Future Forward 2

Deadline: 30 October 2009 at 12 noon (RECEIVE)

Future Forward 2
Mentoring Programme
Designer Maker West Midlands
Birmingham, England
January 2010 to December 2010

Designer Maker West Midlands (DMWM) is looking for three midcareer designer makers for ‘Future Forward 2’ a creative and market development programme.

Future Forward 2 is the second phase of an exciting mentoring programme tailored to the needs of mid-career designer makers from the West Midlands region. It offers mid-career designer makers (the mentees) the opportunity to be mentored by an arts professional who has knowledge and experience of designer makers practices and market opportunities. The aim is to support the artistic development, advance the quality of work and the ability to access new marketing opportunities of the selected mid-career designer maker.

The intention is for the mentor and mentee to work together to assist the mentee to develop their practice; making new work of artistic quality and to exhibit or engage with a project which will raise their profile regionally, nationally and/or internationally. The programme will provide focused discussion and regular one to one support (approx 9 x ½ days) from an experienced mentor over a period of 9-12 months.

The mentees will be awarded a bursary of £2100 for materials, promotion, marketing, travel expenses and will be expected to give a presentation at dissemination DMWM event.

Suitability

Applicants should fit into the following criteria:
• be designer makers based in the West Midlands
• practising as a designer maker for four years and beyond
• be able to make a commitment to the Future Forward 2 programme
• consider themselves to be at a mid-career stage
• have ambitious to be more critically engaged and/or aspire to be more innovative
• the work shows potential for creative progression and for positioning into new market opportunities
• already have an establish body of work which has been successfully marketed and/or sold regionally, nationally and possibly internationally
• have exhibited and sold at national fairs, outlets and shows
• have reached a level of recognition but find it difficult to more forward with their practice
• aspire to the development of new work and access new markets

Please email your questions to Natalie Cole info@designermakerwm.co.uk

For further details about the FF2 scheme and information on how to apply download the FF2 brief: designermakerwm.co.uk/FF2-mentee-brief [pdf]

Visit website: designermakerwm.co.uk/future-forward2

DMWM ‘Future Forward 2’ Mentoring Programme
Arts Council England West Midlands
82 Granville Street
Birmingham
B1 2LH