Maker in Residence opportunity at Kelmscott Manor

YEAR 2 THEME: ENDANGERED CRAFTS

Deadline for applications: 12 February 2024
Online information session: 25 January 2024, 4pm

The Society of Antiquaries of London is partnering with Heritage Crafts for a second year to call for Heritage Crafts member craftspeople who practice endangered crafts to submit expressions of interest in becoming the 2024 Maker in Residence (MiR) at Kelmscott Manor, the former home of internationally renowned writer, designer-craftsman, conservationist and revolutionary socialist, William Morris.

Green Room fiireplace, Kelmscott Manor For 25 years everything about the 17th-century Manor was of profound inspiration to William Morris. Both the Manor and its setting in rural Oxfordshire were a fertile source of ideas, influencing his art, literature and social thinking as well as his passionate, imaginative engagement with history and nature. Integral to Morris’s ethos was his tireless championing of heritage crafts and the handmade. Morris’s values have never been more relevant than they are today.

As part of the Society of Antiquaries’ NLHF-funded £6 million Kelmscott and Morris: Past, Present and Future project, the Kelmscott Manor residency is a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to reflect Morris’s advocacy of the handmade and contribute to his legacy by playing a distinctive part in the Manor’s programme of public engagement.

This year (2024) will see the second of three residencies by members of Heritage Crafts, and for this year will focus specifically on ‘endangered’ and ‘critically endangered’ crafts as featured in the 2023 edition of the Red List of Endangered Crafts (https://www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist). The project presents an opportunity to showcase endangered crafts in an iconic rural setting visited annually by over 27,000 people. At the heart of the ‘new’ Kelmscott Manor is our determination to reflect William Morris’s inclusivity: ‘I do not want art for a few, any more than education for a few or freedom for a few’, by building its appeal and accessibility to a wider base of audiences through providing the richest experience possible.

What we are looking for

Kelmscott Manor William Morris once described Kelmscott Manor’s beauty and atmosphere as very stimulating to the imagination. We are seeking an MiR who will be as inspired by it as Morris was over 150 years ago, and who can inspire and enthuse others by encouraging creative engagement. The MiR will be a professional working in an endangered craft that features in the 2023 edition of the Red List; we are keen to emphasise to potential applicants that our interest is not limited to practitioners of one of the crafts Morris himself was interested in or practiced.

The MiR will be a practitioner with the ability to recognise and mediate the unique qualities of Kelmscott and the legacy of Morris’s life and work here. It is important that they have excellent communication skills and enjoy working with people. Experience of working in an educational context would be an advantage. The MiR will need to adapt to working on a small and busy site; although they will wherever possible be supported by staff and/or volunteers, they must also be confident in working on their own.

What we’ll ask of you

a commitment to work in residence at Kelmscott Manor, responding creatively to the Manor and/or its site and setting
a commitment of 25 days’ scheduled attendance on site, spread between April and the end of October 2024. These will incorporate getting to know the estate and collections; preparing and creating work; delivering the activities stated below.
to provide a minimum of FOUR family-friendly workshops on Open Days (Thur, Fri, Sat)
to provide a minimum of FOUR demonstrations on Open Days (Thur, Fri, Sat)
to provide a minimum of TWO workshops for school or community groups (Mon, Tues) or produce resources for use by those groups
to work in collaboration with the Manor to create ONE digital asset
to create ONE asset (to be completed by 1 September) to be retained by the Manor (in the collections, including Learning & Outreach) or for disposal for fundraising purposes to benefit the Learning & Outreach Programme.

In return

The successful applicant will be offered a Residency over a period of seven months (April to the end of October 2024). This is an exciting opportunity for the MiR to foster a wider understanding of their craft and its heritage significance, to develop their practice and create new work whilst based at a site of international renown.

The MiR will be paid a fee of £300 per day (a proportion of the fee can be paid in advance)
£2,500 is available towards the cost of materials
An additional £3,000 is available towards travel/accommodation (to be claimed retrospectively on a monthly basis)
The MiR will be provided with a (fully accessible) small studio space with sink in the Learning Barn at the Manor
The equivalent of TWO days’ dedicated time with the Curator, who for research purposes can provide access to archive material and collections in store

Practicalities

The pattern for the residency is entirely flexible and will depend on the successful proposal. We ask that a substantial proportion of time will be spent in or around the Manor and site. As the Manor is a Grade I Listed Building certain site restrictions may apply. The project partners will seek to facilitate the MiR’s wishes where possible; however these restrictions should be recognised from the outset.

The majority of the buildings have step-free access, including the Learning Barn where the MiR will have their studio space. There is step-free access to the ground floor of the Manor, but access to the upper floors are via stairs only. We are committed to supporting any access requirements of the MiR and ensuring that there are no barriers to participation in the residency.

An agreement setting out the residency outcomes and commitments will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate in advance of the residency commencing. A DBS check will be required.

Management

On a day-to-day basis the project will be managed by Hannah Britton (Learning & Outreach Officer) and Carrie Marks (Visitor & Volunteer Manager).

Timetable

Online information session about Kelmscott Manor and the Residency – 25 January 2024, 4pm to 5pm (to attend please register here)
Deadline for applications – 12 February 2024
Interviews (to be held at Kelmscott Manor) – 4 March 2024
Appointment of MiR – 1 April 2024
Residency period – flexible between April and end of October 2024

Who is eligible to apply

Residents of the UK
Aged 18 and above
Member of Heritage Crafts (click here to become a member for £20 a year)
Practice an ‘endangered’ or ‘critically endangered’ crafts as featured in the 2023 edition of the Red List of Endangered Crafts
Have at least THREE years’ experience in your chosen craft

Information session

We will be running an information session to provide more details about Kelmscott Manor and Morris’ legacy, and to answer any of your questions, on Zoom on Thursday 25 January 2024, 4pm to 5pm. To attend please register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqc-muqDsvHtxGWLN91T86Y0mMYLcDs__n#/registration

Application procedure

Your application should consist of a 1-page proposal, a 1-page curriculum vitae and up to 6 images of recent work. Please also include the name and address of two referees, at least one of whom should be a professional contact.

Applications should be emailed to Kathy Haslam ([email protected]) and Hannah Britton ([email protected]).

Please ensure your application email has ‘Maker in Residence’ in the subject line and that it is sent to both of the contact emails specified here. The deadline for applications is 12 February 2024. If you encounter any difficulties with the application process, please contact Kathy or Hannah via email or telephone on 01367 252486.