International Artists Fellowships
Part of the Arts Council England’s commitment to individual artists
Sand Little Sand, Becky Edmunds, (still). Image courtesy of the artist.
International Artists Fellowships
About the programme
Across the arts there are few opportunities for professional artists to undertake international research free from the immediate demands of presentation or publication. Although geo-political forces are strong, presenting challenges for a programme such as this, the primary aim is to offer selected artists dedicated periods of professional research and experimentation within different cultural and geographical contexts.
Key Facts
- Over 250 artists have received ACE International fellowships
- In over 35 countries around the world
- With 100 different host institutes
- 28% of fellows are from Black minority and ethnic backgrounds
- Partnership funding levers in 40% of the total fellowship budget
- Fellowships range from 8 weeks to 1 year, with an average period of 3 months
Artists’ selection
The programme is not open application. Artists are selected through a peer nomination process organised by a designated co-ordinator for each Fellowship. The Fellowship Co-ordinators are art-form specialists working for the Arts Council, other agencies or individual experts. Artists are nominated against key criteria including: the artistic excellence of the applicant's work; the benefit to the applicant at this time in his/her career; the applicant's anticipated use of the knowledge and experience gained upon return to England and their adaptability and potential to manage the challenges of extended artistic research away from their normal lives.
A short-list is then sent to the host organisation which makes the final decision.
A small number of fellowships are advertised in specialist arts journals, newspapers, websites etc. Current and future adverts will also be displayed in the News section of this website.
How are hosts selected?
Fellowship Coordinators research potential hosts based on their existing knowledge, consultation with the British Council, websites, visits, direct contact with hosts and dialogue with artists and experts engaged with new and experimental practice abroad.
Using special guidance documents, each coordinator facilitates the fellowships within their art form, commencing with initial research into new hosts followed by selection of artists, grant processing, travel and visa arrangements and on-going pastoral support concluding with evaluation.
What is the core purpose of an Arts Council Fellowship?
Selected artists are offered fellowships primarily for practice-based research, experimentation and the development of new work in relation to the artistic ethos of international hosts and the cultural contexts of the countries in which they are based.
The programme aims to:
- Push the boundaries of what artists can experience both geographically and artistically
- Encourage and facilitate international exchange between the arts community in England and overseas
- Build artists’ professional careers through experimentation and collaboration alongside other international artists and within diverse cultures
- Establish new international artistic and funding partnerships, maximising resources and growth in the arts
- Put artists’ creative process and learning at the centre of the programme
- Continue to develop new relationships with worldwide arts centres exemplary in their field
Achievements
As a direct result of the programme participating artists are achieving unexpected and high profile gains with new work being presented in England and internationally. Each artist and host completes a detailed evaluation form before, during and after the fellowship, providing vital intelligence about the evolution and artistic impact of the programme.
The artistic and career outcomes of the fellowships are revealed in the artists’ personal statements on this website. Not all of these statements are yet available.
“The invaluable opportunity for artistic development and concentrated research offered by this three month fellowship has made a dramatic difference to my personal and professional development, informing new opportunities and pathways.”
Craig Vear, composer, Antarctic Fellow
Why is ACE delivering the International Fellowships Programme?
The Arts Council's International Policy published in 2005 sets as an ambition during the current and future funding period to ‘internationalise the arts’ and to embrace ‘international as a state of mind’. It commits us to the unique position of supporting the ‘artists right to roam’.
“Investing in artists and arts organisations to achieve excellent internationally recognised work and effective international networks”.
ACE International Policy
The future from 2008 onwards
The Arts Council’s International Artists Fellowships Programme will continue in its current form until March 2008. This is a transition year for the programme and we are currently working on how the International Fellowships will become part of the Arts Council’s core business from 2008/09. Information about the legacy of the programme will be available on the website towards the end of 2007.
Navigate to:
- > Key facts
- > Artists’ selection
- > How are hosts selected?
- > What is the core purpose?
- > Achievements
- > Why is ACE delivering?
- > The future
Links
- freefall publication >
- An Introduction by Tim Eastop >
- A Writer's View by Richard Dyer >
- Contact Us >
freefall publication
freefall: Arts Council England International Artists Fellowships 2001-2003 covers the experiences of 37 artists across the artforms who were awarded Fellowships between 2001 and 2003.
More on freefall >