October 27, 2019

Call for Applications: Art Apprenticeship Network

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Art Apprenticeship Network is a new program to fund student apprenticeships with established artists, curators and cultural workers. Through this program, Emily Carr students will assist artists with studio work and project production. Developed to build and strengthen the local art ecosystem through a part-time apprenticeship model, the program aims to create opportunities for paid work, social connection, and hands-on experience for emerging practitioners while supporting established artists and cultural workers by connecting them with assistants at no cost.

Apprentice roles may include studio production and fabrication work, administrative tasks, assisting with documentation or and post-production of artworks, packaging, shipping and handling works, or contributing to archive management or communications materials. 

We invite artists, curators as well as workers within the cultural non-profit sector to submit proposals for project assistance from an Emily Carr student interested in an apprenticeship. 

Art Apprenticeship Network is invested in creating opportunities that celebrate diversity and intersectionality in sexuality, gender, culture, race, ethnicity, religion, and ability. We extend a special invitation to practitioners from diverse backgrounds, including individuals of Indigenous descent.

How it Works

  • You are an established artist or curator working in the Vancouver area or are associated with a not-for-profit 
  • You apply with a well-defined project or scope of work for a prospective apprentice, including the must-have hard and soft skills for the position
  • We share the opportunities with senior-level students at Emily Carr, who indicate which opportunities they’re interested in
  • We give you the applications from students who have indicated interest in working with you so you can choose the best match
  • Your apprentice will work with you for approximately 150 hours, or 8-12 hours/week for twelve to eighteen weeks in 2020 (depending on the scope and timeline of the project you have outlined) 
  • Apprentices are paid by Emily Carr University 
  • There are no participation costs 

Who is Eligible to Work with an Emily Carr Apprentice through this Program?

The Art Apprenticeship Network is open to all established artists and artist collectives located in the lower mainland, including Emily Carr University regular and non-regular faculty engaged in projects outside the school. Cultural workers associated with a not-for-profit art organization are also eligible to apply. All applicants should be well-established in their careers.

For Artists: All artists with a studio practice are encouraged to apply. Participating artists must be actively engaged in studio practice or the development of applied projects or collaborations (as opposed to doing contract work) and must be able to commit adequate time and attention to train and mentor an apprentice. Individuals and collectives are welcome to apply. 

Artists must have completed basic academic training in a relevant field or should be recognized by their peers, should be well-established their career and must have publicly shared an independent body of their work within the last three years. 

For Individuals Associated with a Cultural Not-for-Profit Organization: The Art Apprenticeship Network is open to all established artists and artist collectives located in the lower mainland, including Emily Carr University faculty engaged in projects outside the school. Cultural workers associated with a not-for-profit art organization are eligible to apply as well. All applicants should be well-established in their careers.

Selection 

Please note that access to this program is competitive and limited to 14 spaces for this cycle (January 2020 – December 2020). Applications will be evaluated for clarity of project scope, ability to outline expectations, ability to demonstrate the benefit an apprentice would bring to the project, and the strength of past work.

How to apply

Artists interested in this opportunity should submit an e-mail titled “First Name Last Name Application: Art Apprenticeship Network 2020” to shumka@ecuad.ca with the following:

  • A short proposal outlining the project, its timeline, the responsibilities of the apprentice, and stating the necessary hard and soft skills required for the position
  • A CV or link to a CV
  • For artists and curators: a portfolio link, or a zipped attachment containing maximum 8 images or 2 videos along with corresponding information such as title, date, media and dimensions/duration
  • For other cultural workers: a brief bio or link to a website that outlines the non-profit to which you are associated and describes your role within the organization.

Deadline: November 13, 2019

Questions? Contact Cemre Demiralp at shumka@ecuad.ca

The Art Apprenticeship Network is generously funded by the RBC Foundation.

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