Blogs

The Burton at Bideford is seeking a socially-engaged photographer to work on a project with a group of women with complex needs. The project will use Historic England’s Janette Rosing Collection as a starting point.

We are excited to commission a socially-engaged photographer based in the South West to facilitate workshops with a group of women with complex needs. The aim of the workshops is to introduce the Janette Rosing Photographic Collection to participants, and use it as a starting point to explore themes of collecting, the landscape, the pastoral vs the sublime and rural histories. Through a series of practical photography workshops and photo walks, the group will develop new skills and creative engagement with landscapes documented in the collection. With the artist’s guidance, the group will learn how to improve their own photographs, through considerations in lighting and composition.

The appointed photographer will deliver 10 creative workshops, which will result in an exhibition at The Burton in 2026. The workshops will take place at The Burton, and will be supported by staff from The Burton’s Learning and Engagement Team and the charity Brave Spaces.

The Brief

The photographer will:

• plan and deliver 10 photography workshops.
  teach photography skills, and encourage experimentation. Participants will be using the cameras on their phones, but there’s an opportunity for experimenting with analogue photography methods if this fits the brief
• encourage the group to work on a theme, so that individuals end up with a body of work at the end of the 10 sessions.
• collaborate with the group to agree the best output for the final work.

Budget

Artist fee: £2,000
Artist travel and access budget: £500

Read more: https://www.burtonartgallery.co.uk/open-call-socially-engaged-photographer-2/

Image: Clovelly Harbour, Devon, c1885. Historic England Archive. 

Birmingham Colmore is seeking to appoint an outstanding visual artist for a paid, two-dimensional commission to create a design for a new public artwork. The artwork will use visual storytelling to communicate the contribution of early photographer George Shaw (1818–1904) to the development of photography in Birmingham.

Commission Fees:

• A small number of shortlisted artists will be paid £500 to develop a design that will be shared with a panel of experts and a public vote.
• The final selected artist will receive £3,000 to work up their design to the production stage, collaborating with the project curator and expert glass manufacturers.

George Shaw was a patent agent, chemist, photographer, and artist who contributed to civic life in nineteenth-century Birmingham. He was an expert in electrometallurgy, worked closely with manufacturers and industrialists, and shared technological expertise through public lectures and publications.

Coming from a family background in glass manufacture, Shaw advised inventors, created artworks in the landscape, and produced early daguerreotype photographs. He served as a juror for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and International Exhibition of 1862, vice-president of the Mechanics Institution, and Professor of Chemistry at Queens College on Paradise Street, Birmingham.

See more about the George Shaw project here.

The Commission Brief

The successful artist will create a design that reflects elements of George Shaw’s story. The design should be sympathetic to the heritage environment in which it will be installed. Please see the enclosed inspiration document for guidance.

We encourage a diverse range of applicants and are actively seeking applications from a wide range of individuals to reflect the diversity of our city.

Expression of Interest Requirements

Expressions of interest should include:

• An outline of your approach to the brief and sources of inspiration (300 words or a 3–5 minute video or audio recording – please contact Felicity Blades if you wish to submit your EOI in a different format).
• Images of previous artworks or rough sketched drawings that are relevant to the commission.
• A brief CV / bio.
• Links to view previous works or an online portfolio (website, Instagram, or other social channel).

We will hold an in-person workshop as an opportunity to ask any questions in a face-to-face environment. This will run on Wednesday 29 April at the BMI on Margaret Street between 12.30 – 1.30pm. Entry is open to anyone wanting to submit for this open call and free to attend.

Resources

• Inspiration Document PDF – download here.
• FAQ PDF: A downloadable document with further information about the commission and submission process will be available here.

The project team is Matthew Bott - Project manager; Dr Jo Gane - Researcher and curator; and elicity Blades - Marketing

Details: https://colmorelife.co.uk/george-shaw-open-call/

Image: Daguerreotype photograph by George Shaw, Francis Marrian, Die Sinker and Electroplater. c. 1844. Private collection.