Open Call for Afterall Writer in Residence

Oct. 9, 2020

Afterall is inviting applications for its second Writer-in-Residence post. This opportunity is open to UK-based Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic writers who are currently underrepresented in arts research writing. The candidate will develop their writing and research practice over a six-month residency from December 2020 to May 2021. The appointment comes with a £5,000 stipend and mentoring support from Afterall’s editorial team.

The residency is a platform for the appointed writer to develop their research and writing interests in dialogue with Afterall’s team. Afterall’s aim is to provide a flexible opportunity suited to the resident’s practice. Three pieces of writing should be developed over the course of the residency period and will be published alongside commissioned essays, reviews and articles on Afterall’s website. The Writer-in-Residence is expected to work at least one day per week during the residency period. The location of the candidate’s working base will be responsive to how COVID-19 has impacted onsite working, which will either be in Afterall’s office at Central Saint Martins or at their home with communication occurring remotely.

Cover of Afterall Journal, Issue 49, Spring/Summer 2020 // Copyright Afterall Journal

Afterall is a Research Centre and publisher committed to exploring contemporary art and its relation to wider artistic, theoretical and social context. Applicants are encouraged to engage with Afterall’s website and other published material to gain an understanding of their content, which is informed by the close study of artworks and the context in which art is made, seen and exhibited.

Applicants are asked to self-assess their suitability for the residency as the appointment will be given to a writer who is at a stage of their practice where they will substantially benefit from a period of editorial and mentoring support and a platform for their work. Applicants are asked to submit a 500-word proposal for an essay on an exhibition or single artwork (1950s onwards) and an 800-word cover letter outlining current research interests along with how a residency with Afterall will aid the writer’s development.