In Residence – creative and cultural residencies

The brief

Medway Place Board and Creative Medway are seeking two Medway-based creatives (working in any creative discipline) to develop a new piece of work in response to one of two Chatham High Street business, Gillingham Street Angels and Chatham Bowl.

The successful creatives will spend up to a month working with one of the businesses, its staff and/or volunteers and customers to develop and produce a piece of work which responds to the business, its history, people, customers and role in its local community.

The work which can be in any creative form, can be installed or take place inside or outside the premises subject to feasibility, budget and health and safety considerations. We are particularly interested in proposals which create work in partnership with or provide opportunities for involvement from local people connected with the business.

The brief is a pilot project exploring how business and creative partnerships can support footfall and boost spend in local high-street businesses in response to the Creative Medway Cultural Strategy. The work will be supported by promotional activity carried out by the We Are Medway Place Board.

In addition to creating new work, we are open to creatives using the business to showcase existing work in response to the brief. We are particularly interested in hearing from early career creatives or those from marginalised backgrounds.

Timeframe

About We Are Medway Place Board

The We Are Medway Place Board was established in February 2017 and is a placemaking group that brings together key stakeholders, community representatives and relevant expertise to shape and oversee the direction of Medway’s place strategy, with the goal of putting Medway on the map. Our Place Board members are advocates for Medway’s story and champion Medway’s creative and cultural sector.

Medway Place Board runs the Medway Champions Network a unique community of residents, businesses, voluntary and public sector organisations. The network empowers individuals to be confident and proud ambassadors for Medway, identify solutions to local challenges and share good news stories.

Creative Medway

Creative Medway is a community and creative sector-led organisation delivering the Creative Medway Cultural Strategy 2020-2030 in partnership with Medway Council. The core purpose of Creative Medway is to support and promote our creative sector by building an informed and empowered community made up of those with an interest in creativity and culture. Creative Medway identifies opportunities and challenges facing our creative sector and creates agreement around action to be taken, acting as a catalyst for positive change.

To find out more about Creative Medway visit their website.

@creativemedway

About Gillingham Street Angels

Gillingham Street Angels (GSA) is an award-winning grassroots charity which has helped thousands of homeless and vulnerable people. Founded by Neil and Tracy Charlick in 2018, GSA’s mission is helping the homeless, members of our community, and vulnerable people of all ages in the Medway towns and surrounding areas.

From their Gillingham foodbank, they supply food parcels including fresh food and they run services available to anyone in need of extra help and support including facilities to wash and dry clothes and bedding for the street homeless and help with form filling and applications. They work daily with local authorities, other charities and the police to aid anyone referred for help.

They have a volunteer-run allotment in Gillingham growing sustainably-sourced food for the meals they provide. They are part of the Medway emergency food project Medway Food Partnership run by Medway Council, set up during the pandemic to help Medway people, including eligible children with free school holiday lunches.

Their team of dedicated, resilient, perseverant volunteers are the heart and soul of the organisation.  Having taken over the old Argos on Chatham High Street, they are keen to grow awareness of their work in Chatham.

For more information visit their website.

Chatham Bowl

Chatham Bowl is a centre that offers more than just bowling, with pool tables and arcade games for the whole family.  They offer 16 bowling lanes featuring intelligent multicoloured lane lighting which are perfect for birthday parties, social gatherings with friends or family outings. They are a much-loved pillar of Chatham’s city centre and are staffed by a dedicated team of local employees, but have struggled in recent years to compete with out-of-town centres.

Chatham Bowl would like to celebrate their role in Chatham’s community, driving footfall to their venue and increasing awareness of what they offer local people at the heart of Chatham.

More information, visit their website.

The budget
A budget of £4,000.00 is available for each of the two commissions and is inclusive of all engagement, materials, installation costs, fees and expenses.  While we understand the split between time and materials might look different across artforms or types of activity, we are looking for creatives to pay themselves fairly at or above relevant industry rates where they exist.

How to respond to the brief
Please send a brief response in either written or video format, no longer than a side of A4 OR 5 minutes recording detailing succinctly:
1. Your practice including details of any previous relevant commissions
2. Which business you are interested in working with and why
3. A high-level outline of the work you would like to create
4. A high-level indicative overview budget including fee and materials
5. Any access needs you wish to make us aware of

With your response please attach or link to up to eight images, videos or recordings of recent work.
Responses should be sent to virginie.giles@medway.org.uk by 5pm on 12^th April 2023.

The selection process
Responses will be shortlisted and shortlisted creatives will be interviewed by a panel consisting of the businesses, Medway Place Board and Creative Medway.

This work is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.