ANNOUNCING CLUSTER LONDON'S ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAMME
Cluster London is delighted to announce the launch of its first artist-in-residence programme, which will offer early-career artists living outside of London the opportunity to experience the capital’s creative vibrancy through a fully-funded residency, and to develop their network in the city through a tailored mentorship programme. A total of 4 residencies will be offered to artists practicing in the fields of crafts, illustration, photography and contemporary jewellery, to take place from the spring of 2021.
A Home from Home in London
The Cluster Residency seeks to offer artists a life-changing opportunity to kickstart their practice in London, and to equip them with everything that they could need to develop an exhibition or project in this international art hub. Residencies will last 4 weeks, and will include transportation to London, meals, equipment and materials, accommodation, and a private workspace in East London. Artists will be hosted in a private studio located in Zone 2, just a few minutes’ walk from Bow Church Station, containing a workspace, bedroom, two bathrooms, a kitchen, private outdoor area, and access to a communal rooftop terrace. Benefiting from high ceilings and natural light, the studio will be supplied with equipment that caters to each artist’s specific needs, such as a potter’s wheel and kiln, a computer and video editing software, or photography equipment and lights.
Bespoke Mentorship
Artists will also be offered a personalised mentoring programme during their residency, receiving support and advice throughout their stay from industry professionals and collectors, including one-to-one meetings in their studio space each week. The residency will aim to serve the unique needs of each artist, based on their career path to date and ambitions for the future, and to guide them into a network of opportunities by fostering connections between artists and the London art world.
A Solo Exhibition
The process of each residency will be documented for the artist through video and photography, and will result in a project presentation in a Cluster Fair, and an online solo exhibition on Cluster’s website and Artsy. Artists will also be offered a solo exhibition in a London gallery, making this programme a unique opportunity for emerging artists to accelerate their career.
Continued Support and Representation
Following the residency, Cluster will also be offering artists-in-residence the opportunity to continue their relationship through a 1 or 2-year management contract. This will offer artists continued mentorship, profile-building, and the representation needed to accelerate their work and profile to a higher level.
An Open Call to Artists
Cluster invites early-career artists of all ages to apply for the residency, which is open to artists of any nationality who do not currently live in London. Cluster is particularly keen to receive applications from artists who creatively engage with ideas about contemporary society and the world as a whole. Artists will be selected by a jury of industry professionals in the fields of photography, ceramics, illustration, and jewellery, with selection criteria including artistic ambition, inventiveness, context, the exploration of new materials, and presentation.
RESIDENCY TIMELINE
Applications will open via Cluster London’s website in September 2020, and will close on 20th December 2020. Successful applicants will be contacted in February 2021, with residencies taking place at a mutually agreed time from the spring of 2021.