Now in its 10th year, the annual Graduate Scholarship scheme, run by the University of Salford Art Collection in partnership with Castlefield Gallery, is now open for applications. This year, we are delighted to announce additional support from Wallace Seymour Fine Art Products for the Wallace Seymour Painting Scholarship.
First established in 2014 to support artists in the crucial first year after graduation, the 12 month programme grants graduating students from the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology time, resources and the opportunity to develop their practice within a supportive framework.
Scholarship packages are tailored but can include:
£1000 bursary towards e.g. materials, research or equipment
Studio space for 12 months
Mentoring, coaching and professional guidance
Research trips and networking
Opportunity to have artwork acquired into the University of Salford Art Collection
In 2023/24, we awarded five places on the scheme, with studio spaces including Islington Mill, Paradise Works and Hot Bed Press. The programme evolves each year as we endeavour to offer opportunities to the graduates we think we can best support. Over 50 graduates have benefitted from the scheme so far.
Eligibility:
The scheme is only open to University of Salford final year undergraduates from the School of Arts and Media (who are due to graduate or complete their studies in July 2024) – plus there will be a maximum of one scholarship open to an MA graduate (due to graduate or complete in September 2024). Applicants who will be undertaking further study at the time of the scholarship (e.g. starting an MA in 2024) will not be eligible. Further information and guidelines are available below.
Accessibility:
We aim to remove any barriers, bias or discrimination that prevents individuals or groups from realising their potential, and to develop organisational cultures that positively value diversity. If you have access needs and wish to discuss these in relation to the application, interview, or the opportunity more broadly, please contact: S.A.Parker@salford.ac.uk
Open for applications from: Monday 18th March 2024 Application deadline: by 9am Monday 29th April 2024 Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in person on Tuesday 21 May 2024.
To apply, please read the guidelines and complete the application form.
1) Complete your application form 2) Send an up to date CV (2 pages maximum) 3) Include image, video or sound files (and/or weblinks to these) – up to four files maximum 4) Email to Team Assistant, S.A.Parker@salford.ac.uk with the subject line “GSP Application Form 2024”
All the information on how to apply, eligibility criteria, application formats and further guidance is included in the guidelines.
For any enquires contact S.A.Parker@salford.ac.uk
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Following artist Gwen Riley Jones’ 18 month residency with the University of Salford Art Collection, a new publication shares reflections on socially-engaged practice, youth engagement, and the relevance of collections today.
Share your thoughts Audience survey – closes 31st March 2024 Take part here
Whether you are a first-time or regular visitor to our events and exhibitions, we’d love to hear from you. Your feedback is crucial to help us better understand our audiences and develop our future programming.
The survey is anonymous and should only take around 5 minutes – but you may leave your contact details at the end if you’d like to be entered into our prize draw for a £15 cafe voucher with our partners at Salford Museum & Art Gallery. Please note, the survey is open to everyone, but unfortunately any staff/colleagues at the University are not eligible for the prize draw due to tax regulations. One winner will be drawn at random and contacted by email.
We are excited to announce a series of artist film screenings from the University of Salford Art Collection, each with an international focus, at the New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery from March to June 2024.
Our campus gallery will offer a relaxed environment to enjoy films in person, or our visitors further afield will be able to watch the full programme online during screening dates.
In March we launch with a special documentary screening by Open Eye Gallery as part of the Home from Home: Photography in Ukraine symposium.
During March and April, works by Parham Ghalamdar and Shezad Dawood are presented to coincide with major new touring show Hybrid Futures with our partners at Salford Museum & Art Gallery. Ghalamdar and Dawood both consider issues around migration, welfare and climate. From May, works by Antony Barkworth Knight, Elliott Flanagan, and Nicola Dale & Florence Lam, each explore how we can communicate, collaborate and build relationships meaningfully across international experiences – both physical and digital.
As we approach mid December, I find it a useful moment to reflect on the last 12 months and to highlight some of the achievements.
The year started with the Craig Easton: Is Anybody Listening exhibition launching at Open Eye Gallery, before travelling to Blackpool School of Art in spring and arriving in Salford this autumn. The response to Craig’s work has been amazing – but the real impact has been through the different engagement opportunities for young people in each location. I think all those present at the launch in New Adelphi on the 2 November realised the difference this project had made on the young people present. It was a truly magical moment! We are talking to Salford Youth Service about how we can build on this success together. A massive to thank you to all our partners, freelancers especially Kit Abramson, Victoria Sanderson and Gwen Riley Jones, and of course the National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting the project.
We have also been busy leading the Hybrid Futures project with our partners at Touchstones Rochdale, Castlefield Gallery, Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool, and Shezad Dawood studio, and with support from Arts Council England, Art Fund and Henry Moore Foundation. This is a multi-layered and complex project which tests new ways of working collectively to address climate change. I am looking forward to presenting all the new co-commissions by Shezad Dawood, Parham Ghalamdar, Jessica El Mal and R A Walden at Salford Museum and Art Gallery from March 2024. In tandem I have been participating in Collective Futures, an engagement programme bringing together different communities from across Salford, Rochdale, Manchester and Blackpool to consider the climate emergency through the lens of artists. It has been fascinating to meet new people, to learn about how different artists approach the most important issue of our time, and to have space to reflect on what we could collectively do. We will be hosting a sharing event planned for 17th April. A big thank you to our partners, funders and the artists, plus our team of freelancers: Kit Abramson, Catharine Braithwaite, Danny Chivers and Kate Wafer.
On the theme of climate change – it has been a privilege this year to work with Prof Richard Fitton and his team at Energy House 2.0 on our artist is residence programme. Supported by Friends of Energy House 2.0 and presented in partnership with Open Eye Gallery and Castlefield Gallery we welcomed Mishka Henner in January and Emily Speed in July, each for 18 months. The conversations have been stimulating, wide ranging and have gone in directions no one would have predicted. I’m genuinely excited to see how Mishka and Emily interpret the work of the scientists and engage audiences in thinking about sustainable living – and can assure you this will be in unexpected ways!!!
Little Hulton young Photography group, with Lindsay Taylor, artist Gwen Riley Jones, and Vice Chancellor Nic Beech
In summer we appointed our tenth cohort of Graduate Scholars, and to mark the 10th anniversary of the programme we asked (outgoing Team Assistant) Rowan Pritchard to curate a booth at The Manchester Contemporary. She did a brilliant job, and with the support of Castlefield Gallery we presented work by 5 current scholars and alumni of the programme. It was wonderful to see Salford so well represented at the fair – with Paradise Works and Hot Bed Press hosting booths and with former Scholar Alena Donnelly from Islington Mill running a tufting experiment. By the end of the weekend we were all losing our voices from talking to so many different people about the artwork, the artists, the scholarship programme and of course our student offer in the School of Arts Media and Creative Technology. It was very helpful to have Rowan and Sam Parker (incoming Team Assistant) to share their personal experiences of studying at Salford, as well as having the support of Phd candidate Nanke Ning. Well done everyone!
Rowan has now come to the end of her 2 year traineeship where she has developed her skills, grown her networks and built her CV. She reflects on her experience here. She has been a pleasure to work with and amongst her many achievements has successfully led the team in the Green Impact Awards. A massive thank you Rowan and wishing you luck in all future endeavours. We also welcomed Sam Parker as our new Graduate Associate. He has hit the ground running and you can read about his first few weeks here.
There are many other highlights – from touring The Storm Cone by Laura Daly to Blackpool, the Visibilities and Some Days I Feel Triangle exhibitions in New Adelphi, the Cecile Elstein display in Clifford Whitworth Library, loaning collection works to Bury Art Museum and others, and the various events we have contributed to or participated in. At a conservative estimate we have engaged well over 40,000 people both on campus and outside the university with the Art Collection in the last 12 months.
It is also important to acknowledge the less visible work that happens in the background. Having the art store facility has made a profound difference to how we can look after the collection, how the team works, and how we can engage students, staff and the public with the Collection. We have welcomed well over 100 people to the store including staff, students, as well as external contacts – curators, researchers etc, as well as youth groups from Salford. Stephanie Fletcher takes responsibility for caring for the University Art Collection and Art Store and has also led on several new acquisitions – you can find out more in a forthcoming blog. Thank you Steph for all your hard work and support.
This is my tenth year at Salford – and I approach 2024 with real excitement about the future. Partnership is at the heart of much of our work and true partnerships take time to develop. There feels to be a real shift in the city – with new and existing cultural and civic leaders coming together for the benefit of all people in Salford. I welcome this collaborative sense of ambition, exploration and experimentation, and look forward to engaging more people through new and existing partnerships in 2024. Finally I would like to thank the University leadership for continuing to support and invest in the work of the Art Collection team.
Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas, and a peaceful and joyous 2024.
Hello, I’m Sam Parker, and I’m thrilled to be joining the University of Salford Art Collection team. I recently graduated from the University of Salford BA (Hons) Fine Art programme earlier this year, and have taken up the position of Art Collection Team Assistant (Graduate Associate). I bring with me a passion for the arts and contemporary ways of working – I wanted to get stuck in as soon as possible, and the team here has not disappointed!
Joining the team in October, my first few weeks coincided with the launch and development of many UOSAC projects. I’ve had meetings with Hybrid Futures, a partnership between many art organisations across the North, exploring a collective and more sustainable ways of working with various artists and communities. Alongside this was the installation process of Craig Easton’s touring exhibition; Is Anybody Listening?Working with the extremely kind technicians from M&G, and speaking with Craig Easton himself about his exhibition and way of working; I also helped with the Photo Ethics Discussion in early November with Craig and Gwen Riley Jones.
I’ve aided in tours of exhibitions, current UOS Fine Art student queries, collections care, condition checking, and even took part in the Manchester Contemporary! Installing with Castlefield Gallery and the curator of our booth Rowan Pritchard. I introduced members the public to our organisations, discussed art and artists, spread the word of our Graduate Scholarship Programme, and even garnered possible collaboration opportunities for the collection.
I’ve been thrown into the deep end, however, I couldn’t have wished for a better start!
Craig Easton exhibition, New Adelphi. Photo courtesy Jason Lawton PhotographyCraig Easton exhibition, New Adelphi. Photo courtesy Jason Lawton PhotographyThe Manchester Contemporary 2023. Photo courtesy Sam ParkerThe Manchester Contemporary 2023. Photo courtesy Sam Parker
I have come to the Art Collection Team with my own artist practice, along with a variety of experience from different areas within the creative sector. Installing a variety of different exhibitions across the Northwest and Yorkshire, commissions, graphic design, community engagement, photographic documentation, and volunteer work with organisations like the British Textile Biennial. Alongside this, my bachelor’s degree gave me the drive and the ambition to delve further into the logistics of exhibitions, collections, museums, and galleries; how they run, how work is acquired, the installation and technical challenges that each element poses – I wanted to know the inner workings, and how they operate. My ambition led me to support many exhibitions and events outside of the university programme, giving me valuable skills and knowledge that I will continue to build upon with the UoS Art Collection Team.
Part of my new role here includes problem solving, networking, and overall, just helping out wherever is needed. I find supporting the team and the University of Salford in any and all ways extremely rewarding, be it with AV equipment expertise, manual labour, or the various spouts of knowledge I have that can be applied in unique ways. I pride myself on being easy to talk to, this being especially evident during the Manchester Contemporary. I engaged with as many people as possible, and as a result of this, I had many interesting conversations with people from a plethora of different backgrounds. Artists, curators, students, suppliers, collectives, families, and even a circus performer. Having a dialogue with each of them about what the collection does, whilst also getting to know them and what they do was a brilliant experience that I hope to do more of during future events.
As I briefly mentioned above, I maintain my own artist practice outside of my work with the collection, as well as supporting my peers who are also making the jump from education to the art world. My personal practice at present combines the traditional medium of oil painting, with contemporary digital process like projections mapping, animation, and sound work. I aim to bring audio visual experiences to those who view my work, to create visual representations of sound and a physical form in which it can inhabit. This blend of traditional and contemporary processes has helped me in my new place with the Art Collection, providing on-site technological support with artists that are working with the team for future research and exhibition opportunities. My knowledge and skillsets will help me help the collection over the next 2 years, providing support wherever needed.
I’m looking forward to 2024, with the continuing work for Hybrid Futures, seeing what our artists in residence at Energy House create, and just to be a part of the team that will bring you new opportunities and ventures moving forward!
Sam Parker
November 2023
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Opportunity ID: 1721 Opportunity Closing Date: 29/08/2023, 23:55 Primary Location Salford – Peel Park Campus Contract Type: Part Time Fixed Term Anticipated end date October 2025
This role is open to 2023 BA Graduates from the University of Salford, preferably from an Arts subject, who are interested in starting or developing a career in the arts, museums and galleries sector. Expected areas for skills development include Collections Care and Management, Programming, Arts Marketing and Communications, and General Administration.
The Graduate Associate will join a small but very experienced team of staff, who will support you on your learning journey within the role. You will support both business as usual and specific project-based activities led by the Art Collection team.
Every year the Collection runs a number of Live Briefs for our students to work with – and respond to – the Collection in different ways. This month on our blog we feature new work by MA Contemporary Fine Art student Ann Olih, who responded to porcelain sculpture ‘Lost in Biliterate and Trilingual’ (2014) by Annie Lai-Kuen Wan.
This is a response to Annie Lai-Kuen Wan’s ceramic series ‘Lost in Biliterate and Trilingual’ THE POINTLESS GIFT- Ann Olih
On 26 October 2022, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced the introduction of redesigned 200, 500, and 1,000 naira notes into the country’s financial system. However, since the notes were unveiled, Nigerians have been struggling to access them from banks and ATM cash points. Despite the frustration expressed by Nigerians over their inability to access the new notes, the CBN extended the deadline for the phasing out of the old notes from 31 January to 10 February. Yet, many Nigerians have still had a hard time getting the new notes.
The Supreme Court gave an order restraining the CBN from going ahead with the implementation of the 10 February deadline set for the phasing out of the notes, but both the President and the CBN governor refused to adhere to the court order. In the midst of the uncertainties, many Nigerians have taken to the streets in major cities to protest the hardship caused by the policy.
Millions of Nigerians have continued to grapple with hardship amid the cash crunch that has worsened business transactions and stifled trade in the informal economy. In parts of southern Nigeria, many protesters were said to have sustained injuries, and some were arrested for vandalizing bank properties. I decided to represent the current issues faced by Nigerians with the naira note redesign and its inaccessibility, the frustration, disappointment, shattered hopes and the fear of the unknown with this gift box. This gift box has little or no practical value, and will not be relevant or appreciated by the recipient. It is designed to be deliberately difficult or impossible to access.
We are faced with the dilemma of either keeping the gift box at home as an aesthetic piece which has no value to us. Alternatively, we could take the risk and tear the old notes to see the contents of the box, only to realize that there are no new notes inside.
Description: The empty box was covered with layers of 36 (which represent the number of states in Nigeria) pieces of the old 200 naira notes to create a wrapping sheet. The notes were glued in such a way that makes it difficult to reach the box itself except torn out.
The blue ribbon used is from an ASO-OKE, Asooke is a type of traditional Nigerian fabric that is woven from cotton or silk threads into narrow strips and then sewn together to create a larger piece of fabric. It is mainly used in Nigeria for making traditional clothing such as agbada, gele, iro and buba, and other ceremonial attire.
Ultimately, this gift fails to meet the needs or desires of the recipient (Nigerians), and is even seen as a burden rather than a thoughtful gesture.
Reference 1 – Premium Times Ng Reference 2 – Adetayo, O. (2017). Aso-Oke Fabric: Origins, Types and Uses in Nigeria.
Author bio:
Ann Olih is a self-taught Nigerian artist currently living in the UK. she began drawing in 2015 as a hobby and has since then been developing her skills to become a professional artist. She is known for her use of bold, bright colors and patterned GELE(head gear). Her art is inspired by her African heritage, and she often incorporates African themes and motifs in her paintings. She also draws inspiration from her personal experiences and the people she meets, and this is reflected in the emotional depth of her artworks. Despite facing challenges as a self-taught artist in a competitive industry, She has remained dedicated to her craft and has continued to grow and evolve as an artist. Her talent and hard work earned her a spot at the University of Salford’s Master’s degree program on Contemporary fine Art. annieblaq.com
Annie Wan Lai Kuen is a Hong Kong-based ceramic artist. She takes everyday objects as her subject matter and transforms them into beautiful objects injected with meaning.
Lost in Biliterate and Trilingual comprises 18 small porcelain sculptures, each taking the form of a dictionary.
The title of the artwork refers to the language policy adopted by the Hong Kong government after the handover of the territory from the United Kingdom to the Chinese in 1997, which has meant that Cantonese, English and Mandarin all feature in Hong Kong political and daily life. In order to create this work, the artist took moulds from her own dictionary and those belonging to her friends; the resulting casts capture the bent spines, battered corners and creased covers of the books. However, in porcelain form, these sculptural books cannot be opened and remain mute, perhaps suggesting the limitations of translation and communication, or acting as monuments to the analogue world.
The work was acquired following Asia Triennial Manchester 2014.
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How can art be a catalyst for social change? During her 12-month residency with the University of Salford Art Collection, socially-engaged photographer Gwen Riley Jones worked closely with Salford Youth Council to explore art, creativity, and positive social action.
During the year they explored a number of priorities together: from health, wellbeing and the benefits of connecting with nature, to allyship, representation and positive self-expression. The title ‘Some days I feel triangle’ comes from the group’s conversations around the ways we try and creatively communicate thoughts, feelings and emotions.
The gallery display includes selected artworks from the University of Salford Art Collection, which inspired their journey and conversations together – using art for ‘thinking, talking, looking, sharing and debating’. Alongside are stories and images from the group’s projects – along with prompts, cards, badges and stickers for visitors to take away.
The socially-engaged artist in residence project is a pilot project delivered by the University of Salford in collaboration with Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, and with the support of Salford City Council’s youth service.
An accompanying events programme will be announced soon.
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The University of Salford Art Collection is pleased to present three new photography projects which respond to the climate crisis, environmental issues, and sustainable living, for the LOOK Biennial 2022.
Duo McCoy Wynne share work from their residency at Energy House – the University’s world-leading research facility exploring energy efficiency at home. Artist and lecturer Megan Powell presents ongoing work around bees, pollinators and wildflowers – considering the importance of ecosystem habitats. Art Collection artist-in-residence Gwen Riley Jones shares images from her work with local youth groups, using plant-based methods and socially-engaged practice to address topics of nature and wellbeing.
For further exhibition info and our events programme – including and online talk, wellbeing photo-walk, and exclusive tour of the Energy House research facilities –visit our LOOK Hub page here.
We’ll also be announcing an exciting new artist residency opportunity at the brand new Energy House 2 facility – join us on the launch to find out more!
