Apply Now! Radical Sabbatical 2027 Residencies
Application Deadline: Friday 20 November, 11.59pm
Fee:
£3,500 Artist Fee + £500 Production Budget
Key Dates:
Tuesday 29 September, 2 – 4pm – Pre-application workshop and networking event for artists and academics. This event will be hosted on campus by University of Birmingham, with the option to join online. BOOK HERE
Friday 20 November, 11.59pm – Application deadline
Thursday 10 December – Interviews with shortlisted artists
January 2027 – Radical Sabbatical residencies begin
June/July 2027 – Final sharing event and evaluation
About the Opportunity:
Radical Sabbatical is a collaboration between University Collections, University of Birmingham and Eastside Projects which offers the opportunity for two artists to each undertake a six-month residency at the University of Birmingham centred on research and development. Artists will be matched with one or more academics from the University and supported by regular 1-2-1 conversations with staff in the University and Eastside Projects throughout the residency.
Radical Sabbatical 2027 will take ideas of touch as a starting point. Touch is fundamental to how we understand and navigate the world but is increasingly mediated, restricted, enhanced and reimagined through different technologies. We are interested in receiving proposals that interpret this theme from different starting points – potential areas of exploration include, but are not limited to:
- Haptic and sensory experience
- Embodied knowledge and learning
- Disability, accessibility and inclusive design
- Medical and healthcare perspectives on touch
- Digital touch and technology
- Materiality, making and craft
- Touch, memory, emotion and relationships
- Human and non-human forms of sensory connection
We are looking for proposals from artists that embrace curiosity, experimentation and collaboration, which interrogate and interpret academic research and pose new questions and ideas in creative and innovative ways.
Academics who artists could work with include:
- Claire Nutt – School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Dr Enrico De Luca – School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Professor William Purkis – Department of History
- Dr Massimiliano (Max) Di Luca – School of Psychology
- Professor Emily Wingfield – Department of English Literature
- Dr Ben Spatz – Department of Creative Industries
- Dr Zoe Schnepp, School of Chemistry
- Dr Amie Randhawa – School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
- Dr Rachel Sykes Department of English Literature
- Active Touch Lab
Download the full Radical Sabbatical 2027 Artists Callout to find more about the opportunity, including how to apply.
FAQ’s
Q: Do I work with just one academic?
A: Your proposal should indicate who you would like to work with, this may be one academic, but could also include multiple academics and research projects. We imagine the strongest applicants will be able to articulate a clear throughline from your current practice to your ideas for the residency and the academic/s you want to collaborate with.
Q: Can I work with an academic who is not listed here?
A: Your application should focus on a collaboration with one or more of the listed academics. However we recognise you may want to make connections with other academics as the residency and your research evolves. We will support you to make these connections but cannot guarantee unlisted academics will be available or open to collaboration.
Q: Should I know which academic or academics I want to work with?
A: Yes, you should have an idea of what academics and research you would like to explore. While its not expected you will know the research inside out, you should start to make connections between academic research and your ways of working in your application.
Q: How do I find out more about the academics?
You will find links to information about all the academics on Eastside Projects’ website. If you weren’t able to attend the Meet the Academics Pre Application Workshop you can request a copy of the event recording by emailing t.tighe@bham.ac.uk
Q: Will I definitely be able to work with the academic I write into my application?
A: Eastside Projects and University Collections will carefully match candidates during the selection process. While we will make every effort to support your proposal as submitted, flexibility may be needed to accommodate conflicting schedules and working commitments.
Q: Is the opportunity open to artist based internationally.
A: No, the opportunity is only open to artists base in the UK.