Guidelines for organisations considering hosting an Artist in Residence project

Cywaith Cymru . Artworks Wales is the national organisation for art in public places established to promote art in the environment through commissions, exhibitions and residencies, principally in Wales. An important aspect of our work is running the visual arts and craft residency programme for the Arts Council of Wales.

The Artist in Residence Programme offers communities and artists across Wales the opportunity of working together. We would like to encourage applications from communities, groups and organisations who have not worked with an artist before as well as those who have. There are as many examples of host organisations as there are of artists and we would particularly welcome approaches from disability groups and ethnic minorities.

Artist in Residence projects enable people in all walks of life to have access to artists and to see their work in progress at first hand, helping to clarify the ways that artists develop their work. They also offer exciting opportunities for creative participation and learning new skills. The programme includes a grant scheme, as well as an advisory service and project management. All projects are subject to the AiR guidelines.

Artists in Residence
Artists in Residence projects come about in a diversity of ways. Below we have tried to identify a number of categories, but accept that these are not definitive.

- Community residencies: artists work in a community setting ; Library, youth club, village hall/community centre etc. or with community organisations.

-Artists in schools: artists work as part of a school community, usually with particular groups or classes.

-Artists in arts venues e.g. arts centres and art galleries.

-International residencies: the artist comes from abroad to work with artists/communities in Wales.

-Artists in institutional settings e.g. hospitals, prisons, colleges, residential homes etc.

- Artists in the environment e.g. in partnerships with organisations such as the Groundwork Trust, Forest Enterprise, the National Trust, The National Parks and Local Authorities.

- Artists in the workplace.

Artists work in a wide range of media, including Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Land Art, Installation, Performance, Film, Video, Photography, New Technologies, Animation, Ceramics, Ironwork, Glass, Textiles etc.

Residencies can incorporate an element of commissioned work but these kinds of projects will be examined very carefully and awards will only be made for the non commissioned element.

An Artist in Residence Project-Checklist for potential hosts
Before you embark on the Artist in Residence (AiR) project, please consider the following questions as a group or organisation.

• Why do you want an Air project? Will it fulfill any of your aims/objectives?
• Who will benefit from it?
• What are the resources you can offer? How can you support an Air?
• Have you raised the partnership funding? If no, when will you have it?
• How will you find the artist?
• Who will manage the project?
• Are you happy about contracts, health and safety etc.?
•  Do you need advice? When do you want the project to start?
• When do you want the project to finish?
• Is there any scope for changing your timetable?
• Will you have enough funds to cover emergencies?
• What will you want at the end of the project?

Artist in Residence Projects are not:

• A way of generating additional revenue (running costs) income
• A way of funding an extra member of staff
• A cheap way of enhancing a building or space with public art

Please consider the above questions carefully before you submit an application and allow plenty of time between your application and your proposed start date. To submit an application please summarise your proposed project in a letter.
Depending on the size of your project it could take up to four months for a decision. Once your award has been confirmed you will need to allow at least 2 months to find and appoint an artist.

Awards will be made in the following way:
Projects requiring over £5,000 of CC . AW award will be assessed every four months by a panel, which will include local government representatives Projects requiring under £5,000 will be assessed by an officer group on a regular basis. Awards will only be released once CC . AW have been satisfied that the project will run as proposed or after any changes have been agreed. Awards can only be released once CC . AW has received confirmation of match funding from the host organisation.

Funding Criteria
Projects under six weeks and over one year cannot, in general, be funded. Projects may be part time. Match funding will depend on each project's circumstances but will not exceed 50%.
Funding cannot be used to match fund lottery projects or other Arts Council of Wales funded projects (this does not mean that ACW revenue clients cannot apply, but match funding for Air projects must not come from their revenue funding).
Projects must be fairly and openly advertised. Projects which deliberately exclude certain sections of society will not be funded, i.e. good equal opportunities practice must apply.