http://www.nts.org.uk/Learn/virtual_smails.php http://www.nts.org.uk/ScotlandsStories/PrintersTale/ http://www.nts.org.uk/Learn/schools_resource_packs.php.
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FUTURE/PAST 2016: Celebrating 150 Years of Robert Smail’s Printing Works
Introduction and call to Interested Artists/Designers/Printmakers th
Robert Smail’s Printing Works, in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, is to mark the 150 year of Smail’s as a working jobbing letterpress printers. It intends to celebrate the past and launch the future and next 150 years of this nationally significant heritage Print Works with a project entitled ‘Future/Past’. The project will be the first Artist in Residency held at the property. Having produced work for artists, designers and printmakers, Smail’s would now like to explore a more collaborative approach with artist/designer/printmakers through this residency: with the heritage of Smail’s itself becoming the focus and inspiration for the project.
We would like to invite interested artists to submit their application proposal for the Smail’s Future/Past Residency to run between Autumn 2015 and Spring 2016. Applicants will be expected to be a professional artist, designer and/or printmaker, have some practical knowledge and experience of the process of letterpress printing and a willing ability to work collaboratively with the Smail’s team and local communities to produce work which can form part of an exhibition to celebrate the 150 year anniversary.
The precise dates for the residency will be negotiated with the successful artist, taking into account the visitor season and ongoing work schedule and conservation plans of the Printing Works. Smail’s is open to the public throughout the summer until the end of October and operates as a working printers all year around. The ‘closed season’ also accommodates the conservation cleaning programme and educational workshops etc. To manage property constraints and facilitate the working practice a separate studio/workshop space at Deuchar Mill can be offered for the development of ideas and work in progress.
Historical/Background Robert Smail’s Printing Works was established in the town of Innerleithen in 1866. The jobbing printing business was run by three generations of the Smail family for 120 years until it was purchased by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) in 1986. The property was restored and opened to the public in June 1990 and has subsequently become a major visitor attraction in the town: the very well received hands on tour brings in around 3500 visitors per year. Smail’s is unique within the United Kingdom as the only letterpress printing works operating in its original building and still using its original equipment. Nationally it is one of the few places keeping traditional letterpress skills alive. The Works has a superb archive, including 52 guardbooks which catalogue every job printed here for nearly 100 years. The story of Smail’s covers printing, aspects of the industrialisation of Scotland and even emigration - as catalogued in the archive of the shipping agency run by middle generation Robert Cowan Smail. Appealing to a renewed interest in our industrial heritage, the vision and foresight
displayed by the NTS in saving this working Print Works for the nation is a fantastic success story, and 2016 sees us in the wonderful position of celebrating 150 years of existence. www.nts.org.uk/smails www.nts.org.uk/smailsarchive http://www.nts.org.uk/Learn/virtual_smails.php http://www.nts.org.uk/ScotlandsStories/PrintersTale/ http://www.nts.org.uk/Learn/schools_resource_packs.php
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Residency/Intention We intend this Residency project to be an opportunity to celebrate Smail’s past whilst strengthening its relevance to the future.
!The project offers a unique opportunity for the successful resident artist to
become rooted within this very special National Trust for Scotland property, and show case and celebrate Smail’s Printing Works. To creatively develop a way of exploring and making that enables the resident artist produce high quality work through gaining unique access to Smail’s working archive, equipment and invaluable print expertise. An expectation of the residency is that the main body of work created will have a strong letterpress printed element and as such must be considered within the limitations of the type, ornament and press availability at the property. The actual printing on original machines will be carried out by our Printer with instruction from the artist. Help and support from the Compositor and Printer will be available as needed but it is expected that the artist will have a good understanding and some previous experience of the letterpress process.
One of our aims for this residency is that it will provide a framework for future opportunities. By exploring the creative potential of Smail’s we plan to build on the experience for future projects. Marking a departure from the traditional role and scope of Smail’s past we seek, through artistic dialogue, to build a framework for more creative and innovative engagement with the Printing Works. The use of the archive and collections is encouraged to reveal the potential for a more exciting and viable use of the property in its future. As part of the programme we would expect a minimum of two sets of workshops (with 3 sessions for each) for appropriate staff, volunteer and community groups to be undertaken during the course of the residency. The intention is that these workshops would produce creative work that could sit alongside or in proximity to the main body of work created by the artist.
!Project Brief
Artists, Designers and/or Printmakers with an understanding and some practical experience of letterpress printing are invited to submit proposals to undertake the Future/Past residency at Robert Smail’s Printing Works between September 2015 and April 2016. The outcome of the residency will be work/s that is/are inspired by Robert Smail’s and its collections and must contain elements originated at Smail’s and that can be printed at Robert Smail’s on the traditional presses. The work will form part of an exhibition to launch the celebrations for the 150 Years Anniversary.
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Expected Outcomes Robert Smail’s Printing Works is looking to expand its visibility via this project as a place to visit, to learn, to commission print and to create. It aspires to be a centre for letterpress excellence that will enthuse and inspire the next generation of letterpress printers ensuring that it remains working for future generations.
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The artist will produce new work that should be firmly based in response to the place, collections and archive with a tangible letterpress printed element to the outcome
!The work should be suitable to be exhibited as part of an exhibition to celebrate 150 years of Smail’s as a working printers and could be either ! o A one off piece (that would be later installed as part of the interpretation of the proposed new extension building at the property) with elements or additional pieces that could be re-produced as a limited edition and sold in support of the property
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Work that can be produced to generate revenue for the property within the budgeted fee that can be re-produced and/or exhibited and sold in support of the property
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The artist will produce new work that will be exhibited as part of the property’s 150 years celebrations
!The artist will run two separate sets of workshops (3 sessions for each workshop) for
groups as part to engage a wider audience outreach outcomes of the project !The artistcommunity will run two separate sets of workshops for community groups as part of the outreach and engagement activity for the project. !The workshop for each group will consist of three sessions:
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1) Briefing and introduction 2) Developing ideas 3) Printing •
The artist will give relevant talks and provide appropriate publicity material to introduce, update and explain their practice and the process as part of the promotion of this project and the 150 years of Smail’s. The talks will be arranged by the property and be held locally in Innerleithen and in Edinburgh as part of the 150 years exhibition
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The residency offers the artist an opportunity to spend time at Robert Smail’s Printing Works
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!Understand the potential for engagement with the community of staff, volunteers and visitors alongside the creative opportunities the property offers !Gain hands on experience and rare access to traditional equipment to develop new work
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Enhance traditional skills to interpret letterpress in a contemporary way
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To explore the buildings, absorb its history, research the archive and its current and future context as a site of education, recreation and conservation
!Artist’s Own Work ! • 60% of the time will be allocated to the development of your own work and we will work with you to arrange the scheduling of this time to suit your preference where practicable. This will also include the time needed for production and installation of the final piece/s of work. •
!The remaining 40% is for community interaction including preparation and evaluation
time for at least two participatory workshops (3 sessions for each workshop) during the residency period (plus travel time where applicable). Ideally one workshop would involve a small group from the local Peebles High School and the other would work with existing and previous staff and volunteers at Robert Smail’s.
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Facilities: The equipment and facilities of Smail’s will be made available and the provision of external workshop space can be provided.
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!The property is small with no current designated workshop space. The residency is due to run over the property’s closed season and so access to the Caseroom and Machine Room etc. is available but not exclusive as the Compositor and Printer will be continuing the jobbing printing at the same time. To compensate for this a workshop space at Deuchar Mill (12 miles away in the Yarrow Valley) can be made available for artists to develop their own work away from the property. The workshop has a working Vandercook proofing press and typesetting equipment for use. There is also accommodation available here if required.
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Mill !Please note that both the Printing Works and Deuchar Mill have stair only accessDeuchar to certain areas.
The potential content and scope of the education workshops provided by the artist as part of this residency should be outlined as part of the proposal and dependant on content and scale will be held within the property or at an appropriate site nearby (this will be organised in conjunction with the property).
!Support and Administration
The Project Manager will be Gen Harrison, Property Manager/Compositor There will be no specific administration support available but technical support from the Compositor (Caseroom), Printer and Apprentice (Machine Room) and Senior Assistant (Archive Research/Conservation) will be available, as will Interpretation support with exhibition and interpretation from the NTS Learning Dept staff.
!Accommodation
As with workshop space there is no accommodation available at the property but accommodation is possible at Deuchar Mill. Please indicate if this would be a requirement in your application.
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!Hospitality You will be given relevant contact numbers for key property staff for any problems that arise during your stay. The immediate contact will be Gen Harrison, Property Manager/Compositor.
!Timescale
Ideally the residency will take place over a 12 week period between September 2015 and April 2016 with workshops and work completed prior to the end of February to allow for exhibition preparation etc. A minimum commitment of approximately 45 working days will be expected for this residency. Some weekend/evening work may be required and some time must be allocated in March for helping develop the exhibition and then to give a talk as part of the exhibition once it is launched. Start date to be negotiated with successful applicant.
!Budget
Fee: £5,000 The fee will be paid in 3 equal amounts at the following stages. 1) On signing of the contract which will indicate the start of the project 2) On agreement of the proposal (4 weeks after starting on project) 3) On completion of the project.
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Project Materials Allowance: £2,000
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Monitoring and Evaluation: You will be required to monitor and document the residency as appropriate for use in reports, presentations and promotions. Your feedback is important as this is a new experience for us. You will participate in regular discussion to evaluate the residency and how well it meets the objectives of all involved; troubleshooting, and contributing to improving processes and outcomes. You will complete interim updates and a final report which will include recommendations for moving forward.
!Experience
We would expect you to be a professional, practicing artist/designer/printmaker creating interesting, well produced and presented work.
!You should have experience or be able to demonstrate a sound working knowledge of the letterpress printing process which will inform the new work produced for the project. You will have experience of working in community settings or be able to demonstrate an aptitude for this kind of work. Your approach to the workshops should demonstrate an interest and ability to engage in research and discussion with participants and work with them to collaboratively explore and develop their ideas and make work.
!You will also be expected to give talks about your work at the beginning of the project and later
about the work you have developed. This will include an introduction to yourself and your work to property staff and volunteers, to locally interested community members and as part of the interpretation of the exhibition.
!You should be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the work of the National Trust for Scotland and awareness of the conservation requirements this involves. !Please note successful applicants, if not held already, will be required to have a PVG check carried out, before starting the residency. !
!Charitable Status
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Robert Smail’s Printing Works is a property of the National Trust for Scotland. The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty is a charity registered in Scotland, Charity Number SC 007410.
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The National Trust for Scotland is Scotland’s leading conservation charity. The Trust protects Scotland’s most important historic buildings, collections, gardens and wild habitats. In carrying out its work the Trust is dependent upon the support of its members, volunteers and the general public. Patron - HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay KG KT GCB OM, President – Earl of Lindsay, DL, Chairman – Sir Moir Lockhead OBE, Chief Executive – Simon Skinner MBA. Registered Office - Hermiston Quay, 5 Cultins Road, Edinburgh, EH11 4DF. Tel: 0131 458 0200 Fax +44(0)131 243 9301
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!To apply: !Please send proposals and supporting information to: Future/Past Gen Harrison Project Manager Property Manager/Compositor Robert Smail's Printing Works 7-9 High Street Innerleithen EH44 6HA
!Proposals should include:
☞ Your curriculum vitae/artist’s statement
! ☞ Appropriate supporting material to demonstrate the quality of your work (it is preferable for works to be sent as a printed submission of images. Please DO NOT send anything that you require back). ☞ Experience of planning and running workshops ☞ An outline proposal (max. 2 sides A4) to include • An explanation of why you would like to undertake this residency •
The skills and experience you would bring to this project
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How you would propose spending your time
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How a residency at Smail’s would contribute to developing your practice
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Details of any previous relevant projects
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Contact details of two relevant referees
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Public Liability Insurance (Minimum £2,000,000). Please send proof with your application)
! Please indicate whether you would require accommodation as part of this residency. ! Deadline for Applications: 5pm, Monday 27 July 2015
Interviews will be held at Robert Smail’s Printing Works the week beginning: 24 August 2015
