The latest round of a-n’s popular Re:view bursaries is now open for applications from a-n members.
Awards of £500-£1000 are available for artists to engage in artist-to-artist or curatorial critique and professional development. These self-directed mentoring awards aim to support artists in taking stock of their careers at a strategic moment in their practice.
35 artists have so far benefited from bursaries awarded over the last two years. In 2014, the bursaries supported 11 artists based in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Salisbury.
Along with two further bursary strands – Go and see and New collaborations – Re:view bursaries form part of a-n’s commitment to professional development provision, a programme that also includes information and networking sessions and seminars, online toolkits and expert guides.
Serendipitous meetings
The many artists who have so far benefited from Re:view bursaries have been writing about their experiences on a-n.co.uk.
Liverpool-based Jayne Lawless used her bursary to receive dedicated peer critique and mentoring in order to turn around and review the format of a public art project that had been halted.
Knowing that she wanted to make a film, Lawless went on a journey of encounters, seeking advice from a range of industry professionals, many of whom became involved in her project.
“As a direct result of getting the a-n Re:view bursary last year I’m now finally on the right road to making a short film,” she wrote in a blog post.
Describing an impromptu encounter at a discussion event, Lawless recounted how a serendipitous meeting led to mentorship and further support: “Early 2015 – In a nutshell, Janet Brandon has been my final mentor and has now taken the film project on itself. Her production company, Trick Films, will be overseeing the project and Gary O’Donnell will be writing the music.”
Other artists have used the bursary to pay for one-to-one tutorials with a range of art world and gallery professionals in order to develop their practice and to receive practical advice on presentation and promotion.
London-based artist Sarah West, who is based at Ridley Road Studios, met with five gallerists, curators and art writers including Gemma Lloyd of Peer and Christian Mooney of Arcade.
At the start of her Re:view process, West wrote on her a-n blog: “At this crucial stage in my career, I am excited at the prospect of being challenged by the mentors and discussing new contexts and markets for my work, some of them perhaps unpredictable or surprising.”
Applications for the current round of Re:view bursaries are being accepted up to 12 noon Monday 16 March 2015. Further information on how to apply
Also on a-n.co.uk:
Acts of Making: “Breaking down that mystery of artists and their practice” by Pippa Koszerek
