The Whitechapel Gallery brings modern and contemporary art and ideas to local, national and international audiences by providing a place for free-thinking, creativity and learning.

The Youth Programme works with young people aged 15 to 21. It offers both long and short-term opportunities to encounter contemporary art, artists, creative practitioners and peers.

The Youth Forum: Duchamp & Sons are a group of thirty young people who meet at the Gallery regularly. They make art, curate their own exhibitions and events, and have even staged performances on Whitechapel High Street. The Programme introduces new skills, practical experience and a behind-the-scenes insight into the world of a contemporary art gallery. It also seeks to raise aspirations and open up career paths in the creative sector.

Please submit:

• A one page A4 CV including your London home and/or studio address.
• Details of two referees
• 250 word artist statement
• 250 word proposal outlining specific interests and ideas on the theme Transition and Turnings to be explored with the youth forum.
• Portfolio: only one pdf file showing examples of relevant past work. This should be between 10 – 20 images or links to video/audio works, or a combination of both (e.g. 10 images and 5 links). The works should include short captions or descriptions.

Please do not send additional catalogues, photographic or other material in support of your application to the Gallery as it cannot be reviewed. It is also not possible to return any such materials to you.

All file names should begin with: LastName_FirstName_

Please submit only electronic copies of the above documents to the email address: youthopencall@whitechapelgallery.org, with the subject line: Artist Residency Opportunity. 

Deadline for applications:  Midnight on 26 November 2017.

Assessment

The selection of successful applicant will be based on the following criteria:

• Quality of the project proposal for the residency.
• Reasons for applying.
• Experience of working collaboratively.
• Expected impact that the residency will have on the Youth Forum’s development.

The final selection will be based on interviews with shortlisted artists led by the young people.

Eligibility

• The residency is open to artists who have completed either undergraduate or postgraduate degrees within the last three years (2014 -2017), and are not in education.
• Applicants should have a socially-engaged practice and experience of working collaboratively.
• Selected artist must live and work in the London Boroughs. These are: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, City of London, City of Westminster, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, and Wandsworth.
• The residency is open to individual artists. Unfortunately we cannot accept applications from artist-duos or collectives.

Call for entries: 6 – 26 November 2017

Shortlist notified: 15 December 2017

Shortlist interviews at Whitechapel Gallery: 10 January 2018

Successful artist notified: 12 January 2018

Working with the youth forum: 11 sessions on Wednesday evenings from January to May 2018. 3 sessions on Wednesday evenings from May to June 2018 leading to a public sharing event.

Exhibition installation: 7 – 11 May 2018

Exhibition dates: 15 May – 12 Aug 2018

Due to the expected high number of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email in December.

The final selection of artist will consist of a collective choice made by the Youth Forum, based on the submitted material and interview. This will be made in early January.

For further information about the application process, please contact:

Renee Odjidja, Swarovski Foundation Curator: Youth Programmes

youthopencall@whitechapelgallery.org