WEVAA Research and Development Fellowships and Bursaries: Successful applicants announced

As part of West Of England Visual Arts Alliance we are providing 3 years of Research and Development Fellowships and Bursaries to further the practice of Visual Arts in the region. This is through direct impact for the artists and arts workers selected, and the wider community as the outcomes of their R&D are shared through the process. We are proud to now announce who has been awarded the 2022-23 grants.

Research and Development Fellowships

Out of over 30 applications, 3 applicants were selected for fellowships worth £10,000 each to research and develop practice within various aspects of Visual Arts that will bring benefit to the West Of England area.

Art In Motion

Art in Motion Charitable Trust (AIM) is a not-for-profit participatory arts organisation based in Bristol, UK. AIM provides support and opportunities for a growing community of neurodiverse and learning-disabled artists to develop their artwork. Working in the public realm, they provide opportunities for artists to gain skills, knowledge and nurture their creativity. As a community of artists, they support and inspire each other to develop our work, engaging in a range of artist-led projects that we share with audiences through exhibitions, presentations, and screenings.

They advocate for the rights and inclusion of learning-disabled artists within the arts. They achieve our goals through working in partnerships with key arts organisations. They enjoy the challenges and creativity that comes through working collaboratively. The core activities they provide include a supported studio, artist development programmes, projects, exhibitions opportunities, workshops and events, networking, artist residencies, the publication and promotion of artists’ work.

AIM will be using the fellowship as a valuable opportunity to challenge assumptions about learning-disabled artists engaging in research and inform the inclusive development of the visual arts sector in the UK. Their work will consist of reflection, visual mapping of their research and learning disabled arts organisations, meeting with arts organisations and sharing the results of their research process online.

Lucy Badrocke

Lucy Badrocke is working with the community of Easton and Lawrence Hill to develop arts and cultural activity, which builds on a commissioning programme at Bannerman Road Community Academy. Working with partners including the school, Friends of Bannerman and Take A Part, the Fellowship will support the research and development needed to build the programme into as ustainable organisation that works collaboratively with residents to create new work and engagement opportunities.

Lucy Badrocke is a curator and producer with over ten years’ experience in leading and supporting the development of contemporary art projects. She has worked in a range of contexts including a major public arts institution through to a school and community run initiative; leading the planning and delivery of projects from ambitious commissions to embedded engagement programmes. At Arnolfini, she curated projects including a solo exhibition, offsite commission and publication by Richard Long, the first UK solo exhibition by Basim Magdy, an exhibition and publication by Willem de Rooij, a solo exhibition and a new commission by Josephine Pryde. She co-curated The Promise, which included offsite commissions by Assemble, Jenifer Kabat, Kate Newby, Jeremiah Day and Oscar Tuazon. Since 2107, Lucy has worked independently delivering a programme of public art commissions, including a new pedestrian area with artist Bahbak Hashemi Nezhad, designed collaboratively with local children.

Bath Art Depot

Bath Art Depot (BAD) is a collective of artists, architects and artist-educators who live in Bath. Conscious of the vibrant yet dispersed creative individuals/organisations that live and work in Bath, but aware of the city's lack of an arts and cultural hub, the aim of the collective is to develop such a site. Since the collective formed in late 2020 the Weston Island (a unique site on the river) has become available as a potential location for a cultural hub and the group has used this geographical location as a focus for their ambition. Through their work, the group and their plans for the island have gained support from: Wera Hobhouse, MP; Kevin Guy, leader of the council; local councillors; and, Sarah Crown, Arts Council England. Bath Spa University and Bath Bridge have also joined the conversation. Working with MA architectural students from Reading University and business students from the University of Bath, Bath Art Depot have started to re-imagine the site and establish a business plan. This early work with students models our ambitions to position learning at the heart of our plans.

BAD were awarded the fellowship as a collective to develop the plans for the arts and cultural hub for the city of Bath. They will use the fellowship’s time, space and support to grow engagement in the project through a series of open access pop up activities in the city. These activities will have a central focus on community. A series of consultations, workshops and talks will actively promote knowledge sharing and professional development for the creative communities in the city through inviting a series of relevant organisations/individuals to share their experience in events that are free and open to all. In addition, these planned activities will focus on building a broad inclusive community for the hub by working with local residents and groups.

Research and development bursaries

We are excited to say that 13 artists were awarded bursaries of between £500-1000 to further their practice and create a step change in their careers. Their projects cover a wide range of activities including working with the Gypsy Roman Traveller community, creating zines with neurodivergent people, travel to further project and practice, acquisition of equipment for new work, and community work in hyperlocal areas.

The selected artists are:

• Alex Farines
• Ama Dogbe
• Ben Hartley
• Cliff Andrade
• Finn Dovey
• Genevieve Davis
• Isaac Stacey
• Jonathan Kelham
• Katy Connor
• Rhona Iris
• Sam Francis
• Samantha Harvey
• Veronica Vickery

We will be checking in with all the artists in the coming months and look forward to telling you more about their work as the year goes on.

About WEVAA

Over the next three years, the West of England Visual Arts Alliance (WEVAA) programme aims to transform Bristol and the West of England into a place where the visual arts can thrive, providing critical opportunities and support to enable diverse local artists, curators and young people to develop their careers and achieve their potential.

Co-led by Spike Island and Visual Arts South West, the consortium includes partners Bath Spa University School of Art, Bristol City Council, The Brunswick Club, Creative Youth Network, Culture Weston, North Somerset Council and UWE Bristol. Our collective vision is for the visual arts community in Bristol and the West of England to be more progressive, sustainable and inclusive by 2024.