Jerwood Arts Commits £1 Million to Early-Career Artist Development Programmes

Jerwood Arts has announced £1million of funding for leading arts organisations to deliver transformative programmes tailored to what early-career artists, curators and producers need now. Against the backdrop of unprecedented challenges for the arts sector posed by the cost of living crisis, the aftermath of the pandemic, and Brexit, Jerwood Arts affirms its commitment to early-career artists through supporting over 100 outstanding opportunities across the UK over the next two years.

Twelve programmes join four announced earlier this year to create a growing portfolio of fully resourced opportunities for artists at a pivotal moment in their careers to gain new skills, experiment with their practice, and make new work. The disciplines span from digital art to printmaking, opera singing to set design, and inter/multi-disciplinary practices that reflect how artists today are defining their creative output.

The programmes will provide a mix of in-depth residencies, mentorship, commissions, and skills training as well as workshops and pathways into the artform for those just getting a foothold. This is the first wave of a portfolio that will continue to grow, with Jerwood Arts expecting to support up to 25 artist development programmes annually once the Jerwood Developing Artists Fund reaches full capacity. Grants from the Fund range from £30,000-£60,000 per year.

Of the programmes included thus far, three are with partners in Northern Ireland. Outburst Arts, Belfast, will support four queer performance makers to develop their practice from one annual festival to the next. Prime Cut, Belfast, will continue with Reveal, their professional development programme for early-career artists in theatre delivering bespoke mentorship, training and producing support. Meanwhile Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) Derry~Londonderry will provide a two-year programme for contemporary visual artists.

Jerwood Arts is expanding its national reach and artform range by working with a number of new partners to nurture innovative creative practice in all forms. HOME, Manchester, is launching a 12-month bespoke residency for four cross artform artists in the North-West to make a step change in their practice and career. Each residency will culminate in a public-facing artistic outcome either as part of PUSH Festival, HOME's biennial cross artform festival for early-career artists, or as a stand-alone event. Theatre Royal Plymouth has developed an Artists for Change programme in response to its most pressing and strategic ambitions: inclusivity and the climate emergency. It will engage two early-career artists to challenge conventional thinking in these areas, developing creative solutions for the theatre and for audiences to affect real change in the community.

The other organisations (including those announced earlier this year) are as follows:

· Another Route, national - 18-month programme of events and residencies for performance makers to internationalise their practice (already underway)

· Bradford Producing Hub - a two-year skills development programme for 12 early-career producers and production managers

· Derby Theatre - paid residencies for eight early-career producers from diverse backgrounds over two years

· Dundee Contemporary Arts - four, month-long residencies based in the Print Studio, to take place over two years

· Glyndebourne, East Sussex - career-changing support and professional development for four aspiring soloists over a full Festival season from April to August over two years

· Leeds Playhouse - two year-long paid residencies for set and costume designers based in Yorkshire

· MAYK, Bristol - a residency programme for four artists or companies working in radical live performance, taking place across two years

· Mediale, Selby - a digital artists' residency produced in collaboration with an international network of cultural partners

· New Diorama Theatre, London - a six-month programme for a cohort of 15 companies of exceptional theatre-makers to reinvigorate their process (already underway)

· Somerset House Studios, London - supporting three early-career visual artists with studio space and public outcomes over a period of 18 months (already underway)

· The Young Vic, London - a holistic programme of development opportunities including assistant roles on major productions for early-career theatre artists

Lilli Geissendorfer, Director of Jerwood Arts, said, "These 16 programmes represent some of the most imaginative, ambitious and inclusive artist development programmes in the UK. In these challenging times, early-career artists need paid and fully resourced opportunities from organisations that can support them to take the time and space to build their confidence and grow their networks more than ever. Jerwood Arts' mission to identify and nurture early-career artists, curators and producers means we are proud to back these vital programmes.

"The arts organisations we're funding are deeply committed to improving conditions for early-career artists and enabling them to establish successful, sustainable careers. We are particularly excited to be working with so many organisations new to us including Bradford Producing Hub, Dundee Contemporary Arts and Mediale, alongside reimagined programmes from the likes of the Young Vic, Leeds Playhouse and Derby Theatre that reflect what early-career artists need today. We're looking forward to evolving our portfolio over the coming years."

Kate Yedigaroff, Co-Director at MAYK, said, "This funding will enable us to support early-career artists in a distinct way that prioritises care and curiosity, removing the pressure to produce in favour of a spaciousness in which extraordinary ideas can breathe. It's about wholeheartedly backing irresistible ideas, and nurturing a diverse and non-hierarchical system to support them."

Catherine Hemelryk, Director of CCA Derry~Londonderry, said, "We are thrilled to be part of the prestigious Jerwood Developing Artists programme. This fund is vital in enabling us to build upon our previous work supporting artists and significantly expand our activity at a time of urgent need for artists in the North. We hope this fund will boost the careers not only of artists working today, but future generations too through much-needed research and development that will feed into Northern Ireland-wide strategies."

Dave Moutrey, CEO & Artistic Director at HOME, said, "We are delighted to have been awarded funding from Jerwood Arts for the very first time. This investment will enable us to step up our work with artists in the North-West and provide meaningful and flexible paid opportunities for artists to make a step change in their practice and careers."

While some programmes have already selected artists, the majority of opportunities will go live in the first three months of 2023. Jerwood Arts will announce new national partnerships for the next editions of their visual arts awards and exhibitions Jerwood Survey, Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open, and Jerwood/Photoworks Awards in early 2023.

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