Beeching Road
Early Career Studio Programme
(Led by Flatland Projects + Bexhill College)

Programme Outline:

 

The Beeching Road Early Career Studio Programme is a year long subsidied engagement with Flatland Projects with access to a free creative, learning development programme that is designed to make Bexhill-on-Sea a viable location to provide makers a route to sustain a career in the visual arts.

 

This programme is designed for creatives who self-identify to be in their early career and aims to eliminate the common barriers which affect an individual’s progression into a creative career. Through collaborative learning, and a focus on developing skills to work with community groups, the intention is for the selected artists to gain essential skills for a sustainable studio practice.

 

Throughout the year long programme participants will engage with a national network of arts professionals; through creative mentoring sessions, learn how to deliver an artist-led workshop, and then through delivery of workshops within the local community, they will develop an exhibition with Flatland Projects in the second half of their year at Beeching Road Studios. This is a real commitment, and you will be expected to enter into a year long contract with Rother District Council to take tenancy of a studio at the Beeching Road complex as well as entering a contract with Bexhill College and Flatlands Projects to complete all aspects of the programme.

 

Programme duration: 1 year

 

2022/23 Intake: 6 participants

 

Participation Requirements:

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• A proven passion for creating and making.

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• A commitment to developing a sustainable studio practice through collaboration, new communities and learning.

 

• An overall experience of 0-10* years of making and creating (including experience in formal, non-formal and self-taught education). *We do not include breaks in your creative practice.  For example, if you have had a break in your creative practice by taking time out to work in a different capacity please do not include this time in your amalgamated time of experience.

 

• 18 - no upper age limit.

 

Programme Offer:

 

• 50% Subsidied studio space (£125 pcm) for 1 year* 

• 2 days of training, as a group, on the skills needed to lead community projects**

• A community group to run a week of creative sessions with**

• Exhibition, made up of the work created with your community group and your own work, at Flatland Projects, with a materials budget of up to £1,000**

• Curatorial support for your exhibition from the Flatland Projects team during the development of the work with the community group and the planning/set up. This will amount to 1 day in total**

• 3 days of mentoring sessions from a national network of arts professionals. You will be matched with someone who most closely matches your development needs**

• 10 days of training, as a group, on business development training to support you towards a sustainable career**

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* All studios will be leased by and managed by Rother District Council (RDC), the studio holder will enter an agreement which is subject to the terms of tenancy that is agreed with RDC, and is subject to changes by the tenancy provider.

**Participants are expected to participate in all aspects of the programme offer, participants who do not participate across the whole programme could result in their place being withdrawn, this would also include the withdrawal of your studio.

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Programme Outcomes:

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Each participant will:

• produce and deliver a series of community focused workshops to create new works in collaboration with their chosen community group, resulting in an exhibition at Flatland Projects.

• will engage with monthly studio visits with the Flatland Projects team.

• attend all the training events provided (community project leadership and business development)

• work in the studio they have been assigned for a minimum of three days a week.

 

What happens after the programme?

The programme and the tenancy of the studio space run only for a year. Once completed each artist will have the opportunity to discuss further tenancy with Rother District Council to continue the development of their career in this exciting new space.

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