The British Library is seeking candidates for the freelance position of
Creative Research Fellow for the period starting Autumn 2003.
For this period we are seeking an artist/creative person with a particular
awareness of South East Asian (especially Chinese) cultures.
Full details:
The Pearson Creative Research Fellowship Programme
at the British Library
The aim is:
- To provide groups of learners with an encounter with a professional
creative person making use of the collection to inspire their learning,
through creative language and arts workshops and by writing creatively for
our website.
- To provide a high-profile individual face to our strategic emphasis on
'research skills' - to show that these skills are not about data retrieval
but about solving problems, making personal meaning from discovered sources
and communicating ideas to others in novel ways especially with words and
images.
- To expose the richness of resources in the British Library: that it holds
not just books but music, maps, art and more; that it is not just British
culture but a world of cultures.
- To approach the Library's collection displays as 'a museum of thought' and
to help us form an engaging critical framework for a deeper exploration of
our collections.
The tasks are:
- To spend substantial time freely researching the collections, recording
your research and thought paths and keeping in mind some themes that are
raised by the forthcoming major exhibitions 'Chinese Printmaking Today' and
'The Silk Road' (includes Dun Huang manuscripts). You will also need to keep
in mind the Education team's learning philosophy and the range of other
projects they are working on. These currently focus on the interpretation of
texts and images. You can find an outline on this webpage:
http://www.bl.uk/services/learning/teachers/approach.html
- Using your research above, to develop and lead two versions of a workshop
that can be repeated regularly by you for learning groups. The workshops
might include: sharing your working process, leading discussion about the
exhibitions, setting discovery & problem solving tasks, creative language
activity and helping them to make a creative product. One version will be
aimed at children aged up to 12 years, the other version for 12 years
upwards. The workshops will be 90-120 minutes, up to two per week.
- To create an inspirational web site within a zone inviting others to share
their research projects. This web page should include a 'creative research
journal' (or weblog) and examples of work including creative products by
workshop participants. The Fellow should be prepared to expose their
fallibility for example, by asking learners to help them solve problems and
interpret cultural sources they find in the Library. (There will be an
existing web architecture and technical support for you.)
- To make creative products (a book, a performance, some poems, an
installation, digital art online, a staggering viral idea...) as an outcome
of the research process adding to the body of art we use to inspire thought
and learning. The product(s) would need to reflect upon this research
process and raise questions about The British Library and 'the world's
knowledge'. These products would need to be easily shown or disseminated
(e.g. not requiring expensive installation or new equipment) so that
learners and visitors can enjoy them.
- You will also be asked to give gallery talks or presentations about your
work, to staff, to VIP guests or to local community groups.
The personal qualities we need are:
Essential - awareness of South East Asian (especially Chinese) cultures.
Ideal - awareness of some creative networks and community agencies in
London.
Essential - able to write and speak fluently in English and to a good
academic standard.
Ideal - able to communicate cultural ideas and history to a non-academic
audience. Evidence of written work and teaching experience would be
appreciated.
Essential - a passion for making culture accessible, wanting to facilitate
others to express opinions and be creative. An ability to inspire and
encourage workshop participants, especially young people.
Essential - your creative practice should be underpinned by cultural
understanding, whether historical or contemporary.
Ideal - familiarity with and enthusiasm for libraries and archives, with
research and evaluation processes built into your working practice.
Essential - You must have a strong interest in visual culture, because a key
purpose of the post for 2003-2004 is to engage learners with exhibitions.
Essential - able to live in or near London, providing proof of your own
accommodation and living expenses.
Ideal - permanently resident in London, with studio/working space if needed.
Process:
The current 'pilot Fellow' is artist and writer Rachel Lichtenstein, who
wrote 'Rodinsky's Room' with Ian Sinclair, has been a resident artist at
archives and libraries and is writing a children's novel about
Jewish-Bengali relations in the East End. Her residency is drawn out over 18
months at one day a week, so she will continue working for the British
Library on this basis until April 2004.
This post must be recruited by 5 November 2003, ready for the opening of the
'Chinese Printmaking Today' exhibition. The Fellowship would end after 'The
Silk Road' exhibition in September 2004. During the period of overlap of
Fellowships, Rachel Lichtenstein can share ideas and experiences with the
new Fellow.
Working arrangements are negotiable. The fee will be not less than £180 per
day, paid on a freelance basis so that you will be responsible for your own
tax and insurances. The Fellow must be able to work at least two days a week
over a period of 30-38 weeks between November 2003 and September 2004.
No studio is provided but there is a desk with computer. Additional
multimedia software could be provided. The Fellow may wish to spend a good
deal of time in the various reading rooms and exploring collections with
curators. There is an Education room for workshops, but this is small and
carpeted with no sink, so creative activity can take place but on a limited
scale. Much educational contact takes place exploring the building and its
exhibitions. There would be opportunities to visit local schools or
community groups, if you wished.
If you are interested:
Please send a CV and any relevant weblinks or documents that illustrate your
career and approach. The CV should include the names and full contact
details of two referees. An approach by email is preferred initially. Send
by 26 August to [log in to unmask] or to: Bridget McKenzie, Head of
Education, The British Library, 96, Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. We will
compile a shortlist and organise meetings with short-listed candidates in
the second week of September. We aim to interview and announce the
recruitment in a press release soon afterwards.
>From Pearson:
Pearson is proud to be an education company in the broadest sense of the
word. We educate, entertain and inform millions around the world every day.
Through our publishing and services, we help people live and learn. In this
capacity we are pleased to continue our long standing partnership with the
British Library. The Pearson Creative Research Fellowship is a powerful
resource for inspiring young people to live and learn and to become the
readers, writers and thinkers of tomorrow.
Tim Saward
Learning Resources Manager
The British Library
020 7412 7708
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Now exhibiting at the British Library Galleries:
Painted Labyrinth : the world of the Lindisfarne Gospels
Until 28 September 2003. Admission Free.
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