Arts Council of Wales, in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales is pleased to invite visual arts organisations (galleries, commissioning and presenting organisations) based in Wales, to find out more about a new and unique 2-year programme.

Perspective(s) will match a visual arts organisation with one of Amgueddfa Cymru’s seven national museums.  The programme will see creative professionals from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds working with a museum partner and a visual arts organisation, to create new work and displays.

The creative professionals will explore, question and challenge current ways of thinking within the organisations. They will also engage with community groups to discover new perspectives and stories, aiming to bring about change at an individual, community, and organisational level.

With partnership and co-production at its heart, the two-year period will include a series of public events, creative interventions, exhibitions and displays across Wales. The aim is to help build a visual arts and heritage sector that is fairer, more equal and representative.

A grant of £60,000 will be offered to seven visual arts organisations to cover a two-year period from April 2023.

To find out more about Perspective(s), join the team from Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales for an online session at 3pm on Monday 27 February 2023.  Welsh-to-English translation and BSL interpretation will be offered. Book your space by clicking on this Eventbrite link.

Applications will open on 1 March 2023 and close on 8 March 2023, at 5pm.

Full guidelines are available HERE.

Perspective(s) responds to the commitments made in the Widening Engagement Action Plan, jointly published by Amgueddfa Cymru and Arts Council of Wales in February 2022. It is part of the Welsh Government’s commitment to deliver on the goals of the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.

Further details:

Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru want to support visual arts organisations that are committed to working with inspirational creative professionals and in engaging with diverse communities. 

Working together, the visual arts and museum partner will commission a creative professional to create new work and support them to be an agent of change.

The creative professionals could be artists, makers, curators, writers or others working in the visual arts and based in Wales.

Key elements of the programme include:

  • Seven visual arts organisations to be selected through an open call process.
  • Visual arts organisations will be matched with one of seven Amgueddfa Cymru museums, to form a partnership.
  • Each of the visual arts organisations, in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, will co-design a call-out to commission a creative professional, managed and contracted by the visual arts organisation.
  • The 2-year period will include a series of public events, creative interventions, exhibitions and displays across the visual arts organisations and the museums.
  • Four networking events will be held during the project that will involve the creative professionals, the visual arts organisations and museums, and may include other groups and stakeholders.
  • Evaluation will be led by the Arts Council of Wales in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru and will aim to share learning to the sector to help deepen understanding and experience of the work.

The commissioning of the creative professional is to be targeted to support individuals who identify as culturally and ethnically diverse. We define ‘culturally and ethnically diverse’ as:

  • Anyone from the African, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, Latino, Eastern European or Middle Eastern diaspora in Wales
  • Anyone who identifies as being from an ethnic group that is not exclusively White
  • Anyone from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities

In addition to this priority, we expect the commissioning opportunities to support applications from individuals who may face barriers due to their sexuality, social and economic background, or identify as Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent.

What will the funding support?

A grant of £60,000 will be offered to the visual arts organisation to cover a two-year period from April 2023. 

This funding is provided to support:

  • A commissioning fee of £25,000 to appoint a creative professional for an estimated 100 days over two years.
  • A budget of £35,000 for activity with the visual arts organisation to enable engagement, development, production and presentation of the work with creative professionals.

Amgueddfa Cymru will hold a separate facilitation budget for events, interventions, displays and exhibitions.

There is a discretionary budget to address any specific access requirements, including caring responsibilities. These costs would be additional to the total grant.  Activities related to engaging participants are not covered by this additional fund.

Who can apply?

Perspective(s) is open to visual arts organisations working and based in Wales.  

You should:

  • Have an established track record in commissioning creative professionals and presenting visual arts work in Wales with a minimum experience of 3 years.
  • Be at a point in your work to significantly benefit from the learning and development offered by this opportunity.
  • Demonstrate a genuine commitment and capacity to particate in collaborative working.
  • Have a clear rationale for wanting to participate and how your organisation will potentially benefit.

Visual arts organisations that are not gallery based can apply if eligible and meet the programme criteria.

You do not need to outline a specific project within this application. This will be developed in collaboration with the creative professionals following the commissioning stage.  

The submission will need to include your rationale for applying, information about your track record and examples of your organisation’s work and your capacity to participate.  Indicate if you have a preference to collaborate with one of the seven Amgueddfa Cymru museums.  You will also need to provide an indicative budget.

A panel made up of people from Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru and invited members will be responsible for selecting the seven visual arts organisations.

Decisions will be communicated by week beginning 20 March 2023.

To find out more please attend the Induction session on 27 February at 3pm.