Coventry art scheme unveiled

Artists invited to apply for residency programme.

Coventry School of Art and Design is offering practising artists free access to its studio spaces and facilities as part of a national residency programme.

Artists Access to Art Colleges (AA2A) is a nationwide scheme run in conjunction with art colleges across the country in which the participating institutions allow artists use of their amenities to pursue their creative ideas, undertake research or develop a project. Financial support towards the cost of materials, travel and formal care may also be available as part of the programme.

Coventry School of Art and Design is one of 28 institutions hosting the AA2A scheme this year, which runs from 7 October 2013 to 11 April 2014. Up to four places are available on the programme, which is open to all artists who can demonstrate that they have at least one year’s professional practice and who have not been engaged in full- or part-time study at an art college or similar institution in the last year.

In return for free access to equipment – at Coventry University this includes amongst other things printmaking materials, a jewellery workshop, digital technologies and creative software, and filmmaking kit – artists are expected to engage with students via technical demonstrations, presentations or question and answer sessions.

The benefits of the programme are therefore twofold: participating artists have the opportunity to use equipment which otherwise might not be available to them and students are given the opportunity to work alongside and learn from them during their placement.

Application packs for entrance to the scheme are available direct from Coventry School of Art and Design. Those interested in applying should contact the School’s AA2A administrator Mandy Bisla on 0247 688 7020 / 8248   or via email [email protected]. The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 6 September 2013 with all applicants being informed of the outcome by Friday 20 September 2013.

Further information about the project is available on the AA2A website http://aa2a.org/.