Artist Residency Call | Bettws Lifehouse

We are seeking a creative practitioner with a background in participatory practice to take on a six-day residency in Oriel Davies’ pop-up project and event space The Kitchen, working with a group of students with autism, moderate learning needs and behavioral difficulties.

We are inviting proposals from, but not limited to, visual and digital artists, performance makers, creative writers, filmmakers, illustrators and craft specialists. Although the focus of the residency is the development and delivery of four workshops with a group of students from Bettws Lifehouse. There is also opportunity to produce a mix of artistic engagement activities for general visitors and develop creative interventions in The Kitchen project space.

This is an exciting opportunity for a versatile practitioner with proven experience working with young people with learning and behavioral difficulties and is keen to further explore their practice.

Building on the achievements of The Drawing Room in year one, The Kitchen is the next edition of Open Space, a two-year pilot project that runs alongside, and in addition to, the Gallery's existing exhibition and learning programmes. Open Space is funded by the Arts Council of Wales and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Oriel Davies – is a contemporary art gallery in the heart of Wales. Based in Newtown, Powys, Oriel Davies is the largest and most significant visual arts venue in the region and a key gallery of Wales, showing groundbreaking national and international art and craft.

Bettws Lifehouse - is a school for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties, Autistic Spectrum diagnosis and moderate learning difficulties. The Lifehouse provides a valid and realistic alternative to mainstream education and pupil referral units, for those needing something ‘a little bit different’ for up to 20 pupils aged between 9 and 19.

Residency Details

This is a six-day residency, which will take place on consecutive Tuesdays from 07 November to 12 December 2017. Although the first day will include a visit to the school, the artist will be based in The Kitchen at Oriel Davies for the remainder of the residency.

The artist will work with eight lower school pupils (aged 10 – 14). The students will be supported by five members of staff from the Art and English team during their visits to the gallery. The students involved in the project will have a range of emotional and behavioral difficulties, Autistic Spectrum diagnosis and moderate learning difficulties.

The Kitchen – is a creative social space, where art, performance, craft and film will be made, shared and inspired. Oriel Davies’ pop-up project and event space, The Kitchen will be open to visitors from 07 October 2017 to 27 January 2018, presenting a vibrant programme of workshops, activities, events and talks alongside fantastic opportunities for collaboration and community intervention.

The Kitchen is a room to relax and hang out in as well as a space for creativity. Designed as a flexible environment for a wide range of activity, The Kitchen will continuously adapt and change over the four months as visitors, artists and community groups create and share their work.