Gasworks Residency for Early-Career Artists In South Africa Or Zimbabwe 2023

This opportunity is for an artist in the early stages of their career based in South Africa or Zimbabwe. It offers a fully funded 11-week residency at Gasworks in London from 2 October – 18 December 2023. Gasworks’ residencies are opportunities for self-led professional development, artistic exchange, and experimentation.

Gasworks programmes up to sixteen residencies each year, inviting emerging and early career international artists to work alongside a community of nine London-based peers for three months. The residencies are non-prescriptive and process-based and focus on enabling artists to research and develop new work. They are made public through open studios and events, these opportunities encourage interaction, dialogue and professional networking.

Gasworks provides significant pastoral and curatorial support throughout the residency, however artists are also expected to be proactive and self-motivated and lead the research and production of their work while in London.

About Gasworks

Established in 1994, Gasworks is a non-profit contemporary visual art organisation working at the intersection between UK and international practices and debates. We provide studios for London-based artists; commission emerging UK-based and international artists to present their first major exhibitions in the UK; and develop a highly-respected international residencies programme, which offers rare opportunities for international artists to research and develop new work in London. All programmes are accompanied by events and participatory workshops that engage audiences directly with artists an... read more

Residency

Aim and Benefits of Residency

The Residency Comprises:

• 24-hour access to a fully accessible private studio at Gasworks, alongside other visiting artists and Gasworks’ permanent studio holders
• A public Open Studio event displaying work produced during the residency at Gasworks which will take place on the tenth week of the residency.
• All visa costs covered and support during the visa application process. 
• Economy return flights from the artist’s home city to London, including 1 cabin and 1 hold luggage
• Single room accommodation within Gasworks’ Residency House (a 2-story house, shared with 3 other artists-in-residence), with share of the communal bathrooms and kitchen
• A weekly stipend of £150 for living expenses
• A materials budget of £800
• Access to Gasworks’ tools and AV equipment, subject to availability
• A prepaid travel card (TFL zones 1+2) for unlimited travel within central London for the duration of the residency
• Administrative, pastoral and curatorial support from Gasworks (during office hours, Monday-Friday, 9:30am-6pm)
• A dedicated residency page on Gasworks’ website
• A short video interview and presentation in advance of the Open Studio to introduce the artists’ work. The video will be permanently added to the residency page on Gasworks’ website
• At least 2 individual studio visits with curators and arts professionals (meetings will be in person however on occasions and when relevant they will also happen virtually)
• Opportunities to meet with other artists, arts professionals, patrons and collectors through at least 2 organised lunches and/or dinners
• At the end of the 11 weeks a written report will be required summarising the artist’s experiences during the residency, a template will be provided

Requirements for Residency Qualification

This residency is open to contemporary visual artists working across all disciplines, who currently live and work in East and Southern Africa. Applicants that currently reside outside of these countries are not eligible for this opportunity, and aspiring artists producing high quality work who have not had the opportunity to work in London before will be prioritised. While we welcome applications from all disciplines, it is also important to note Gasworks’ restricted facilities. Applicants should have at least a moderate level of spoken English and should feel comfortable engaging in artistic discussions in English. It is important that all applicants research Gasworks thoroughly before submitting their application so as to be fully aware of the context which they would, if successful, be entering.

The selected artist should be able to engage discursively and speculatively with Gasworks’ environment and London’s wider artistic and cultural context. With this in mind, applicants should submit a project proposal within their application, outlining their specific research interests and intentions for the residency. Those who fail to submit a considered proposal that is specific to this residency and the London context will be disqualified.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds. Gasworks’ building is fully accessible, and arrangements could be made to provide fully accessible accommodation if necessary. Due to limited resources and facilities, we are unable to offer residencies to artistic duos or collectives. The funds available for each residency and room in our shared accommodation are for one person only. Similarly, we are unable to accommodate partners or children in the accommodation due to limited space, although artists requiring such accompaniment may still apply if they are able to arrange their own accommodation. We welcome enquiries and are open to discussing ways in which our residency programme can be adapted to cater to all artists’ needs. For any question about access requirements and facilities, please contact [email protected].

Interview date, Process and Venue for Residency

Selection

The artist will be selected based on their application. Gasworks will establish a selection panel to ensure a wide perspective on and in-depth knowledge of the contemporary art scene in the UK and Africa. It will include representatives from Gasworks as well as external advisors. Please note that only the successful artist will be notified by 5 June 2023. Due to the expected high number of applications, we are unable to respond individually or provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.   

Application Deadline

How to Apply

We accept digital applications only. Please use the online application form in the opportunity page on Gasworks’ website, here. Your application should include the following in ONE PDF file only:

1. A cover sheet with your legal name, home or contact address, e-mail, and telephone numbers, plus confirmation that you will be available from 2 October – 18 December 2023, if selected. If applicable, please include any relevant social media handles and a link to your website.

Please note: this information is used in official documents so artists who work under alternative names should provide both their preferred name and their legal name as written on official documents, please ensure all the required information is included in the contact sheet.

1. An artist’s statement describing your practice and areas of interest (max. 250 words)
2. A simple statement outlining your plans, if you were to be offered the residency, which could include a short description of a research project specific to the context of London or your residency at Gasworks. This proposal is not definitive and can change throughout the residency (max. 250 words).
3. Between 10 – 20 images or video/sound extracts of recent work, with captions and a short description if necessary (max. 100 words per artwork).
4. A CV/Resume
5. Any relevant documentation (e.g., selected articles or papers about work, exhibitions, publications).

Please note that there is a 10MB limit on pdf submissions. If your file is not in pdf format or is over 10MB you will not be able to submit it.

If you prefer to supply alternatives to text you can provide us with:

• A 6-minute video or 6-minute sound file in which you discuss points 1 and 4

For more details, visit Gasworks website.