MORE THAN SPACE Aberdeen

Outer Spaces is inviting applications for Curator in Residence based in Aberdeen to contribute to our programming as part of an Aberdeen City Council Creative Funding 2022/23 award.

About OuterSpaces:

Outer Spaces offers artists, collectives and arts organisations free studio and project space in empty commercial buildings. We programme residencies and projects to help sustain andsupport artistic practice and we commission artists to engage audiences with arts practice.

COVID-19 has caused huge disruption to all our lives and work but it has also created time for reflection and change. We aim to work to reverse the decline in high streets and commercial centres by placing artists at the heart of cultural regeneration and exploring new models of artist support.

We take on vacant commercial properties on a temporary basis and use them to offer artists a unique environment where they can work in new ways and stretch their practice without any pre-prescribed outcomes. This spirit of possibility guides our programming with artists and the cultural impact we want to have in the towns and cities where we work.

Currently, our spaces in Aberdeen include a city centre office floor, a high street shop, a retail unit in a shopping centre and a whole office block in Dyce and we have new spaces becoming available all the time.

MORE THAN SPACE Aberdeen is designed to support the recovery of artists and communities in the city post-pandemic. It has the potential to kick start a brand new and alternative arts infrastructure, reaching beyond traditional gallery settings.

Our goal is to find dynamic ways to activate these unique spaces. Our aim is to provide the artists we support with space and flexible and responsive assistance designed to help them develop the active engagement and momentum required to sustain their careers.

The Curator in Residence is a pivotal role which will connect and engage new audiences with their practice.

Curator in Residence:
Outer Spaces welcomes applications from Aberdeen based freelance curators to support our programming.

The aim of the residency is to support the Aberdeen MICRO-COMMISSIONS FOR ARTISTS open call and commission 5 artists/collectives to make new work using vacant commercial property in the city.

As a pilot project, we seek to trial, refine and develop better models for artist-led initiatives to occupy and make use of empty commercial property within the heart of towns and cities across the country. This opportunity supports artists to consider how they connect with audiences, find new approaches and challenges and to contribute to their own artistic development.

The current social and economic situation invites us to reflect on the need to find new ways to reuse and reimagine urban spaces. The temporary nature of our spaces together with their contexts and former uses presents a unique opportunity for curatorial research, exchange, and discourse across the city.

MORE THAN SPACE Project Aims:

We are testing a new, alternative infrastructure for the arts in Scotland, putting art at the centre of communities and supporting artists to transform disused shops and office spaces into the beating heart of a new community focussed creative economy. We aim to support artists to develop collaborative practice, pilot new ideas and develop artist-led activity that will activate our empty commercial spaces.

The goal of the project is to raise awareness, provide visibility, and opportunity for artistic growth for participating artists. We are looking for experimentation, risk, social relevance, and artistic quality.

Contract Duration:

October - December 2022

Curator in Residence Fee:

£3,000 (based on 12 days at a day rate of £250).

The Curator in Residence will work on a freelance basis and will invoice Outer Spaces monthly.

Who can Apply?

The successful applicant should have:

a degree in fine art or an associated field

knowledge and experience of contemporary visual arts in Scotland and beyond

an understanding of the issues facing visual artists in developing their practice

demonstrable curatorial experience and commissioning

proven project management skills

proven ability to build relationships with artists

experience of community engagement and developing new audiences

How to Apply:

Please provide the following information in one PDF format (max. 5mb) document:

Maximum 500-word statement/letter of interest outlining your curatorial approach

Maximum 300-word statement outlining how the opportunity would benefit your professional development as a curator

A current CV (max. 2 pages), please include details/links of previously curated exhibitions

Two professional referees

The application should document a well-founded interest in current debates in arts and culture and a specific interest in activating temporary art spaces.

All links and images must be included in the single PDF application.

Please email your application to:

community@outerspaces.org with the subject line: Curator in Residence Aberdeen

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Midnight, Sunday 18th September