National Trust and Arts Council of Wales Artists Residencies at ...

National Trust and Arts Council of Wales Artists Residencies at Penrhyn Castle Phase Three: P/T residency for an artist /collaboration/artist group, September 2016 – October 2017 Bursary/Fee: Deadline for applications: Interviews:

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£30,000, plus £6000 fabrication/presentation 9am Monday 18 July 4 August at Penrhyn Castle

Project overview

Through a partnership with Arts Council of Wales, National Trust is engaging in a 3-year programme of creative residencies at Penrhyn, near Bangor in North Wales. The key aims of the residencies are: • • • • •

To work with the property team to develop new ideas and ways of thinking about the place, its collection and stories. To engage target audiences – to deepen the engagement of current visiting audiences and to challenge the perceptions of local audiences who do not currently visit, and engage them in the history of Penrhyn. To engage staff and volunteers – giving them the experience of working with artists in this developmental context, to develop skills and confidence and an understanding of the benefit it brings. To create opportunities for artists to develop their work in response to Penrhyn by allowing a deep engagement in the property. To create public engagement as part of the residencies, which may be publication, blog, event, exhibition, performance. To develop a high quality experience of engagement between artists and audience that can be reviewed and shared as best practice.

The previous iterations of the residency programme forged fruitful relationships with staff and volunteers, and improved connections with the communities which surround Penrhyn. We are keen to further develop these through the third phase and in the future. Phase 1 (July-August 2015), with Alec Stevens, Joanne Wardrop and Emrys Williams, successfully demonstrated the value of working with artists in this heritage setting. Some of the outcomes of the residencies were shown in Penrhyn 11 Sept-9 Oct 2015. https://emryswilliamsblog.wordpress.com http://joanne-wardrop.tumblr.com http://alecstevens.tumblr.com Phase 2 (December 2015 - April 2016) exercised some of the hidden histories of the property and its fantasy architecture, and engaged new local audiences. The second cohort of artists were Lisa Heledd Jones, Joanne Wardrop and Robyn Woolston. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/news/artists-in-residence-exhibition-artists-respond-to-penrhyncastle https://medium.com/@lisaheleddjones http://joanne-wardrop.tumblr.com http://strikepenrhyn.tumblr.com 2

Phase 3 residencies •

Applications for Phase 3, September 2016 - October 2017, are now invited.

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We seek applications from experienced artists who have been delivering large-scale projects in the public domain for at least ten years and who have a high level of peer recognition.

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We seek artists with a collaborative/participative approach or those working in a producer role. We particularly welcome applications from artists working together, in existing partnerships or collaborations - or new ones formed for the purpose - and the level of the fee reflects this.

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We welcome applications from visual artists working in any media.

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Areas of research interest may be: Penrhyn in a world context; the material culture of Penrhyn; the untold histories of Penrhyn.

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The ability to speak Welsh, and/or a familiarity with the contemporary culture of Wales, would be an advantage, though is not essential.

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Applicants need to be available to be on-site for the period of intensive residency September – October 2016. (see below)

Pattern of work The crucial time will be September and October 2016; it is important to have an intensive period of research residency during this time as this is when the property is still open to the public for the remains of the ‘Summer’ season. During this time, visitors, volunteers and seasonal staff are around, bringing the place to life, and the normal routines and rhythms of the place can be observed. This is a broad framework upon which to hang the activity of the residency: artists may: Period of research: September/October 2016 •

Conduct research at Penrhyn, and develop an understanding of its workings, its procedures, its histories and material culture while the property is fully open to the public. This will require an intensive pattern of residency at the property and contact with its staff, volunteers and visitors.

Period of Reflection: November 2016 - February 2017 •

Develop new work.

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Identify themes appropriate for engaging audiences, and identify sectors with which to engage.

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Capitalise on existing good relationships with local communities.

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Maintain contact with Penrhyn staff, give progress review.

Period of Engagement: February – May 2017 •

Develop the understanding and engagement of the staff and volunteers, and the audience with Penrhyn and the work, through participatory activity.

Period of Exhibition/presentation: June – October 2017 •

Develop the understanding and engagement of staff, volunteers and visitors with the processes of art and develop their sense of project ownership, through discussion and participation.

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Capture the process for sharing (images/text/sound/video)

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Maintain an online presence to share the practice and process of working, with peers and with the public.

A shared working space will be available at Penrhyn. Accommodation may be arranged on-site (for one artist at a time or those willing to share), subject to negotiation. Penrhyn has a mile-long drive separating it from bus routes, and it is two and a half miles from Bangor rail station, which is wellserved with trains on the London-Holyhead line. WIFI internet access is available in the public café

and the office corridor and there is an uneven mobile phone signal due to the location and nature of the building. Use of a car would be a distinct advantage. 3

The property

Penrhyn Castle is a huge, 19th-century fantasy neo-Norman house built on the site of a medieval fortified manor house. It was designed in the 1820s by Thomas Hopper for George Hay DawkinsPennant, the heir to the Penrhyn estate following the death of his second cousin, Richard Pennant, who in turn had made his fortune from Jamaican sugar and the nearby Penrhyn slate quarry. Penrhyn Castle sits in spectacular surroundings between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait. It is filled with elaborate carvings, plasterwork, mock-Norman furniture and an outstanding collection of paintings. It has restored Victorian kitchens, and the stable block houses an industrial railway museum and a model railway museum. The 60 acres of grounds include parkland and a Victorian walled garden. Penrhyn receives around 100,000 visitors a year, two-thirds of whom visit the house and garden, the rest the grounds only. Around 63% are National Trust members. Only 25% of the member visits are from Wales, and at present just 10% of visitors are local. 30% of visitors are on a day trip and 70% are on holiday. Penrhyn Castle has a huge part-time volunteer workforce, and they represent a strong local network, which as been strongly valued in the previous phases of the project. The majority of the volunteers are only on site during the the Summer season, see below: A note on opening times: Penrhyn Castle is open daily in the Summer season, 12-5pm, with the grounds and tea room open from 11am. This ends on 6 November 2016. From 7 November 2016 to 1 March 2017 only the parkland, garden and Railway Museum are open, from noon to 3pm. The Castle itself closes and undergoes annual cleaning and conservation processes, which while they are not in the public eye, are of interest to the public, and occasional behind the scenes tours are offered. From 1 March 2017 the entire property will be open 12-5pm daily for the 2017 Summer season. 4

Timeline and process

4 July 9am 18 July 4 August Wk 8 August September/October 2016, to 6 November

November 2016 February 2017

Designated open day for artists Deadline for applications Interviews at Penrhyn Castle, Bangor. Selection will be by the Curator and representatives from National Trust and Arts Council of Wales. Appointment of artists Period of research: Intensive Residency period. On-site at Penrhyn Organise engagement activity with targeted groups. Organise training and learning sessions for volunteers, staff and visitors. Period of Reflection: Studio-based practice, based at Penrhyn and off-site; develop work, in liaison with

February – May 2017 June – October 2017

Penrhyn staff and Curator Period of Engagement: Develop the understanding and engagement of the audience with Penrhyn and the proposal, through participatory activity. Period of Exhibition/presentation: Outcomes of residency to be made public. Report back to Steering Group meeting. Organise engagement activity with visitors, staff and volunteers during the exhibition period.

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Fee/contract

There is a total fee of up to £36,000, in staged payments, to be inclusive of all fees, expenses and fabrication. The balance of fee to fabrication may be negotiable, and fees may be devolved to collaborators, but all costs must lie within this budget. The contract will be between National Trust and a nominated lead artist for the group/partnership. 6

How to apply

Please send applications by EMAIL ONLY to [email protected] Format: a single PDF, containing: 1. A statement of intent (maximum 600 words) with a proposed response or method statement for responding to the property; 2. A brief CV (2pp max) of the group or the primary artist(s), with a brief summary cv of other artists who will be involved; 3. Up to 10 images of your work/links* to other media. *Please provide hyperlinks to online files or a Dropbox containing the files. Time-based media should be limited to up to four clips of no longer than 5 minutes; images should be no larger than 1600 x 1200 pixels. Information submitted in other formats will not be accepted. The deadline for expressions of interest is 9am Monday 18 July; no applications after this date will be considered. We encourage you to visit Penrhyn if you wish to research your application. There will be a designated open day for artists on July 4 and there will be tours available at 11.00 and 14.00. Please contact [email protected] to sign up for your visit. We cannot cover expenses for research visits. For queries relating to the project, please contact [email protected] or curator [email protected]. For queries relating to Penrhyn Castle, please contact [email protected]