Longhouse is currently looking for applications from artists who wish to undertake a period of action research.

There are 5 bursaries available for 2010/11. Each bursary will run from October 2010 – March 2011.

Artists are required to use the bursary to pro-actively discover new contexts for their work via the exploration of different approaches to socially engaged practice in the public realm.

In the spirit and rich tradition of past Action Research programmes all participating artists will be encouraged to test their current creative practice through intensive investigation, reflection and understanding of what is meant by, and the reality of, the ‘public realm’, especially in the current climate of ‘Big Society’, new forms of regeneration being needed and the slowing of capital investment.

We are inviting applications from artists for action research proposals under the umbrella theme of ‘connections’ – how artists and cultural activity can make connections between people, people and place (physical and metaphorical), and between people and knowledge all relating to the current climate and context of regeneration and the public realm.

We are doing things slightly differently this year and we have appointed a lead artist/mentor , Scott Farlow (www.scottfarlow.co.uk), to support the five bursary artists through one to one meetings and three group workshops which will enable the artists to apply their learning to a ‘real’ place and brief.

If you are interested in applying for this opportunity download the full brief and information here.

Closing date for applications is Friday 17 September 2010.

Check back in October to find out who this year’s Action Research Artists are or follow the link for more information on previous Action Research Bursaries

Interrogation: West Bromwich is a project devised by Longhouse and lead artist Anna Francis. It is designed to investigate the impact of short, sharp interventions within the public realm.

INTERЯOGATION: WEST BROMWICH explores the impact that one artist can make in one place, in one day.

The programme aims to look at what impact an artist can make by working quickly and responsively to a specific site in just one day, and provides opportunities for artists to work together within public realm spaces.

Building on the success of last year’s Interrogation: Walsall, (www.interrogation-walsall.blogspot.com) where the emphasis was on exploring how an art gallery can connect with public realm space, the concern this year will be to investigate how artists are ‘bridging the gap’ between people and cultural activity as well as gaps in infrastructure, regeneration and consultation processes. This will be done through four interrogation days using four different methodologies:

INTERЯOGATION: ACTION RESEARCH (taking place on 08/09/2010)

INTERЯOGATION: PARTICIPATION (taking place on 15/09/2010)

INTERЯOGATION: SITE SPECIFIC (taking place on 22/09/2010)

INTERЯOGATION: INTERVENTION (taking place on 29/09/2010)

Each interrogation day will have a specialist mentor who will have expertise and knowledge in that particular day’s methodology to help guide artists through their mission.

Each ‘interrogation’ will last a full day and will see artists learning about different approaches to each of the methods and then planning their own approach, supported by the guest artist and Anna, and going in to the town centre to put theory into practice, interacting with the public of West Bromwich.

Each ‘interrogation’ will produce a set of evidence and information which will be displayed in Interrogation HQ, (otherwise known as Unit 26, Community Artspace (next to Boots, Queens Square Shopping Centre, West Bromwich), to build up a picture of West Bromwich and the role the artist can play in ‘bridging the gap’.

There will also be a conference event to disseminate the findings of the programme and to share our approach with other artists and regeneration professionals alike on Friday 1 October 2010 at the Community Artspace from 1pm. If you would like to come along email chloebrown@multistory.org.uk

For information on how are plans for Interrogation:West bromwich are progressing visit Anna’s blog.

Or to see our live blog during each of the missions go to the Longhouse blog.

Regeneration is everywhere, in the posters, billboards, and banners around the town centre of West Bromwich, the building sites of Tesco and Sandwell College, and in the new art centre, The Public, which can be seen from almost every spot in town. But, what exactly are those developments called ‘regeneration’? What’s going on and what is it good for? Who decides? How can those who live and work here find out about this, or influence what is happening?

With a stall in the indoor market from April to October 2010 as our research centre, we are asking such questions about regeneration in the town centre of West Bromwich.

Following a launch and seminar in 2009, a range of artists and researchers are now contributing to the investigation, amongst them Cody Lee Barbour, David Berridge, Céline Siani Djiakoua, John Dummett, Susan Fitzpatrick, Anna Francis, Neil Gray, Michelle Letowska, Leo Singer, Manu Luksch, Heather Ring, and Urban Research Collective.

Black Country creative advantage is a  partnership of the Centre for Art, Design, Research and Experimentation at the University of Wolverhampton and Multistory in West Bromwich. We are supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

For news and more detailed information see our blog: www.blackcountrycreativeadvantage.org

or join our e-group: http://groups.google.com/group/investigation_creativeadvantage

Contact: Monika Vykoukal, Curatorial Research Associate, University of Wolverhampton

Post or Visit: Stall 42, New Market Hall, Kings Square, West Bromwich B70 7NW, Monday – Friday  9am – 4pm (most weeks)

Email: M.Vykoukal [at ] wlv.ac.uk

‘Phone: 07967230880