Levenshulme Old Library is recruiting an Emerging Artist as part of our Levolution! programme.
This is a paid opportunity which includes mentoring, training and an artistic commission. It is aimed at an early-stage artist aged 18+ who is interested in developing their creative practice within the local community.
The Programme
Levolution! is an exhibition we’re currently staging at the Old Library with an associated programme of activities.
In early 2013 it was announced that the public library and swimming baths in Levenshulme would be closed. This resulted in the community coming together for months of widespread protest in the form of marches, sit-ins at the library and pools, flash-mob zumba routines and other creative forms of activism.
Levolution! is an exhibition of images from those protests as well as some of the original items sourced from within the community. Together they tell the story of Levenshulme, but also the wider stories of community, solidarity, and life under the shadow of a decade of austerity.
Alongside the exhibition we are also staging a number of workshops, all of which are free for the local community to participate in.
You can find out more information here.
The Opportunity
We are using this project as an opportunity for a local Emerging Artist to develop their practice, receive a programme of training and gain valuable experience of working in a busy community arts centre.
This project is funded by Arts Council England and the successful applicant will be paid for their work supporting the Levolution! programme.
There will be a dedicated one-on-one training programme, with established local arts professionals running a total of nine sessions, covering budgeting and self employment, grants and commissions, promoting your work and more.
They will also be paid to design and deliver their own Levolution! workshop and to create a newly commissioned artwork in line with our Levolution! exhibition.
- Supporting our Levolution! programme – £750
- Workshop delivery – £100
- commission – £500
- Total: £1350
This opportunity will also see the successful applicant popping up at Levenshulme Market during the summer, giving them the opportunity to engage the local community with their work and earn some income from selling their art to the public.
The Applicant
This opportunity is open to any artist at an early stage in their career who is 18 or over. It would suit anyone looking to build a career in community arts
Any discipline will be considered.
We will prioritise applications from people who currently live, work or study in the Levenshulme area.
We are particularly interested in applications from those currently underrepresented in the arts sector, including racially diverse applicants and applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds.
The Emerging Artist placement will run from 17.04.23 and end on 18.07.23
The successful applicant will need to commit to supporting the Levolution! workshops taking place on the following dates:
- Saturday 22nd April
- Saturday 20th May
- Saturday 3rd June
The Emerging Artist will also support the wider Levolution! programme on a number of weekdays between April and July. We’re keen to be as flexible as we can in regards to the successful applicant’s availability so when precisely this will take place will decided in agreement with the Emerging Artist, but the expectation is that they will commit to a total of 36 hours (around three hours per week) during that period.
There will be additional workshops, the dates for which will be agreed in conjunction with the artists delivering the sessions, the LOL team and the Emerging Artist.
The successful applicant will also undergo an enhanced DBS check (paid for by LOL)
If you’re not sure if you’re suitable for this opportunity, Last year we ran a similar programme of mentoring and development for an Emerging Writer as a part of our Christmas ghost stories project. You can get more of a sense of the opportunity by reading more here.
The Application
Those interested in applying should please complete this form by 11:59pm on Monday 3rd April 2023.
If you have any questions please get in touch via levoldlib@levoldlib.com
