Artist & Clare’s Husband
NB: due to being a small team we are unfortunately unable to give feedback about individual applications.
Important dates
The deadline for applications is by 12pm midday on Monday 17th January, 2022.
The successful applicant will be informed by Monday 1st February, 2022.
The residency must take place between September 2022 and December 2022.
If you require any additional information please contact Dane Watkins via ctmresidency@gmail.com
