Open Call: Wetlands artist in residence brief

Introduction:

Walthamstow Wetlands relaunched on Friday 20 October 2017 with a redeveloped visitor Centre in the old Victorian engine building. The site is a unique urban ; however the redevelopment has also created the opportunity for contemporary art interventions in different spaces across the site and we would like to celebrate the opening by launching a new contemporary art and making residency and commissioning programme, with the first residency running from beginning end-January 2018 to April 2018.

Background

About : Walthamstow Wetlands is a fully operational 211 hectare reservoir site which is the main source of water supply for 1.5 million people. The area has now been regenerated and is opening to the wider public for the first time in 150 years on Friday 20th October. The site will be openly accessible and free of charge. The locally-listed Marine Engine House, including Visitor Centre and Café, has been redesigned and redeveloped with the addition of a unique swift tower to house nesting swifts and roosting bats, whilst the Grade II-listed Coppermill Tower offers a viewing platform to enjoy sweeping views of the capital. The wildlife conservation and industrial value of Walthamstow Wetlands is truly unique in and the opening of the site now allows more people to access its natural and architectural heritage. Walthamstow Wetlands is a public, private and charity partnership between Thames Water, landowner, London Borough of Waltham Forest, grant holder, and , the conservation delivery partner. Of the £10.6m total, £4.47m is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, £1.8m from Thames Water and £1.8m from the London Borough of Waltham Forest. We also received £750k from the Authority to support the 2km cycle path through the site. About the residency:

This residency will be the start of a 3 year programme of residencies and commissions for Walthamstow Wetlands. The programme will be open to artists at any stage of their career but will involve significant engagement and physical presence on site. The selected artist will work onsite to make new site specific work and interact with activities across our programme from informal conversations with users of the café and shop, to artist led walks, workshops, schools activities, evening events and more.

This 3 month residency running from end Jan 2018 – April 2018, will centre on the theme of migration. The residency will explore migration – of birds, people and wildlife – and research the heritage and contemporary environment of the wetlands and re-present this through open studio events, workshops and site specific interventions in the Swift Tower and outdoor spaces.

The selected artist will work onsite for approximately 2 days (circa 30 days over 3 months) per week identifying areas of interest and developing new work and events. There will be an initial research focus – walking and understanding the site, meeting users, visiting archives, to understand and respond to the wildlife and people who are surround, inhabit and visit the wetlands.

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Mid-Jan 2018 – mid- April 2018 residency brief:

This residency opportunity is looking for proposals from artists of any discipline whose practice involves the following:

 Projection

 Sound

 Film/animation

 Light

 Workshops/education and outreach

What we can offer:

 Artists fee of £5,000 plus materials, equipment and events budget

 Access to desk space

 Regular curatorial and project development support

 Events management support

 Access to local archives at Vestry House Museum and William Morris Gallery

 Public engagement opportunities and marketing support

Submission and Selection:

Applicants are invited to submit their proposal before by 9am Monday 20 November 2017 on London Tenders Portal. If you don’t already have a profile, you will be required to sign up to LTP in order to submit a proposal. Before submitting your proposal, you should also read the Invitation to Tender (ITT) which sets out legal and procurement requirements as well as more detailed timeline. This can be downloaded from London Tenders Portal https://www.londontenders.org/

When applying, you will be required to submit the following information, making sure that your application is directed to the correct site on London Tenders Portal.

Please include the following information in your proposal:

1. Why have you applied to be artist in residence at Walthamstow Wetlands? (200 words)

2. Describe your artistic practice and provide details of relevant experience and previous commissions/residencies. Please provide details to links and online coverage (500 words)

3. Outline your ideas for the Walthamstow Wetlands residency and how it fits the brief? (400 words)

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We will expect proposals to incorporate some or all of the following:

 Monthly artist led events/workshops/artist led walks

 Monthly performance/open studio event per month

 A regular online/digital intervention (blog, podcast, story or other)

 Proposal for new projected, film or audio work (or similar) for the Swift Tower

 One or more interventions into the outdoor spaces

 Production of a limited edition/product for the Wetlands Shop

Insurance and other requirements:

The selected artist will be required to carry Public Liability insurance for £3,000,000 for the duration of the residency. Depending on the proposal /selected artists Employment Liability insurance to the value of £5,000,000 and £1,000,000 Professional Indemnity Insurance may be required.

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