Artist House 45

Live Work opportunity

East Street Arts, Leeds UK

£14,100 One year bursary
Deadline for Applications:
Tuesday 28th August 2014
(Interviews on 2nd September.)

East Street Arts has announced the development of the first live/work unit for artists in Leeds in partnership with Leeds City Council. Artist House 45 offers a unique opportunity to be involved in a pilot project, pushing the boundaries of socially engaged practice and community activity.

Artists House 45 is located in a traditional two-bedroom, back-to-back home in the residential area of Beeston, Leeds. Owned by Leeds City Council the property had been unoccupied and was renovated by East Street Arts who have secured the house and will rent it from the Council for five years.

The opportunity to change the building into a creative space has been developed in partnership with Leeds Empties, Esmee Fairburn and another grant giving trust is also providing support for the community engagement projects.

Artist House 45 will create opportunities, encourage sustainable projects, and house an artist. Local residents will be encouraged to become co-producers of the artists’ projects with an opportunity to unlock and share experiences, learning, resources and relationships.

East Street Arts is looking for an artist or collective of two, who have an established, socially engaged practice. The selected artist/s will receive House 45 for £284/month and receive a bursary of £14,100 to support them working 3 days a week responding to the local area and communities. This is initially a one-year agreement though an extension may be negotiated.

Since 1993 East Street Arts has been working with and supporting visual artists across the UK. Founded in Leeds, it has an interest in working outside of the conventional structures of the art world and actively engages artists within communities, civic spaces and in the public realm.

Artists have previously been offered short-term residencies in Europe and the UK through the organisation; East Street Arts is now developing long-term working relationships with artists and communities in the Leeds area.

Artistic Director Karen Watson said: “Artist House 45 is a new kind of space for the residents, workers and visitors of this area of the city. The project is unique; we have researched and visited spaces in Belgium and Holland, but have not found anything similar in the UK. We want Leeds to be the first place in the country to transform residential areas through the combination of artists’ living and work spaces.”

For further information or to apply please submit a CV, artist statement and examples of relevant past projects to: nicola@esamail.org.uk