January–November 2015
Deadline for applications:
Monday 6 October 2014, 5pm BST
Open days:
Friday 12 September, 6–8pm
Saturday 27 September, 2–4pm
Open School East
The Rose Lipman Building
43 De Beauvoir Road
London N1 5SQ
United Kingdom
We are seeking applications from emerging artists to join the second year of Open School East, an independent, self-directed and outward-facing study programme in London.
About Open School East
Open School East was founded in 2013 in response to spiraling tuition fees and student debt, and a climate of increasing bureaucracy in arts education. It was instituted as a space for artistic learning that is experimental, versatile and highly collaborative.
Located in a former library and community centre in East London, Open School East is a unique space that brings together:
– a free study programme for emerging artists
– a multifaceted programme of public projects and events which facilitate interactions between artists, local residents and audiences from further afield.
Central to Open School East’s approach is a commitment to foster cultural, intellectual and social exchanges between artists and the broader public. We do this by opening our study programme outwards, responding to our locality and providing an informal environment for the sharing of knowledge and skills across various communities—artistic, local and otherwise.
How does the study programme function?
Open School East is run according to principles of collaboration, experimentation and self-direction, and welcomes practitioners who engage with these notions in different ways. Open School East supports the associate artists through:
– Shared workspace
– Critical and practical teaching
– A mentorship programme
– Curatorial assistance and seed funding for the production of artistic projects.
Term one and the mentorship programme are organised by the OSE team, while terms two and three—as well as part of the public program—are shaped by the associates themselves. Tuition takes place two days a week, and is delivered through a combination of workshops, lectures, seminars, site visits, tutorials and group crits. Last year’s tutors and workshop leaders included Ed Baxter (Director, Resonance FM), Mark Fisher (writer), Marvin Gaye Chetwynd (artist), Maria Lind (curator), Phil Minton (vocalist), Ahmet Ögüt (artist), Sally O’Reilly (writer), Daniel Sinsel (artist), Sally Tallant (curator), Mabel Tapia (art historian) and others.
While at Open School East, the associates are expected to develop a project or to follow a line of enquiry. Their research is advanced and shared with the public via open studios and events taking place at different times throughout the year. In 2015, six mentors will accompany the development of the associates’ practice and projects: artists Matthew Darbyshire, The Otolith Group and Olivia Plender; curator Marijke Steedman; critic, musician and broadcaster Morgan Quaintance; and writer, organiser, educator and curator Janna Graham.
By joining Open School East, the associates commit to take an active role in making Open School East a site for social, cultural and intellectual exchanges, with particular relevance to our neighbourhood.
Open School East is a non-accredited programme.
Who is it for?
Associates atOpen School East are emerging artists with or without a BA, MA or formal artistic qualification, who are seeking to engage in a critical environment for artistic learning. The programme is aimed at practitioners with an ability to work collaboratively, to be self-directed, and to enter into a meaningful dialogue with local audiences and publics from further afield.
Approximately 15 associates will be selected to join the second year of Open School East, running from January to November 2015. Successful applicants will need to ensure they can commit to the school for the duration of the programme.
For more information on the study programme and on how to apply, please visit www.openschooleast.org.
Open School East was originally commissioned by the Barbican and Create London. It has received further support from Arts Council England, Create London, Outset, The Ampersand Foundation, Hackney Council and individual donors.
Please note: Open School East is still in the process of fundraising for year two and we are putting all our efforts into closing the remaining funding gap. The study programme may be curtailed on giving the associate artists due notice.
