Artes Mundi is seeking experienced artists to help deliver its Public  
Engagement Programme


Introduction
Artes Mundi is a biennial visual art initiative which is international 
in scope, recognising artists from across the world – artists who 
contribute in some way to our understanding of humanity.  The 
initiative comprises a shortlist of artists, a major exhibition of 
their work at the National Museum Cardiff, an energetic Public 
Engagement Programme, a partnership with the BBC, a publication, an 
international conference and a purchase fund (to buy work by some of 
the shortlisted artists).  This framework of activity aims to generate 
debate and discussion which reaches well beyond Wales and the UK.

While it supports and celebrates some of the world’s most exciting 
emerging artists, Artes Mundi is also committed to creating new 
experiences and participation opportunities for individuals and 
communities across Wales so that they too can explore the contemporary 
visual arts and their own creativity. The Public Engagement Programme 
(PEP) has several strands of activity :

• Schools programme, involving primary, secondary, special schools & 
teachers
• Public events programme, involving events and talks for the general 
public
• Debate & discussion programme, including an international conference
• Community involvement programme with groups across South Wales

Here we are advertising opportunities for artists to be involved with 
the community, namely:

• 4 – 6 artists to create activity and work with communities across 
South Wales
• 1 artist to devise a temporary event based installation in Cardiff

Working with Communities
Artes Mundi is looking to recruit a number of artists who will work 
with groups and individuals in different community settings to create 
activity and artwork.  It is anticipated that the resulting works will 
be sited for a number of months around the St David’s 2 redevelopment 
site in Cardiff city centre (www.stdavids2.com).  This activity has 
been initiated by Artes Mundi and supported by St David’s 2 Partnership 
to :

• humanise and stimulate a sense of ownership of the city centre
• assist in transforming the construction period into a positive 
experience
• provide a framework for storytelling the neighbourhood
• support the laying down of foundations for communities to re-occupy 
the site
• generate visual impact, spectacle and public activity
• encourage social responsibility and engagement

A number of different groups are currently being identified and being 
invited to be part of this activity.  They include :

• Young people outside formal education, in partnership with 
Fairbridge. Fairbridge supports 13-25 year olds who are not in 
education, employment or training, by offering them a long-term 
personal development programme. Fairbridge has three centres in Wales, 
situated in Cardiff, Swansea and Porth, and Artes Mundi will be working 
with young people from across the three Centres.(for further info on 
Fairbridge see www.fairbridge.org.uk)

• BME (black and minority ethnic) communities predominantly in Cardiff 
but also from the Valleys, Swansea and Newport. Artes Mundi has built a 
strong partnership with AWEMA (All Wales Ethnic Minority Association) 
and we are specifically targeting the Jamaican communities in Newport, 
Bangladeshi and Somali communities in Cardiff, the Chinese and Filipino 
communities in Swansea and Eastern European economic migrants in the 
Valleys to become involved.  While we are targeting specific 
communities the programme will be open to all and we are responding to 
wider interest from other groups and individuals. (For further info on 
AWEMA see www.awema.org.uk)

In order to achieve real quality we anticipate that participants would 
have about 40 hours contact with artists.  A starting point for the 
workshops will be a discussion of the theme of Artes Mundi (reflecting 
the human condition and adding to our understanding of humanity).  We 
anticipate a range of different media to be used, depending on the 
practice and experience of the selected artists and on the interest of 
the groups.  We have factored in resources for the groups to visit a 
contemporary art venue in their locality as part of the 
overall project.

At the end of the artist led activity it is envisaged that the work 
created would be be publicly shown, on a temporary basis, in Cardiff 
city centre.  The form these works might take and their suitability for 
display will be discussed in initial project meetings.  Finally we 
would hope to bring together the participants / groups to visit the 
Artes Mundi exhibition at the National Museum Cardiff at the end of the 
project.

The majority of workshops will take place between October 2007 and 
February 2008 with the public display of works to coincide with Artes 
Mundi’s exhibition March – June 2008.  A fee of £170 per day (for a 
minimum of the equivalent of seven days work) will be paid and the 
number of days may depend on the artist’s availability and the number 
of groups.  There is a separate budget for materials for the workshops 
and the installing of works.

We are asking for experienced artists to work with participants and we 
envisage that they will have :

• a successful track record of using creative and innovative methods of 
approach to engage people in contemporary art
• experience of delivering publicly sited artworks (temporary)
• an interest in Artes Mundi’s broad theme of the human condition

Artists working in any media are invited to apply.
Deadline for applications 3 August 2007
Shortlisted artists will be interviewed on 17 August 2007



Temporary Event based Installation

Separately artists are invited to apply for the role of initiating and 
leading on the creation of a temporary event based installation for 
Cardiff city centre.  Artes Mundi is keen to enable an event which 
engages people over a week and two weekends (approx) and provides a 
visible trace of activity.  An artist will be selected on previous 
experience and ideas previously realised.  After briefing discussions 
the artist will be invited to put forward a project proposal. The total 
budget for event based installation is £13,000. The artist’s fee will 
be £7,500, this will include time for devising and agreeing the artists 
proposal, implementation and time on site. The budget for materials is 
up to a maximum of £5,500.  It is envisaged that the event will take 
place in May or June 2008.

The event is intended to engage city centre users - shoppers and 
workers and provide an interactive and memorable experience.  Artes 
Mundi has appointed a Student Forum in collaboration with UWIC’s School 
of Art & Design Faculty, and they are keen to support the organisation 
of the event. (More than 10% of Cardiff’s population are students.)

We are looking for an experienced artist who will have:
• expertise of leading on interactive and engaging public projects
• the ability to relate work to site and place
• a track record of using creative & innovative methods of engaging 
people in contemporary art
• experience of delivering temporary sited artworks
• be interested in responding to Artes Mundi’s broad theme of the human 
condition / humanity
• be keen to create a project of imagination & scale

Artists working in any media (including film and performance) are 
invited to apply.

Deadline 3 August
Shortlisted artists will be interviewed on 21 & 30 August


Artes Mundi is an equal opportunities employer and therefore actively 
encourages applications from artists of all cultural backgrounds.

Applicants should submit:
• Current CV particularly outlining relevant experience
• Covering letter detailing which opportunity they are interested in 
and why
• A maximum of 5 images of relevant work (if sent by email please 
ensure that images are of a medium to small size)
• A maximum of two A4 sides outlining of proposed approach (event-based 
installation only)

Recruited artists will need to have their own Public Liability 
insurance.

Artists working with young people will be requested to complete an 
enhanced criminal record check in advance of leading workshops. This is 
standard practice when working with young people.


How to apply
Applications should be submitted by post to Liberty Paterson, Artes 
Mundi, A2.10, UWIC, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YB or email to 
libertypaterson@artesmundi.org


Artes Mundi is funded by Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff Council, 
Arts Council of Wales, BBC Wales and is working in partnership with St 
David’s 2, Public Art Wales, Fairbridge and AWEMA.


www.artesmundi.org www.awema.org www.fairbridge.org.uk www.stdavids2.com



Emma Boyd
Co-ordinator

Autograph ABP
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London EC2A 3JG

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