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Hallo There, Just thought you might be interested to hear about the Conjunction 12: contemporary art biennial, taking place in Stoke-on-Trent in the coming months. The theme of the biennial is 'The Art of Survival' and looks set to be a fantastic programme of events and exhibitions across the city centre. There are a number of opportunities to get involved: commissions for new work for exhibition, a residency at the Potteries museum, public realm projects - plus there will be a number of events and activities happening for people to get involved in: Weekly Artist's Soup Kitchens, to discuss methods of survival for artists, workshops, and a chance to be part of Conjunction Christmas Bizarre (Micro Art fair). You can arrange a site visit if you want - this Friday, or Saturday (28th - 29th Sept.) Just drop us an email to arrange: [log in to unmask] Full details here: http://conjunction.org.uk/category/opportunities/ Forward to anyone you think needs to know about this! and sorry for any cross (or down right annoyed) postings. Best regards, Anna Francis Deadline for all commissions: Tuesday, 2nd October Project background and Theme: Conjunction 12 is a Contemporary Arts Biennial in Stoke-on-Trent. This year’s festival will be based on responses to the theme 'The Art of Survival.' Previous events happened in 2008 and 2010, held at various venues in Stoke-on-Trent, and had a wide variety of works from artists including Paul Rooney, Phil Collins, Alex Frost, Yoke and Zoom, Gayle Chong Kwan, Juneau Projects, Rinat Kotler and Victoria Lucas. The key partners in Conjunction are Staffordshire University, The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Jelly Arts and AirSpace Gallery. The project is supported by these institutions and the Arts Council England. The festival will be held in venues and outdoor spaces leading from Stoke-on-Trent train station, up to the city centre making use of existing and temporary art spaces. It is a chance to showcase and develop new contemporary artwork in a public setting, exploring the variety of ways that artists engage with the public and the world around them. In 2012 the biennial will look at ideas of survival within; the natural world, the economy, and the artworld and will consider the role of conservation, recognition of resources and grass-roots activity in creating future sustainability. We will cover the ruthless Darwinian notion of ‘survival of the fittest’ whilst also looking at the often-subjective practice of museum collecting and archiving. Our Outreach programme will specifically engage local people, communities and groups with contemporary art practices through a series of exciting participatory events and projects which explore survival in all its forms. The Commissions: AirSpace Gallery Exhibition Call We are seeking applications from artists to respond to the theme “The Art of Survival” for a significant commission to produce new works, to be exhibited in AirSpace Gallery during Conjunction 12. The Gallery project will ask artists to consider the ruthless Darwinian notion of ‘survival of the fittest’. The commission will consist of the following elements: - New Work/s in response to the theme. - Artist’s Talk or Workshop - Production of a multiple artwork for sale within the Micro Art Fair event. Commissioned Artists: Receive a budget of £1000 to cover all costs of the above plus support from AirSpace Gallery and Conjunction 12 to install, document and advertise the project. Need to complete and install the work before the 31st October 2012, and need to be available during November to deliver a talk or workshop for the visiting public (dates negotiable). Potteries Museum and Art Gallery Residency Call This opportunity is for an artist to undertake a one-week residency in the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, resulting in a responsive artwork, which is an alternative participatory reimaging of the Museum and its Collection. The artwork might be; an interactive sound-scape, a map or tour, a web-based or phone app creation, but must provide an innovative way of looking at the environment and its contents. The residency artist will have a base within AirSpace Gallery Resource Room, but will have public access to the Museum, but access to ‘behind the scenes’ may be possible on negotiation. The project/artwork will be launched during the main conjunction 12 event, on Saturday 3rd November, but will be previewed on the 2nd during the launch event. The residency will take place prior to this, during one week, negotiated in advance. This project would suit artists who are interested in museums, archiving and the conservation of artworks and artefacts, whilst considering the approach and presentation of local cultures, collections, arts, and natural history provided by the museum. Commissioned Artist: Receives a budget of £800 artist’s fee plus £250 to cover expenses and accommodation, travel etc, plus support from The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and Conjunction 12 team to install, document and advertise the project. Need to complete and install the work before the 31st October 2012, and need to be available during the biennial to deliver a talk, workshop or tour for the visiting public (dates negotiable). Pub…Lic Realm Commission Call These commissions wish to examine the ways in which artists appropriate, explore and negotiate non-arts environments. We are seeking applications from artists to respond to the theme “The Art of Survival” for a series of commissions which respond to locations around the Staffordshire University College Road campus during Conjunction 12, or in two local public houses (TBC). These public realm commissions ask artists to consider the ways that artists are able to create interruptions in public space, drawing attention to what works, or what doesn’t, making ephemeral gestures which ask the viewer to see differently, noticing and negotiating power structures and hierarchies in the way that space is used or organised, or exploring the natural relationships that happen between artists and local businesses. We wish artists to put forward proposals for interventionist artworks or even perfromances, which will have a presence throughout the biennial. Please indicate if you are interested in an outdoor site (To be negotiated on the Staffordshire University College Road site, and therefore potentially requiring weather proofing) or in a piece of work which will exist within a public house (pub) throughout the duration of Conjunction 12. Commissioned Artist Receives a budget of £400 artist fee to cover production and expenses plus additional support from the Conjunction 12 team to install, document and advertise the project. Successful applicants need to complete and install the work before the 31st October 2012 To Apply for any of the above commissions: Complete application form, send c.v. plus up to 5 images of proposed works and 5 images of previous relevant works. Download application form here: http://conjunction.org.uk/category/opportunities/ Artists wishing to organise a site visit for this or any Conjunction 12 projects on either Friday 28th or Saturday 29th September, please email to arrange. If you have any questions about these opportunities, venues or anything else, please get in touch. Send completed applications via email to: [log in to unmask] or via post to conjunction 12, c/o AirSpace Gallery, 4 Broad Street, City Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 4HL Volunteering at Conjunction 12: Volunteers make an enormous contribution to the Conjunction project, and take on a wide range of jobs and activities. This can range from helping to install artworks, gathering monitoring evidence with the public, invigilating, as well as helping to deliver workshops and helping out at events. Our volunteers have expressed how enjoyable it is to be involved in an exciting project like Conjunction, meeting new people, learning new skills as well as utilising skills that you already have. There are many ways to get involved, so please email: [log in to unmask] to express your interest in this opportunity. We can offer £10 per day to our volunteers to cover expenses.