Independents Biennial is Merseyside’s festival of visual art, run by Art in Liverpool C.I.C. in collaboration with the region’s biggest galleries, and it’s smallest.
They aim to deliver a programme that is useful for the artists within it, and for the audiences they reach.
This year, in their postponed 2020 edition, they’re looking for four local artists to support the programme, online, in print, and in person, working 2.5 days per week from March-June 2021.
The Artist Hosts were initially planned as paid residency positions including invigilation responsibilities in their core venue, but have been adapted to work with a new hybrid programme.
Role Description:
This call is somewhere between a temporary job description, and an artist residency. They’re hoping it provides a brief opportunity to work within an aspect of production you’d like to gain knowledge or experience of, while allowing you to work on your own practice and build connections with other local artists to potential collaboration.
You will be working 20th March – 6th June, with some training days in early March. As has become normal over the last nine months, most of this time will be remote with regular contact with Independents Biennial’s Director & Marketing Coordinator.
There are four Artist Host positions available, and between them we’re hoping to work with you as artists to support your practice, as well as developing the structure for your own role around your own skills. The four roles are broken down briefly below as guidance, but will be adapted in collaboration with the successful candidate.
Digital Editor:
- 2.5 days per week, 20th March – 6th June (from home)
- Focussing on website content, editorial content, supporting other Independents Biennial artists in blogs, video diary and content creation.
- There will also be the opportunity to show your own work, or develop new work throughout the programme.
Social Editor:
- 2.5 days per week, 20th March – 6th June (from home)
- Keeping dynamic content going through the eleven week programme.
- No previous professional experience is necessary, but familiarity with Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Discord & YouTube as a content creator are essential (or some combination of those platforms)
- There will also be the opportunity to show your own work, or develop new work throughout the programme.
Documentary x2:
- 2.5 days per week, 20th March – 6th June (from home / occasionally on site when safe)
- With this edition being so different to any previous edition of Independents Biennial, documentation is key to the programme. You will be working directly with artists, the production team and partner venues to document ongoing development of work, exhibitions and conversation.
- Confidence with a camera is essential here, preferably with some formal training/professional experience (though this could be as part of another role). An eye for, and a joy of, detail is essential.
- There will also be the opportunity to show your own work, or develop new work throughout the programme.
Person Specification:
There is no specific person specification for these roles as they are looking to recruit for four different roles, but they ask that particular attention is paid to demonstrating your relevant artistic experience in your cover letter, whether that’s during your studies, within professional practice, in curatorial roles, or in communications roles.
There are some suggested requirements in the Role Descriptions above.
Whether you’re aiming your application at documentary, social media, or production support, your key output will be communicating narratives clearly. This must be evidenced in your application in some way.
Artists at any career stage can apply, but there must be evidence of your successes in creative practice.
Application guidance:
Apply by email to patrick@artinliverpool.com with the subject line: ‘ARTIST HOST APPLICATION’
The application must include an up to date CV and cover letter. The cover letter can take alternative formats but please keep them within one page, image, or under 5 minutes for voice/video recordings.
The closing date for applications is 14th February at 11:59pm. Applications received after this time can NOT be considered.
Interviews will be held remotely via Zoom or Microsoft Teams on 18th, 19th & 22nd February.
See their website here.