Artist Residency
The Chocolate Factory, 2014
Information Pack
Deadline Monday 25th November 2013, 12 Noon
Please ask us if you would like this pack in an alternative
format.
Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3
Who can apply? ................................................................................................................... 3
What will this opportunity cover? ......................................................................................... 3
Important Dates ................................................................................................................... 3
How to Apply........................................................................................................................ 4
Selection process ................................................................................................................ 4
About Shape ........................................................................................................................ 5
About Collage Arts and The Chocolate Factory ................................................................... 5
Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................ 6
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Introduction
This opportunity is provided by Shape in collaboration with Collage Arts. It is the first year
that this opportunity is being offered to disabled artists registered and active on the Shape
Artists website. The studio space will allow the selected artist to use the space to carry out
their artistic practice.
Who can apply?
To qualify for the Artist studio space at The Chocolate Factory you should:
 Consider yourself to be a disabled or Deaf person
 Have a registered profile with posts of your work visible on the Shape Artists
website
 Currently be engaged in a contemporary art practice
 Not be in full-time undergraduate or post-graduate education during the studio
residency period
 Be based in the UK and available to use the studio space in January – March 2014.
Applications can be made by individuals or those who work in collaboration or in groups.
For collaborative applications, all applicants must meet the eligibility criteria listed above.
Shape uses an inclusive definition of disability, based on the Social Model definition,
which, by focusing on the disabling barriers imposed by society, embraces all physical,
sensory and hidden impairments, learning disability, mental health and fatigue conditions.
If you have an impairment and have experienced access barriers as a result, then we
would like to work with you.
Further information about the Social Model of Disability is available on the Shape website:
(check link please) www.shapearts.org.uk/audiencesandtraining/social-model-of-disability
What will this opportunity cover?
The Artist studio space is intended to provide time, space and support for artists to work in
an open-ended way in order to devote time to the research and development of their
practice. This is supported by a cost-free accessible studio space in a creative
environment, The Chocolate Factory in Wood Green, London, and includes the
submission of a cost-free profile on the Shape Artists website which promotes artist
portfolios. Please note there is no bursary or fee attached to this opportunity
What will the studio residency include?
A three month free studio space will be provided at The Chocolate Factory from January to
March 2014.
Important Dates
25 November 2013, 12 Noon
29 November 2013
6th January - 30th March 2014
24 - 28 March 2014
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Applications close
Selection announced
Artist in studio space at Chocolate Factory
Artist posts overall review of studio time on the
Shape Artists website
How to Apply
You must submit:
 A completed Application Form
 A completed Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form
 A link to your Shape Artists website profile, containing your supporting material
(described below)
Please send your completed application by email to: shapeartists@shapearts.org.uk
You can submit as many examples of your work for consideration by the selection panel.
Support materials:
Please post all examples of your work on the Shape Artists website on your artist profile.
To create a profile on the Shape Artists website visit this link:
http://www.shapeartists.org.uk/loginregister/
Click on the pink ‘Signup’ button to create an account by providing the details requested.
Once your email is verified and your account is activated you can log in using the same
link provided above.
Further instructions on how to upload your work are available on the website once you
have logged in.
Work can be uploaded in varying formats including:
 Images
 Audio
 Video
 Links to the work on your own website, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
The work that you post on this site will be used to assess your application.
If you wish to receive help setting up your Shape Artist website profile because of your
access requirements, please contact us on shapeartists@shapearts.org.uk or 0207 424
7357 (voice).
Pre-application advice
We are unable to provide feedback on draft applications but we can address specific
questions if you feel they have not been answered within this Information Pack or FAQs.
Please e-mail any queries to shapeartists@shapearts.org.uk or phone 0207 424 7357.
Selection process
All eligible applications will be judged by a member of Shape and The Chocolate Factory
staff.If you require confirmation of the receipt of your application please state this in your
email when submitting your application. No applications (or support material) received
after the deadline 12 Noon on 25 November 2013 will be accepted.
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Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:


Evidence of how the studio space and time will contribute to the development of the
applicant and their work
How the time spent in the studio space will be documented on the Shape Artist
website
We aim to notify the successful applicant by 6pm on 29 November 2013, and will notify all
applicants by email (unless you have requested otherwise) after this date. Please keep us
informed of any changes to your email address during the assessment process.
Please note that for this opportunity it is the selected artist’s responsibility to organise and
finance all access requirements including transport for their time spent in the studio space.
Shape will support all applicants in the application process and ensure this is as
accessible as possible.
Complaints and appeals
All decisions by the selection panel are final.
Due to the high number of applications received, Shape and The Chocolate Factory
cannot give feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
Key terms of the residency
The Artist will be expected to participate in the following activities:
 Post at least once a week on the Shape Artists website
 Be involved in the documentation and promotion of the studio space opportunity,
including taking part in any press activity as requested by Shape and The Chocolate
Factory
 Provide evaluation of the opportunity
About Shape
Shape is a disability-led arts organisation working to improve access to the arts for
disabled people. For over 30 years we have been working with cultural organisations,
artists and audiences to develop disabled artists’ careers, help organisations become
more welcoming to disabled people, and enable more diverse groups of people to
participate in the arts. Shape is based in Camden, North London, and works locally and
nationally. Shape is supported by the Arts Council England.
About Collage Arts and The Chocolate Factory studios
The Chocolate Factory in Wood Green, London are a landmark development and a hub of
excellence for the creative industries in the UK.
The project started in 1996 when Collage Arts, an arts development agency, moved into
the Chocolate Factory on Clarendon Road and converted several derelict floors of the
factory into artists’ studios.
What followed was a high demand for creative space and in 2002, Collage Arts renovated
Chocolate Factory 2 on Coburg Road, next door.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be registered disabled to apply?
No. There is no longer such a thing as registering as a disabled person. Shape bases its
work on the Social Model of Disability which is not based on medical proof of disability. If
you view yourself as a disabled or Deaf person then you are eligible to apply. You do not
need to disclose details of your disability or any medical evidence as part of your
application. For a definition of the Social Model of Disability visit the Shape website:
www.shapearts.org.uk/audiencesandtraining/social-model-of-disability
My artistic practice is not related to disability. Can I still apply?
Yes. Applications are welcomed both from artists who work within a disability or deaf arts
context, and from those whose practice is unrelated to the experience of being a disabled
or Deaf person.
Will I be eligible for Access to Work* funding and support during the
residency?
It is the selected applicant’s responsibility for this opportunity to seek support in completing
an Access to Work application, if the support is necessary and it is relevant to his/her
situation. Shape anticipates that costs for support workers and/or equipment/technology
may be able to be funded via Access to Work.
*Access to Work is a government scheme which is designed to meet the additional costs
of employing a disabled or deaf person where they are directly a result of that person’s
impairments. For more information go to: www.gov.uk/access-to-work/overview
Will my access costs be covered?
Any access costs should be covered by Access to Work due to you status as a selfemployed artist.
My access requirements mean that it would make it difficult for me to be
physically resident at The Chocolate Factory. Can I apply to do an eresidency?
You are welcome to make an application which focuses on use of the internet and/or
social networks to facilitate your residency. However, being physically present in the studio
space and spending time alongside venue staff and other artists will offer greater
opportunities for you to develop and explore your own practice.
Do I have to be in the studio every day?
The amount of time you choose to spend in the studio space provided is entirely up to you
and will depend on your own personal practice. There are no set rules. However, other
similar opportunities Shape has provided have shown from experience that being present
in the studio space venue for as much time as possible has been very beneficial for the
artist. In particular, it has enabled them to work develop professional relationships with the
wider artistic community based in and around a creative environment.
Will I be penalised for submitting just one post on the Shape Artists website?
No, the work will be judged on quality and relevance, not the number of works submitted. It
is advisable to submit your best work(s).
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Can I apply with one or more collaborators?
Yes, but all individuals named as part of the application must meet the eligibility criteria
listed in the Information Pack.
If successful, the studio space will be shared in the collaborative area of your practice as
outlined in the application.
Can I apply as an individual as well as be part of another application as a
collaborator?
No – you can only be part of one application.
I don’t have any documentation of my work – can I still apply?
No. You need to able to show examples of your work to the selection panel using either
still images or video documentation.
I don’t have my own website – can I still apply?
Yes. But you must have a profile and at least one post on the Shape Artist website.
Can I submit a portfolio, reviews, publications or slides?
Please only submit the support material as outlined in the Information Pack.
Do I have to be an art school graduate?
No, you don’t need any formal qualifications to be eligible.
Please ask us if you would like this information in an
alternative format.
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