ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART | ROSETTA ARTS
‘Custom House, Our House’: Intergenerational Voices on the Impact of Community-led Regeneration
Call for Applications: Young Photographer Commission
Royal College of Art are seeking to commission a Newham-based young photographer to produce photographic portraits of up to 12 oral history interviewees for public exhibition and publication. The Young Photographer Commission is managed by Rosetta Arts and part of a heritage project that will take place in 2024–2025, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Brief
This is a paid professional practice opportunity for a young person who lives and/or works in Newham, whose photography will bring significant value to the heritage project. The successful candidate will receive oral history training, ongoing support from Rosetta Arts, and a mentorship with established photographer Chris Dorley-Brown. The young photographer will produce up to 12 photographic portraits of interviewees and have their photographs exhibited, published and archived.
Selection criteria
We welcome the following (and will select a candidate based on the following criteria):
- Demonstrable skills and imagination in photography – quality and integrity of process and production;
- Enthusiasm for heritage and currently live/work in Newham;
- Aged between 18 and 30 years, and potential transformational impact of the commission on candidate’s photography practice;
- Passion for working with people from a wide range of backgrounds (especially with young people and elders, Black, Asian and Mixed ethnicity individuals, and working- class people);
- Abilities in working independently and as part of a team, meeting deadlines and achieving goals, communicating clearly and in a timely way
Fee
- 10 x days (paid above £194.93 p/d, new graduate photographer, Artists Union England): £2,000. This covers attendance at meetings, training events, and visits required of the candidate, as well as time to research and produce the photographic portraits of interviewees required by the heritage project;
- Production budget: £500 (for materials related to the photography commission);
- Payment schedule: 3 installments (upon signing the contract, upon completion of photographs, and at end of project evaluation);
- Travel and expenses for specific agreed events;
- Additional budget will be available for the printing and display of photographs for exhibition.
Commitment and timeline
- The successful candidate will need to be ready to start working on the project in September 2024;
- Engage in onboarding, receive training and support from Rosetta Arts and attend up to three (1-hour) mentor meetings with photographer Chris Dorley-Brown;
- Attend a heritage project launch at Custom House Bookshop (2 hours, 28 September 2024);
- Attend two visits to Newham Archives (2 hours per visit, October 2024 and July 2025);
- Receive Oral History Training with heritage project staff and volunteers (1 day, 12 October 2024);
- Share ‘work in progress’ photographs and receive feedback from heritage project staff and volunteers at a co-design workshop at the Royal College of Art in January 2025 (1 day);
- Contribute to evaluation processes (2 x 0.5 days, January and July 2025);
- The final photographs will need to be complete by February 2025 (for the printed and digital publications);
- The final photographs will need to be printed and ready to show to audiences by May 2025;
- Be supported by Rosetta Arts to help install the photographs and heritage project outputs at The Humble Gallery in June 2025, and attend the exhibition PV;
- Optionally contribute to assisting in planning and delivering the heritage project public engagement programme (e.g., school/community engagement workshops and ‘in- conversation’ events), in consultation with Rosetta Arts;
- Opportunity to meet RCA artists and designers at RCA 2025 exhibition in July 2025;
- Some flexibility in work pattern is needed, as the successful candidate may be required to attend events during evenings and/or weekends.
Apply
Applicants are requested to submit a short statement in an accessible format (written, audio or video, up to 500 words or 2 minutes duration), a 1-page CV (including any previous photography experience), and up to 5 images/web links of their photographs, telling us how you would approach the project – please speak to each point of the selection criteria above to demonstrate your suitability for the commission. (Images up to 2MB each, video or audio statement up to 10MB.)
Please email your application with the subject line ‘Custom House, Our House’, Young Photographer Commission to Rosetta Arts: info@rosettaarts.org
Deadline for submissions: Monday 17 June 2024, 10am
Interviews will take place (in person) at Rosetta Arts on Monday 1 and Friday 5 July 2024, with the successful candidate informed a few days later (you will be asked to bring proof of eligibility to work in the UK, such as your passport). A contract detailing the terms of the commission (in accordance with the Heritage Fund grant agreement, Rosetta Arts, and Royal College of Art) will be issued for all parties to sign.
