Open Eye Gallery and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announce a call for entries to Liverpool City Region Photo Awards 2023!

The competition is open to anyone living in the city region. Free online submission started 10 November 2022 and closes 2 January 2023. Winners’ works will be a part of the Liverpool City Region Photo Awards 2023 exhibition.

Liverpool City Region is a place for photographers – the varied landscapes and vibrant communities have led to images that have inspired visitors and locals alike. Historically, the city region has nurtured more than its fair share of internationally significant photographers, something that continues today – it’s the reason Open Eye Gallery is based in the region.

The photography world is now shining a spotlight on the city region as they host the Sony World Photography Award Winners 2022 . From the 11th November – 22 December Open Eye Gallery will be expecting record visitor numbers. Then in January they are proud to host a solo exhibition of the photographer that was the overall winner of the Sony World Photography Award during Lockdown in 2021, selected from entries from 72 countries – the city region’s own – Craig Easton.

Over the last few years, more than ever before, people have shared their lives through photography on social media. We all know the power of a photograph: to bring us nearer to things we miss (or might have missed), to communicate beyond language, and connect instantly. Now Open Eye Gallery and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are supporting the awards to celebrate the culture, creativity and vibrancy across the city region — they want to make some noise about the talent living right here.

What winners receive

• Showing as part of Liverpool City Region Photo Awards 2023 exhibition across multiple venues
• £1,600 in cash prizes
• Stay and breakfast at INNSiDE x2
• Free memberships at dot-art Darkroom
• Darkroom materials from Harman Technology

dot-art also offer free half-day dark room taster sessions. A taster session is an introduction into the processes of creating prints from negatives and provides an opportunity to get to know the equipment and language: email gallery@dot-art.com to apply for a free place. The dot-art team will also be leading weekly Darkroom tours throughout the competition live dates for those interested in joining the Darkroom or a Taster Session. Email gallery@dot-art.com for available dates.

8 CATEGORIES + 3 SUB-CATEGORIES

How do I submit?

Everyone living in the Liverpool City region (including Knowsley) can submit 3-5 images in one chosen category. The images don’t have to be new: you can use your archives! There are 8 categories, and you can read the description of each category here.

To submit, create a profile here on Picter: you will be then guided through the submission process with all the technical requirements. In the description of the project be sure to mention whether your image was made on mobile device or on film: it will enter you in Mobile or Analogue subcategory with a chance of winning additional prizes. You can also enter the Youth subcategory if you are younger than 16.

Subcategories

Mobile

The best camera is the one you have to hand. People are recording their day-to-day online and even completing whole fashion shoots with their phone. There’s a real talent to working with the limitations of mobile phones / tablets and we want to share what is capable. Make sure to let us know in the project description that your image is made with a mobile / tablet device so that your work can be entered into this subcategory.

• The categories ‘Mobile’, ‘Youth (U16s)’ and ‘Analogue’ are an extension of your submission to one other category, there will be an award for the each category and an award for both Mobile and Youth (U16s) categories.

Youth (U16s)

We want to see work from tomorrow’s photographers today. Make sure to let us know in the project description if you are under 16 so that your work can be entered into this subcategory.

• The categories ‘Mobile’, ‘Youth (U16s)’ and ‘Analogue’ are an extension of your submission to one other category, there will be an award for the each category and an additional award for Mobile, Youth (U16s) and Analogue categories.

Analogue

Celebrating celluloid and those taking the time to make slower images. Make sure to let us know in the project description if your work is taken using more traditional means so that your work can be entered into this subcategory.

• The categories ‘Mobile’, ‘Youth (U16s)’ and ‘Analogue’ are an extension of your submission to one other category, there will be an award for each category and an additional award for Mobile, Youth (U16s) and Analogue categories.

People working freelance across the Liverpool City Region’s vast creative industry are being asked to take part in a national survey to obtain a clear understanding of the challenges they face in a bid to improve working conditions.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is one of nine Combined Authorities across the UK reaching out to creative communities. Creative UK which is behind the Redesigning Freelancing survey, wants to understand the obstacles freelancers face locally as well as nationally to build greater equality into our freelance workforce.

According to The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); just under one third (32%) of the creative workforce is freelance, compared to 16% across the UK generally.

The Combined Authority and other leading creative organisations such as Sky, British Film Institute (BFI), The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE), Freelancer Club, Scottish Ballet, March for the Arts and many others are backing the survey, which aims to shape industry standards, drive change and futureproof all parts of the work environment for freelancers across the sector to create greater long-term value and sustainability into the freelance ecology.

To take the survey click here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5YL28NT?utm_campaign=Redesigning%20Freelancing%202022-23&utm_source=partner

The Redesigning freelancing survey is open until 9 January 2023.

Do this year’s heat waves worry you? Will you have to choose between heating and eating this winter? Is your job or business in danger because of spiralling energy bills? And are 100 new licences for drilling in the North Sea the right answer to that?

We live in an oil machine and we are running out of time.

The film THE OIL MACHINE shows how much we depend on oil and gas, and why that needs to change.

Now, After THE OIL MACHINE, let’s engage others in the discussion about how we transition away from an oil-based economy. If you’ve just watched the film, or are curious to find out more, here are some ways to get involved.

Sparking discussions after watching the film

Every screening of THE OIL MACHINE can kick off a discussion in your community on how the North Sea plays a role in determining our future.

FIND A SCREENING

No matter if you’re an oil worker or a climate activist, an investor or an educator, a scientist or a politician – they’d love to hear from you if you can be part of the discussion at one of our screenings.

SPEAK AT A SCREENING

They also make it very easy for you to host your own event.

HOST A SCREENING

What’s been happening since filming THE OIL MACHINE

The issues raised in the film have become even more urgent with recent upheavals in energy security, the cost of living, and our climate. At the same time, the new UK government is rushing to put out 100 new licences for North Sea oil and gas exploration. One year on from the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, they’re now going back to the film’s contributors to ask them how recent global events have shaped the ongoing debate about oil.

WATCH CATCH-UP INTERVIEWS

What needs to come after the oil machine

We have to act now and make sweeping changes that move our societies away from dependence on fossil fuels. What will you do to help? What are your demands from those in power? They’re asking the film’s contributors to share their ideas to get you started.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Stay in touch

They’d like to keep you in the loop about

• events that happen in your proximity or online,
• the general availability of the film,
  
• opportunities to promote events and campaign content,
• useful information for event hosts,
• and what we’re up to next.

Entering your location enables them to keep things relevant to you, and helps us make sure they’re reaching audiences all across the country. See here to sign-up

Closing date – 04 December 2022
Department: Visitor Experience
Locations: Office / Factory International
Yearly salary: £25,000 – £28,000
Fixed-term contract until end Aug 23

They couldn’t run Manchester International Festival without the dedication, energy and enthusiasm of our amazing volunteers. Some 440 volunteers got involved in MIF21, their last festival, doing everything from helping out with preparations to greeting the public at their events. Their Volunteer Coordinator is critical to the smooth running of this programme.

Help them ensure that the volunteer programme is inclusive and accessible, and that volunteers have a fantastic experience for MIF23!

Their Volunteer Coordinator will lead on key aspects of volunteer recruitment, training and induction, and support for volunteers taking part in the 2023 Manchester International Festival. They will ensure that the volunteer programme is inclusive and accessible, and that volunteers have a fantastic experience at all points that they interact with them.

This is a key post within the MIF Volunteering Team and the post holder will deputise for the Volunteer Manager as required. This role will involve a significant amount of evening and weekend working – particularly during May, June, and July, to facilitate the delivery of the programme. It is likely that this role will involve working additional hours, particularly during the Festival, which can then be taken back on a flexible basis.

For further information and to apply please visit:
https://recruitment.factoryinternational.org/jobs/2221377-volunteer-coordinator

Touchstones Rochdale is excited to present a new exhibition, A Tall Order! – Rochdale in the 1980s (4 February – 7 May 2023).

In the 1980s, Touchstones was known as Rochdale Art Gallery. Its daring and innovative approach to exhibition and education programming positioned it on the national map. Led by Exhibition Officer, Jill Morgan, the focus on exhibiting artists engaged in critical and socio-political practice gave a platform to those who were not being offered the opportunity to show their work in other high profile institutions.

A Tall Order! is an invigorating look at the artwork made and exhibited here during the 1980s by a generation of artists, many of whom were women, young, working class and Black.

Please read more about the project here.

Who they are looking for?

They are seeking a freelance creative/artist to develop and create content relating to our forthcoming exhibition. The selected artist will produce an educational resource for children, young people and their families that encourages visitors to get involved in a variety of self-guided creative activities in our gallery spaces.

The resource will include four artist profiles including information related to key artworks featured in the exhibition and four paper activity sheets. The creative resource must be engaging, imaginative and should take an informal approach to learning.

Fee

£1000.00 inclusive of five full days of research and development, meetings, and content creation between December 2022 – February 2023.

Read more here about the criteria and how to apply.

Closing date: Monday 5th December 2022 23.59 GMT. Zoom interviews will take place on 12th December 2022.

Do you know a 5-7 year old who loves to play and perform?

Storyhouse Youth Theatre 5-7 group have fun, inclusive sessions where they are immersed in stories and places to explore communities and experiences from around the world, discovering responsibilities and opportunities. They play through drawing, building, designing and making to create sensory and immersive worlds.

They explore these worlds using movement and sounds to bring the worlds to life and experiment with set design and props; making models, backdrops and dens, giving them an introduction to theatre making.

When and where is it?

Youth Theatre 5-7s meet at Storyhouse on Saturday mornings (9.30am-11am) or Tuesday evenings (4.30pm-6pm).

What does it cost?

Term fees are: £120 full fee
£90 for families on low income (below £15,000)
£45 for families in receipt of means-tested benefits.
(This can be paid in instalments if required.) They also have fully funded places available.

Find out more and sign-up here

Have you ever fancied treading the boards? Why not head along and join the friendliest theatre group on Merseyside?!

The Waterloo and Crosby Theatre Company’s production of School of Rock will be performed 12-16 July 2023. They are seeking adult males and females aged over 18 for this production and for children aged 12-16 who can play as follows:

Zak – Electric Guitar
Freddie – Drums
Katie – Bass
Lawrence – Piano/Keyboard

The company also need adults, especially male, who can play:

Dewey – Acoustic and electric guitar and the No Vacancy Band.

There will be a number of read throughs every Monday, Wednesday and Sunday evening from 4 January to 5 February to prepare for auditions.

Monday evenings at St Luke’s church hall, Liverpool Road, Crosby from 7pm – 9pm.

Wednesday evenings from 7pm and Sunday afternoons 1pm at United Reform Church, Eshe Road, Crosby.

Auditions will be held from 5 February onwards.

To get involved, contact: Nicci Henshaw, nicci.henshawwctc@gmail.com

Established in 2019, our Curator-in-Residence programme invites Curators, based in the UK or beyond, to develop a major exhibition and a public programme of events that engage with our diverse audiences: both in Liverpool and internationally. Over the next three years, our annual Curator-in-Residence will be funded by the John Ellerman Foundation, allowing us to continue to champion new visions and voices within the arts.

For the first year of this opportunity, we are seeking a Curator to collaborate with us on our 2023/2024 programme, which focuses on Technologies of Togetherness. Technologies of Togetherness explores the possibilities of new forms of collective existence, reconciling the realities of our individuality and the spaces and structures we exist within, to allow us to move within and beyond those boundaries.

WHAT TO EXPECT

This hybrid residency will be based between on-site working at FACT and independent research and development working remotely. It runs from December 2022 for 9 months, culminating in FACT’s Autumn/Winter exhibition, due to open in October 2023. FACT will support the Curator’s vision and practice, seeking to bring in new references or perspectives, and disrupting our usual ways of working.

During the residency, the curator will work closely with our team to develop their exhibition and public programme and share their work locally, regionally and nationally. They will also integrate into our Studio/Lab programme, engaging with researchers and early to mid-career artists or curators through mentoring and informal sharing sessions. The residency will allow for remote working but should include multiple extended stays in Liverpool during development, production, installation and the exhibition run.

ELIGIBILITY

• This role is open to curators from any background or discipline – although the role is curatorial, we are keen to open this out to people who may not have a formal curatorial practice but are able to create connections, construct narratives and work with us to invite audiences into an artistic experience.
• Applicants should be interested in the overlapping fields of art and technology, approaching this from a critical and/or social perspective.
• Applicants should be mid-career (3-5 years experience), having worked on the delivery of some large-scale projects in their chosen specialism or field of research.
• Flexible and collaborative: someone with experience of working as part of a large team, organisation or on a project with many stakeholders.
• Clear vision and ability to communicate this to a wide range of audiences.
• Committed to Equality, Diversity, Access and Inclusion both in their programming and their approach to working with artists, colleagues and participants.
• Applicants can be from anywhere in the world but must be willing to spend a significant amount of time in the UK and have the same travel budget as indicated in this advert.
• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK, as FACT cannot currently support visa applications.

DELIVERABLES & EXPECTATIONS

• To take part in a flexible, hybrid residency lasting approx. 9 months with around 30% of time spent on-site in Liverpool.
• To become embedded in the organisation, and in Liverpool, forming connections between their curatorial approach and the work we’re already undertaking as well as locating their work within FACT’s specific context.
• To curate and deliver an ambitious, audience-focused presentation of 2/3 artists or a collective (either a new commission or significant restaging) to take over our Ground Floor which includes the Lower Gallery, the Foyer Gallery, and Public Spaces.
• Work with the Exhibitions team to collaboratively manage the Exhibition and Public Programme budgets.
• To design and take part in a public programme that expands the scope of the exhibition and is focused on audience interaction and engagement, rather than interpretation and explanation through events.
• To propose and develop ways to utilise online platforms to disseminate and create critical artworks, or artistic experiences for our entirely digital audiences: either through the new commissions or events programme.
• To take part in the Practice Development Programme of our new experimental production space, Studio/Lab. This will include acting as a mentor (as planned and assisted by the Studio/Lab Manager) for the Research Curator, Curatorial Intern and Studio/Lab Artists in Residence.

BENEFITS / RESOURCES

• £10,500 Fee / £2,500 Travel and accommodation / £500 Research Budget.
• A workspace in Liverpool along with any basic technical equipment required.
• The team will help to realise the curator’s vision for the Winter exhibition, and also nurture the curator’s developing practice: how they work with artists, institutions and audiences.
• This support also includes insights from across the whole organisation, with opportunities to work with or alongside teams focused on participation, fundraising, communications, technical design and visitor services.
• Access to a wide network of artists, curators and research through our Programme and through Studio/Lab, where they have the opportunity to work alongside other residents and become embedded in the organisation.
• Access to Liverpool partners, from academic institutions to creative technology labs and other arts organisations.
• A space to experiment – working directly with the team’s knowledge of our audiences, and our eagerness to try out new approaches to develop and test out curatorial practice in a way not possible in some other gallery spaces.

HOW TO APPLY

FACT is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds. To apply, please complete the following two forms.

Please submit a current CV or portfolio (this can be a link to your website) along with a proposal. The proposal must be no longer than five pages, or if you would like to submit a video or audio file, no longer than 5 minutes. Photographs and floorplans of FACT’s galleries are available upon request.

1. Application Form
   1. Please upload your CV/Portfolio and Proposal
   2. Please label the attached files as: Your Name_CV and Your Name_Proposal
2. Confidential Equal Opportunities Survey

Closing date: Sunday 4 December 2022, 23:59.

Interviews will take place week commencing 12 December 2022.

If you require access support for your application, or have any queries, please email us at residency@fact.co.uk or call FACT on 0151 707 4444.

In 2015 Gateacre School in created ‘The BIG Little Library by Gateacre School’ based in Belle Vale Shopping Centre. It’s a gathering place where the community can share their favourite literature and stories.

They created a shop full of books, which have been donated by local residents, businesses, students and the wider community and they then give them away for free.

Since opening they have welcomed over 100,000 customers and given away over 140,000 books. Even when we were closed for the first national lockdown we delivered over 5000 books to foodbanks and children’s centre across Liverpool. Our customers range from our own students, local primary schools, shoppers, residents and the wider community, with many people making specific journeys just to visit us.

They’ve welcomed over 1500 primary school children as part of our free literacy workshops and hold regular events, plus shared reading groups and a very popular knit and natter group.

For the last 5 years they have held a Christmas Book Flood, which is a day when they give away brand new books for free, along with some chocolate, inspired by the Icelandic tradition ‘Jolabokaflod.’

They will be holding this year’s Flood on Saturday 3^rd December.

If you can donate a book, please contact Lisa Mitchell via their Facebook page here

During The Royal Standard’s annual Christmas fundraiser, they will be auctioning off a selection of works from their studio artists and the wider local artistic community at a one day event, to raise funds and to help support local artists and The Royal Standard.

Merseyside artists are invited to submit artworks to be sold in the two auctions they’ll have going on. Artists have the option to submit a maximum of 5x artworks for the main auction and a maximum of 3x artwork for the silent auction.

Please consider the artworks to be submitted as these pieces will have starting bids of £5 – £15 for the main auction and £30 – £50 for the silent auction, so they would recommend smaller works or prints for the main auction and larger works and originals for the silent auction.

The profit from each artwork sold will be split 50-50 between The Royal Standard and the artist. They can accept any and all physical work (paintings, prints, small sculptures, etc.) but will be unable to accept any digital pieces, and all donated work will need to be at TRS before the day in order to be displayed & auctioned off at the event.

They will need a short bio (max two sentences), and the title, dimensions, and starting bid* of your work, along with an image of the work to be used for marketing purposes, to be emailed over as soon as possible.(* Starting bid prices are £5-15 for the main auction, and £30-50 for the silent auction.)

Please send all submissions to elizabethchallinor@the-royal-standard.co.uk, with the subject “TRS Christmas Auction Submission”. From there, they will provide you with further details about dates for dropping off your work for the auction, and the event in general.