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AiR: Artist in Residence

AiR is a unique residency pilot project and employment contract for one artist to join Artsadmin from September 2023 – August 2024 for a year of deeply-embedded artistic research within our team and the local communities of East London.  

We welcome ideas rooted in any discipline that are bold, fierce, imaginative, participatory, radical and disruptive to mainstream ways of thinking & doing. 

Introduction 

We continually hear feedback from artists about the inequity between salaried arts workers and precarious freelancers that exists in the arts sector. Why is it taken as a given that artists must live a precarious freelance life, while some producers, administrators and other arts workers are entitled to a salary and benefits?  

We are interested in supporting long-term deep artistic research, building sustainable trusting relationships within the diverse communities that live and work in the Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Aldgate areas; and in supporting an artist with the kind of contract that allows them the time to develop collaborative practice and research, and allows us to form a relationship with them at the same time.  

AiR is an opportunity for a UK-based artist whose work is primarily performance-based, collaborative and live. They should have an active interest in and a curiosity about the communities local to East London, and a desire to connect with them. Their approach to working with people should be rooted in mutual respect and ethical collaboration.

The opportunity

  • Salary of £32,000 at 0.7 (3.5 days per week*) pro-rata (£22,400 pre-tax) on Artsadmin’s payroll with benefits including paid holidays, national insurance and pension contribution at 4% of your salary.
    • Salary of £22,400 (£32,000 pro rata) per year before-tax on a 0.7 FTE (3.5 days per week*) 
    • Payment, national insurance and tax administrated by Artsadmin’s payroll
    • 14 days paid holiday (20 days pro rata)  
    • Pro rata paid bank holiday entitlement  
    • Pension setup for you with contributions from Artsadmin of 4% of your salary on the basis you contribute 5% of your salary through payroll too.   
    • All other staff benefits such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, health cost reimbursement benefit, and more.  
  • A permanent desk in the Artsadmin office 
  • Access to at least 4 weeks of rehearsal studio space at Toynbee Studios to support your residency research. More will be subject to availability. 
  • Support from across the Artsadmin team, this could include:
    • Introduction to networks, groups, and individuals within local communities  
    • Access and involvement in all aspects of the Artist Support programme including advice/planning and strategic development of both your career and/or a specific project/workshops etc. 
    • Producing and fundraising support should you want to develop a project that has evolved directly out of this residency period with Artsadmin (not an expectation) 
    • The possibility of sharing work publicly at Toynbee Studios if you would like to (not an expectation) 
  • We will be excited to champion your practice and research, and be curious about your discoveries, offering dramaturgical and pastoral care support throughout your residency. 

*It need not necessarily be 3.5 days a week every week. This can vary, depending on your other work. We will pay the salary monthly, but the time commitment will be defined with you in order to honour other work/commitments that you have.  

How can I apply for AiR?

Download the full AiR callout pack, to find out more about the application process:
PDF
Plain text
Large Print
Easy Read (PDF)
Audio

Information sessions
You must attend one of the four information sessions before applying for AiR:

  • 20 March, 7pm – 8pm (Online, BSL interpreted) 
  • 26 March, 11am – 12pm (Online)  
  • 29 March, 1pm – 2pm (Online, this session is specifically holding space for Black people and members of the Global Majority)
  • 4 April, 4:30pm – 5:30pm (in person at Toynbee Studios, Artsadmin Canteen)

If you are not able to attend any of these dates, we’ll ask you to watch a recording of the session and request the link to the application portal from us. Please contact us at admin@artsadmin.co.uk to request a recording of the session. The latest that you can request a recording of the session from us is 12 noon BST on Friday 14 April.

Our application portal is now closed

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