Perspective(s) Posted on 19 May 2023
About the Perspective(s) programme
Perspective(s) is a new collaboration between the Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, which seeks to bring about a step change in how the visual arts and heritage sector reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of our society. Over a two-year period, creative professionals from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds will work with the museums and visual arts organisations, to platform untold stories, create artistic responses and act as an agent for change. The programme seeks to challenge current ways of thinking by engaging with communities to explore the visual arts and heritage sector through an anti-racist and decolonial lens.
The Opportunity
Apply to be part of the Perspective(s) programme here:
Deadline for applications: Sunday 18 June, 12 midnight
We want to work with you to explore alternative ways of thinking and making through approaches and practices that challenge and disrupt colonial legacies in our cultural organisations. Across National Museum Cardiff and Chapter, you’ll bring your creative practice into critical dialogue with collections, public programmes, civic spaces and communities to provoke new perspectives to question and challenge current ways of thinking within the organisations.
We see the work of decolonising as a process of dismantling inequities because ‘coloniality is not over, it’s all over’ (Walter Mignolo). Colonialism has engendered inequities that are intersectional therefore we see addressing inequities due to race, socio-economic status, gender, sexuality and disability as essential to our process of decolonisation.
You’ll be a socially and politically engaged creative practitioner working in the visual arts who’ll support change in our organisations. However, we know the work of decolonising is not a one-person job, as organisations we acknowledge that we hold a collective responsibility. Both Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Cardiff and Chapter have begun this work, our demonstrable actions are described in Amgueddfa Cymru's Charter for Decolonising, Widening Engagement Action Plan and recent Reframing Picton project and Chapter’s Anti-Racism Action Plan.
Working with staff and communities you’ll activate critical investigations with our organisations, their histories, futures and publics through a programme of activity that may include public engagement events, creative interventions, exhibitions and displays. At National Museum Cardiff you might focus on a specific aspect of the collection or an object and its interpretation. At Chapter you could consider how decolonising processes can create a more equitable arts centre for all.
Working across both organisations over a period of two years (100 days in total, 50 days at each institution), we invite you to be a partner and provocateur.
During this time, you’ll be required to contribute to the planning and evaluation process. We’ll be evaluating the programme using the six focus areas below.
Space: Decolonise public spaces, such as museum and galleries.
Community: Facilitate deeper and wider community engagement.
Learning: Use collections, displays, exhibitions and public programmes as catalysts for learning, especially in relation to colonialism, slavery, and Empire.
Creative Practitioner Development: Facilitate the development of creative professionals from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Sector Development: Develop visual arts organisations and a heritage sector in Wales that is actively anti-racist and more intersectional repeated below.
Democratise and Decolonise: Develop processes and new ways of working that are democratic and intersectional working towards an anti-racist arts and heritage sector.
In addition, you’ll be invited to contribute to and participate in networking events across the overall programme.
Person specification
This invitation is open to culturally and ethnically diverse creative practitioners based in Wales.
We define ‘culturally and ethnically diverse’ as:
- Anyone from the African, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, LatinX, Eastern European or Middle Eastern diaspora
- Anyone who identifies as being from an ethnic group that is not exclusively white
- Anyone from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
In addition, we will also support applications from culturally and ethnically diverse practitioners who face barriers due to their sexuality, social and economic background, or identify as Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent.
We define ‘creative practitioner’ as:
A visual artist, maker, curator, writer, or someone working in visual arts engagement practices within the cultural sector.
We’re looking for a creative practitioner who is:
- Critically engaged with the process of decolonising and social justice through an intersectional lens.
- Willing to take risks and be experimental in their approach to reimagining the relationships between public arts organisations and communities.
- Committed to change-making and invested in the ways creative practice can support and cultivate change.
- Experienced in building relationships, collaborations, and partnerships.
- Has demonstrable experience in meaningful engagement with marginalised communities that is grounded in locality and place.
- Values process equally to outputs and outcomes.
- Interested in experimenting with creative and innovative pedagogies that de-centre perceived ways of working.
What we offer
Money: you’ll receive £25,000 for 100 days of work (50 days in National Museum Cardiff, 50 days in Chapter) to be concluded by March 2025.
Care: In both organisations you’ll be hosted warmly and with care. You’ll be introduced to staff at all levels in the organisation to support the development and delivery of your ideas. We’ll provide regular check-ins to address pastoral needs.
Artistic/ professional development opportunity: You’ll be hosted at Chapter by our curatorial, learning and community engagement teams who’ll offer you professional development conversations and opportunities that we’ll tailor to your specific areas of research and interest. This might also include external mentoring. We acknowledge that maintaining an artistic practice involves amongst many other things, employment in jobs outside the arts, caring responsibilities, education and career breaks therefore, we’re interested in supporting and hearing from artists at all stages of their professional practice; we’ll work with you to support your needs flexibly.
Key Dates
Deadline for applications: Sunday 18 June, 12 midnight
Interviews: 27 June
First networking event: 12 July
Virtual check-in day for all Creative Practitioners: 19 July
End of programme: March 2025
How to Apply
To apply please complete the online form:
https://9pzj09kl5ar.typeform.com/to/jZyzb008
https://9pzj09kl5ar.typeform.com/to/kcy2qotJ
The form asks you to respond to the headings listed below, you’ll have options to submit your answers as written text in English or Welsh, video or sound files.
Q1) Tell us why you want to take part in the Perspectives programme?
In your answer, please address:
- Why is the process of decolonising important to you?
- Why is this partnership between Chapter and National Museum Cardiff of interest to you?
- What do you hope to gain or achieve through this opportunity? .
(500 words maximum OR 4-5 minute video or voice-note)
Q2) A summary of your practice
(400 words maximum OR 3-4 minute video or voice-note)
Q3) Please let us know your experience in working on the following:
- Anti-racist/decolonising projects
- Engaging with community groups/individuals from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds
(400 words maximum OR 3-4 minute video or voice-note)
Q4) Please attach information about up to three pieces of previous work. This can be photos, campaigns, sound pieces, videos, install shots etc.
Acess at Chapter
- The building has flat access through automatic doors and lift access to the first floor.
- There are toilet facilities on the ground and first floors including all-gender toilets. There are toilets for disabled customers on both the ground and the first floors. There’s also a Changing Places Facility (providing sufficient space and equipment for people who are not able to use the toilet independently) on the ground floor.
- The Gallery has flat access via automatic doors and the exhibitions are designed to be fully wheelchair accessible.
- There are two ground-floor cinemas and both have wheelchair spaces.
- The first-floor Seligman Theatre is accessed via a lift and there are automatic doors via flat access from the lift into the auditorium.
- There is free parking at the rear of the building with six dedicated disabled parking spaces, and a further 3 in the front car park.
- Assistance Dogs are welcome in the venue.
You can find out more here: https://www.chapter.org/visit/access/
Further Information
For an informal conversation about your application or if you have any questions please contact:
Sim Panaser, Curator, Chapter sim.panaser@chapter.org
Image: Leo Robinson & South Wales Improvisors, Water Ritual, 2023. Photo by Kirsten McTernan for Chapter 2023.
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