Speke Hall Makers Residency 2016 – Call for Applicants Deadline for applicants: Monday 14 March, 5pm
Speke Hall, a National Trust property in South Liverpool, is offering a two month residency for a contemporary maker between June - July 2016.This will culminate in a presentation of new work at Speke Hall in Autumn 2016.
Speke Hall is a rare Tudor timber-framed manor house in an unusual setting on the banks of the River Mersey. Restored and brought back to life in the 19th century, it is a unique and beautiful mixture of Tudor simplicity and Victorian Arts and Crafts' aesthetics.
Speke Hall is seeking a resident maker with an interest in the ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement to engage with this unique history and environment. The artist will use the residency as the basis for inspiration to develop new work in response to Speke Hall, which will offer visitors the opportunity to view the house from a new perspective.
The selected maker will be provided with accommodation on site. Archival access and curatorial support is provided by the National Trust team. UK based makers at any stage in their professional careers (not currently studying) are welcome to apply. We welcome artists working with any medium, a willingness to discuss your ideas is essential.
The selection panel includes Marie-Anne McQuay, Head of Programme, Bluecoat and Hannah Pierce, Contemporary Arts Programme Manager, National Trust alongside Speke Hall staff and advisors.
Butler Images/Andrew Trust ©National
Background information
Speke Hall was built by the devout Catholic Norris family - keen to impress visitors with the grandeur of their home and in particular the magnificent Great Hall - this building has witnessed more than 400 years of turbulent history. From the Tudor period when a secret priest hole was an essential feature, to years of neglect and decay in the 18th and 19th centuries before being dragged into the Victorian era of improvement and technology, In the late 18th Century the house was let to shipping Magnate and arts patron Frederick Leyland. Leyland was responsible hanging original Williams Morris wallpapers throughout the property before the prints found favour in
fashionable interior design circles. Hung in 1867 Daisy, Trellis and Pomegranate designs were all used at Speke Hall.
Frosh Images/Geoffrey Trust ©National
Artist James McNeill Whistler was also regularly entertained at Speke Hall and worked on several etchings of the house and nearby area. However Whistlers friendship with Leyland resulted in a long-term feud after Leyland commissioned the artist to decorate the dining room in another of his homes, ‘The Peacock Room’.
The Speke Hall Makers Residency reflects on this period of arts patronage that has shaped the character of Speke Hall, and seeks to explore the ethos of the socially idealistic Arts and Crafts Movement influence found in this outwardly traditional Tudor house.
Fees, Resources and Duration
The successful applicant will receive a fee of £2,500 which is intended to cover 2 months residency at Speke Hall and the development of a new work. There is a production budget of up to £4000 to realise this new work which will be shown at Speke Hall in Autumn 2016. Further budget is available to resource artists travel.
Accommodation is provided within the house and will comprise a small flat. Please note there is no additional studio provision.
The artist will be expected to deliver at least two events (talks, tours, workshops or community activities) at Speke Hall during the residency period.
Key Dates
Monday 14 March 2016, 5pm Deadline for applications Thursday 24 March 2016 Shortlisted artists’ interviewed at Speke Hall 30 March 2016 Applicants informed of outcome June – July 2016 Residency period Autumn 2016 Residency outcome exhibited at Speke Hall (Dates TBC)
How to Apply
If you would like to apply for the Speke Hall Makers Residency please submit the following information.
- A current CV (up to two sides of A4).
- An initial response to this brief (up to one side of A4) describing your current artistic practice, the reasons for your interest in this residency and how you would use your time at Speke Hall. A proposal for the outcome is not required at this stage but if you have a particular project in mind this information can also be included. - Documentation of your recent work. Up to 5 JPEG images of your work (each no larger than 1MB) with an accompanying list of details (title, year, materials, dimensions) of all works presented. Any film or video work should be submitted on a showreel uploaded to Vimeo or Youtube. Audio work should be uploaded to Soundcloud. Video/audio showreels should be max. 5 minutes in length.
Please send your CV, statement and documentation/weblinks to Hannah Pierce, [email protected] using the subject line ‘Speke Hall Makers Residency 2016’. *N.B Our email attachment limit is 10mb
Selection Criteria
Selection for interview will be based on the following criteria:
- The quality of your artwork and ideas. - Your reasons for applying for this fellowship and need for a period of research and development. - Your interest in working in the context of Speke Hall and willingness to discuss and share ideas.
The selection panel will include Speke Hall and National Trust staff and guest selector Marie-Anne McQuay.
Marie-Anne McQuay is Head of Programme at Bluecoat (Nov 2014 -) where she works across the visual art, performance and literature programme strands. Previously she was Curator at Spike Island, Bristol (2007-2013) developing exhibitions of new work with UK and international artists Cezary Bodzianowski, Elizabeth Price, Laure Prouvost, Craig Mulholland, Can Altay, Sean Edwards, Amanda Beech, Haroon Mirza,Uriel Orlow, Jesse Jones and Melissa Gordon. She is a visiting lecturer on a number of Fine Art and Curating courses including the Manchester Met, LJMU, Reading University and Kingston University.
Interviews will take place at Speke Hall on Thursday 24 March 2016. Those unable to travel can be interviewed by conference call. Reasonable national travel expenses to interviews can be reimbursed by National Trust on the submission of receipts.
Research Visits
Speke Hall offers free access to makers wishing to undertake a site visit for research purposes prior to submitting an application. Please contact Catherine Jackman to arrange a visit
E: [email protected] / T: 0151 427 7231
For more information on Speke Hall
Further Information
This residency is part of Trust New Art, a partnership between Arts Council England and National Trust to help connect more people to places through the contemporary arts.
Trust New Art in the North-West is managed by Hannah Pierce, Contemporary Arts Programme Manager. Five properties across the region (Acorn Bank, Speke Hall, Quarry Bank Mill, Lyme, Little Moreton Hall) will be delivering contemporary arts programmes over 2016 – 2017 through a combination of new commissions, residencies and touring work.