No Jobs in the Arts Seeks Guest Curator for Issue #8

No Jobs in the Arts CIC are looking for a freelance Guest Curator to support and inform the delivery of Issue #8 of No Jobs in the Arts, an annual-ish zine celebrating visual arts. 

The self-titled publication series run by No Jobs in the Arts CIC has showcased early-career creative practices, in print and online, since 2018. Content for the publications is selected through a themed open call. Each issue of the zine offers a unique snapshot of emerging creative practices in the Midlands, guided by a Guest Curator. No Jobs in the Arts does not use any criteria to define early-career creatives.

Issue #8 of No Jobs in the Arts annual zine will feature visual artworks and interviews from a survey of early-career creatives, linked to the Midlands, UK, on the theme of social practice. They define visual art broadly as anything they can print. Issue #8 of the zine will tap into the industrial heritage of the Midlands, focusing on the region’s rich history of collaborative art practices, radical ideas and community engagement. Socially engaged practice, also referred to as social practice or socially engaged art, can be considered to include any art form which involves people, communities, collaboration or social interaction.

To support the successful delivery of this project, we are looking to work with a Guest Curator. We are seeking an early-career creative from, living in, linked to, or expressing an interest in working in the Amber Valley, Derbyshire. The Guest Curator will be coached and mentored through a paid placement with No Jobs in the Arts CIC. The Amber Valley includes towns such as Alfreton, Belper, Heanor, Langley Mill, Ripley, and also includes many surrounding villages and hamlets. 

This issue of the zine is supported by Make/Shift, a Creative People and Places Programme (CPP) based in the Amber Valley. The zine project will utilise our in-house formats and template. Previous issues of the zine can be viewed online (website). Physical copies of the publication can be found in public collections across the UK.

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Freelance contract Length: 11 days

Total Fee: £1250  

Start Date: November 2023

End Date: April 2024

Position: Entry-level

Location: Remote working, travel expenses are offered for in-person activity in Midlands, UK.

Application: https://tinyurl.com/2p9thnwd (deadline: 6th November, 11pm) 

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Guest Curator Role Description: 

The Guest Curator will work collaboratively with No Jobs in the Arts CIC (Ryan Boultbee and Charlie Collins) to curate and produce Issue #8 of No Jobs in the Arts. Working together, we will publish an open call, make connections with key distribution partners, select artists for the zine, generate interview questions, print, fold and distribute the zine across the UK, and promote the zine through digital platforms.

We think this could be a great opportunity for anyone seeking to gain experience in the arts, we are not specifically looking for candidates with curatorial experience. The role may be well suited to someone with their own socially engaged practice; an interest in socially engaged art practice; an interest in exploring Amber Valley’s creative sector; or a dedicated interest in tackling barriers to the arts.