Creative Diversity Hubs
Application Form
Dear applicant,
Thank you for applying to the Essex Cultural Diversity Hub programme. The
commissions are for both individual artists and arts/ heritage organisations. You
must be based in the UK and your idea must have a focus on cultural diversity.
Please note that you do not have to be a BaME individual to apply.
Our definition of cultural diversity is taken from Arts Council England, encompassing
projects that respond to:
‘issues around race, ethnicity, faith, disability, age, gender, sexuality, class and
economic disadvantage and any social and institutional barriers that prevent people
from participating in and enjoying the arts’.
We will be making 2 commissions in total, each lasting 6 months. Each
commission is for £10,000. All art forms are welcome to apply. We would especially
welcome projects proposing to work with museums and heritage, although this is not
exclusive.
There is one commission available for an Essex-based artist or organisation and one
commission for an artist or organisation outside based outside the county.
If you are interested in making an application, please complete the attached
application form and return it to ECDP via email to FelicityECDP@gmail.com or by
post to Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Wharf Road, Chelmsford CM2 6YT. Please
note, we do not require a budget at this stage – we are interested in your ideas.
The deadline for applications is 5pm Wednesday 5th November. We will aim to let
you know the outcome of your application by Friday 7th November. We will make a
shortlist of up to 6 artists that will be invited to attend an informal interview with
ECDP to decide the final outcome.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 5th November 2014.
If selected for interview, you must be available for interview on Tuesday 11th
November.
If your project is successful at the interview stage, you must begin working on your
commission no later than January 2015.
Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, CM2 6YT
The Creative Diversity Hubs project is made possible through the support of Arts
Council England and Essex County Council.
Good luck with your application!
Indi Sandhu
Essex Cultural Diversity Project Manager
Indi.Sandhu@essex.gov.uk
Felicity Alwell
Essex Cultural Diversity Project Producer
Felicity.Alwell@essex.gov.uk
Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, CM2 6YT
CULTURAL DIVERSITY HUB RESIDENCY
FURTHER INFORMATION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Essex Cultural Diversity Hub (ECDP) is an arts and heritage organisation, founded
in 2008, that aims to provide sector and infrastructure development for Black and
minority ethnic artists and arts organisations in Essex and the surrounds.
Its activities span the entire cultural sectors, including museums, heritage, libraries,
archives and arts. Additionally, ECDP aims to enhance and facilitate the participation
and involvement of the region’s BaME communities in local arts and heritage
activities, and enable BaME artists and practitioners to access appropriate support,
showcasing and development opportunities.
Creative Diversity Hubs
ECDP is currently leading on a new initiative to create 2 Creative Diversity Hubs
across Thurrock, Southend and Tendring, Essex. The hubs will deliver 6 high quality
artistic opportunities to BaME artists and communities in Essex through a series of
creative commissions.
At the heart of the project is a partnership between arts, museums and libraries,
which will work together to commission and develop diverse artists and/or projects,
share platforms for exhibition, performances and workshops and widen audiences
through joint working and collaboration.
Each hub will support selected artists from a range of disciplines. Alongside the
commission, artists will also be offered a range of mentoring, networking and artistic
development opportunities. Each artist will work with their hub partners to develop
complementary engagement and outreach programmes. In doing so, artists will
receive space, time and resources to research and develop new ways of reaching
out to local audiences.
By the end of the project, the initiative will have achieved: 
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The production and presentation of 6 new artistic commissions focused on
cultural diversity, reaching over 20,000 people over 2 years.
A new network of platforms for presentation across the hub partnership areas
(Thurrock, Southend and Essex).
A vibrant community and digital engagement programme reaching over 1200
people over 2 years.
Dissemination of hub learning around audience development with, and for,
diverse audiences through a national symposium (planned for July 2015).
Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, CM2 6YT
CULTURAL DIVERSITY HUB RESIDENCY
FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do you mean by ‘cultural diversity’?
We welcome ideas for partnership work with BaME organisations, individuals and
communities in Essex in its broadest sense. This includes differences defined by
social and cultural categories including disability, race, age, gender, religion and
sexual orientation.
Am I eligible to apply for a commission?
The call is open to all but you must have a focus on cultural diversity. You do not
have to be based in Essex to apply, but you must be willing to explore working with
audiences in the county. You can either be an independent artist, a team of
collaborators or an organisation wishing to experiment with culturally diverse work.
I do not know Essex that well, can I still apply?
Some knowledge of Essex can be helpful, but we would expect to work with you as
to where your work will be shown. At this initial stage we are looking for broad ideas
and will work with each selected applicant on a 1-2-1 basis to develop their idea. If
you do not know the area very well please give us a flavour of the types of spaces
you propose your work to be exhibited/performed/shown in. We can support you in
this process if your idea is selected to go through to the next stage.
I am not based in Essex. How much time should I spend in the county?
We will expect you to spend some time in the county working directly with
communities. Whether this is as a workshop once your work is made, or a residency
period to create a larger piece, this is up to you.
What final outcome will be expected?
Experienced artists and arts organisations, producing high-quality work in any art
form are welcome to apply. The work you produce must be new work, for which
ECDP is the sole funder.
We will expect you to have made a final work in any art form that can be ‘toured’
through a network of our partners. You should think creatively about whether your
work will suit library, heritage, community or outdoor spaces or whether it is more
suited to traditional spaces such as a theatre. We will accept a proposal that focuses
on creating a ‘work-in-progress’ piece that can be developed further once your
commission period has ended, but would very much like the work to be as complete
as possible once the commission period has ended.
Can I submit a DVD or other documentation of my work as supporting
material?
No. Please only submit what is requested at this stage. You can submit web links in
the section asking for information on 3 recent projects.
Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, CM2 6YT
Does commission support a collaborative application?
Yes. We recognise that some artists may wish to work in this way however the
stipend and the maximum duration of the residency are fixed. Each commission will
last for 6 months.
What other resources are included in the residency?
Artists will receive specialist mentoring and training support from artform leaders
where appropriate. We will discuss this approach with you if your project is selected.
There is also additional financial support (within limits) to support touring, equipment
and workshops.
Does the residency constitute a job with Essex Cultural Diversity Project?
No. The residency is designed as a time-limited career development opportunity that
will benefit the successful applicant’s development as an artist. The successful
applicant will be responsible for their own National Insurance and any tax liability
arising from payment of the commission.
What type of work are you looking for?
The commission is open to any art form. Previous commissions made by ECDP
have included video installation, visual arts, dance, music, outdoor arts and theatre.
The deadline for applications is Friday 5th November 2014.
If selected for interview, you must be available for interview on
Tuesday 11th November 2014.
The successful applicant should plan to commence their residency
no later than January 2015.
Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, CM2 6YT