Dandelion Flowers Ice Cream by Jorge Menna Barreto, LightNight 2019. Photo by Jake Ryan

Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest festival of contemporary visual art. Taking over unexpected and public spaces, historic sites and art galleries, the biennial has been transforming the city through art for over two decades. Our 12th edition will take place June - September 2023.

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Diversity and inclusion are core values at Liverpool Biennial. We welcome applications from all sectors of the community, including applications from people of colour, Black, Asian and minority non-white groups, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, people who identify as being LGBTQIA+ and others of any age who demonstrate the ability to contribute to our vision of a diverse and inclusive community

OPEN CALLS

Liverpool Biennial X SEVENSTORE Artist Bursaries

As part of a shared commitment to supporting local artists in Liverpool and Merseyside, Liverpool Biennial 2023 and SEVENSTORE are joining forces to offer three bursaries of £3,000 each for artists and creative practitioners between June – September 2023, within the 12th edition of Liverpool Biennial.

Liverpool Biennial x SEVENSTORE Bursaries are open to artists and creative practitioners who are specifically working with or interested in exploring practices of care - either thematically or through their approach, or both.

What we mean by ‘care’ can be very broad, and might include ideas around sustainability, accessibility, Queer and LBGTQ+ culture, BIPOC and race issues, fighting injustice, community or social practice and more.

We welcome applications from artists that meet the following criteria:

• Living and working in Liverpool or wider Merseyside
• Consider themselves emerging in their art career (e.g. practicing between 1-3 years outside of any formal education)
• There is no age limit, any age is welcome to apply
• No formal education or qualifications are necessary
• Any form of visual art medium is welcome to apply, including (but not limited to) sculpture, painting, printmaking, audio, film, live art, illustration or photography
• Are able to demonstrate a clear rationale for why they’d benefit from the bursary

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept applications from:

• Organisations or companies
• Full-time students
• Artists living outside of the UK
• Artists within 24 months of completing an undergraduate course
• Individuals who have received any Liverpool Biennial bursary since 2021

Artist collectives are welcome to apply, but please note that only one bursary will be allocated per successful application. We cannot accept multiple applications from the same collective or project.

How to apply:

• Provide a short overview of your proposed bursary activity (up to 40 words)
• Please provide an outline of your artistic practice (up to 100 words)
• Provide a full description of your proposed bursary activity (up to 150 words)
• Outline your budget (up to 100 words)
• Why is the opportunity crucial to your professional development at this time? (up to 150 words)
• Additional Links / Website / CV

Deadline for applications: Sunday 9th April 2023, midnight

Download the PDF information pack from the sidebar for further information.

Liverpool Biennial X British Council Biennials Connect Curators’ Week

As part of a shared commitment to enhancing learning and collaboration between UK and international Curators, Liverpool Biennial and the British Council are joining forces to offer 10 fully-funded opportunities to attend a Curators’ networking week, within the 12th edition of Liverpool Biennial.

This programme will consist of talks, workshops, performances, tours, trips and networking opportunities with national peers and artists which will aim to facilitate discussions around themes of care, emancipation, and joy from catastrophe - all central pillars of exploration within Liverpool Biennial 2023 - as well as bringing together working professionals across different countries to share skills and perspectives on curating. Applications are open to early to mid-career Curators living and working inthe following countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from Curators that meet the following criteria:

• Living and working in the following countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Uganda
• Consider themselves as early-career or mid-career (guidance for this is outlined below)
• Are working independently or within an organisation
• Are able to demonstrate a clear rationale for why they’d benefit from this opportunity
• Are friendly, generous and open in their approach, with a willingness to share, connect and learn from others
• Are over 18 years old.
• No formal education or qualifications are necessary

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept applications from:

• Organisations or companies (Curators working within organisations are welcome to apply, but must do so individually)
• Full-time students
• Curators living or working outside of the stated geographical areas
• Curators within 12 months of completing an undergraduate course

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted via online form here by no later than 11:59pm (BST) on Sunday 9 April 2023. (https://airtable.com/shrUWS3nOzO362GAj)

• Provide a short overview of your Curatorial practice (up to 100 words)
• Explain why is the opportunity crucial to your professional development at this time? (up to 200 words)
• Additional Links / Website / CV
• Remember to include your name, country and any access requirements you may have (a full access rider will be issued for successful participants)

Deadline for applications: Sunday 9 April 2023, 11:59pm (BST)

Download the PDF information pack from the sidebar for further information.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES 

MEDIATOR

Reports to: Front of House Coordinator

Responsible for: N/A

Department: Programme

Salary: £20,319 per annum (this will be calculated pro-rata dependent on contract start / end date and the contracted number of hours)

Contract: Full-time, Fixed Term 1 May – 30 September 2023. Shifts will involve weekends (normal working week Wednesday – Sunday) and some evenings when required

Location: Full-time working at Liverpool Biennial 2023 exhibition venues, and occasionally Liverpool Biennial office, 55 New Bird Street, Liverpool, L1 0BW

Deadline: Midnight, 2 April 2023

Interviews: 13 & 14 April

About the role

Mediators provide the vital resource for a meaningful and enjoyable experience for all visitors to Liverpool Biennial 2023 by giving a knowledgeable, motivated and proactive welcome. Mediators will be experts on Liverpool Biennial 2023 exhibitions and the city, responsible for the day-to-day running and forward facing aspects of the festival. They will support the core LB team in some aspects of delivery of the festival programme by completing administrative tasks.

These roles have been designed to offer paid opportunities for those interested in pursuing a career in the arts. We at Liverpool Biennial are committed to investing in the skills and talent of those who have a commitment to the Liverpool Visual Arts scene. Mediators will benefit from a 4-week intensive training programme ahead of the festival launch, where they will learn all about the festival, have opportunity to support installation and planning, and develop key skills through accredited training in First Aid, Fire Safety, Unconscious Bias, Evaluation and more.

The Mediators are responsible for ensuring the day-to-day provision of a high-quality mediation and interpretation service for Liverpool Biennial 2023. The Mediator team will take a forward-facing role, welcoming and interacting with audiences across Biennial venues and events and working alongside the Front of House Coordinator and Liverpool Biennial Programme Team to ensure that all visitors are offered a welcoming, safe and memorable experience.

Mediators will be responsible for maintaining, staffing and invigilating the venues, reporting issues and checking all equipment and facilities are adequate. They’ll be experts on the Biennial artworks and the festival, as well as the city of Liverpool, offering bespoke advice and tours to visitors to help them get the most of out of their experience.

In addition to the above, they’ll assist the core Biennial team in the delivery of the programme by supporting with administrative and runner duties where required. This may include working across different departments, including Programme, Learning, Development and Marketing teams, and helping with a range of diverse tasks.

Further details can be found in the job information pack in the sidebar.

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Reports to: Head of Programme

Responsible for: Interns and Volunteers

Department: Programme

Salary: £22,954 - £24,184

Contract: Part-time (2.5 days per week), Fixed Term (until 31 October 2023) Please note that Full-time hours (37.5 hours per week) will be required w/c 24.07.23 and w/c 31.07.23, to be claimed as TOIL as agreed with Line Manager

Location: Part-time office working at Liverpool Biennial office, 55 New Bird Street,

Liverpool, L1 0BW, with opportunity for occasional home working, depending on prior agreement of line manager.

Deadline: 16^th April 2023, midnight

Interviews: Thursday 27^th April 2023

About the role

This role is a part-time, fixed term role which will help sculpt, organise and deliver the Liverpool Biennial x British Council Biennial Connects programme. They’ll be responsible for the first group visit to Liverpool Biennial 2023, working closely with Biennial and British Council colleagues to facilitate a fruitful and impactful programme, alongside delivering one edition of our digital research journal Stages, and laying the groundwork for a year-round digital programme and evaluation.

Main Duties

Project Coordination

• Manage, coordinate and lead on aspects of the project, from planning through to delivery and evaluation
• Draft and produce an intensive, week-long programme of events and experiences for the Curator cohort which centres around the theme of LB2023
• Within the above, organise UK travel, catering, schedules, tours and tickets for 2x national trips for the cohort to visit other arts venues within the North of England during their time in UK
• Arrange all Curator accommodation and hospitality for in-person UK visit in August 2023
• Create bespoke schedules and welcome packs for visiting Curators and guests, ensuring access and/or dietary needs are considered and prioritised
• Book, contract and brief all venues and contributors (speakers, facilitators, performers etc.)
• Be the main point of contact for participants to answer any questions or needs, including being lead liaison during in-person visit to Liverpool
• Manage recruitment process of 15 Curators, including, liaising with marketing teams to promote the call out, and reviewing applications
• Research arts institutions, peers and prospective partners in priority countries to find opportunities to connect and expand reach of the programme
• Organise accessibility provision for the programme, ensuring it is prioritised throughout every step including (but not limited to) recruitment and interviews, travel and scheduling, and trips or events
• Be main point of contact with British Council team, ensuring they receive regular updates and are consulted on any necessary decision making or changes
• Work with Programme Team to ensure links with wider Biennial programmes and participants, where appropriate
• Supporting the Marketing Team by drafting, collating and copy-editing project information for open call, announcements, website, and Guide
• Research and remain knowledgeable on possible travel disruptions

Digital Programme

• Lead on delivery of one quarterly digital event, sustaining engagement and interest with participating curators, which includes a variety of cohort-led and networking/coaching sessions
• Support Programme Team in drafting future digital programme, including suggesting themes, events and contributors
• Lead on delivery of an edition of our online research journal, Stages, compiling and editing the participant-led research focuses, alongside invited texts and liaising with the designer

Finance and Administration

• Manage and maintain project budget, including working with Head of Programme to ensure all project costs are best value for money, that budget logs are kept up to date and POs and invoices are processed quickly
• Be responsible for monthly reconciliation of the project budget including monthly forecasting and credit card reconciliation, liaising with Finance Team to answer any queries
• Convene, attend and record meetings as required
• Liaise with all Biennial departments to secure a smooth flow of information
• Draft and update project schedules and planning documents to help ensure deadlines are realistically set, clearly communicated and the project is delivered in good time
• Support evaluation of the project through leading on the recruitment of an independent evaluator and compiling relevant quantitative and qualitative data

Miscellaneous

• Attend training and professional development opportunities as required
• Work within the context of Liverpool Biennial's Equality and Diversity policy, Code of Conduct Sustainability policy and other policies in delivery of internal and external service and treatment of employees alongside all other Company policies and the Staff Handbook
• Work occasional evenings and weekends as necessary, taking this as Time Off in Lieu (to be agreed in advance with the Head of Programme).
• Any other duties which may be from time to time allocated, commensurate with the nature and responsibility level of the post
• Working with Head of Programme to ensure all contractual obligations to British Council are upheld, with appropriate crediting of the partnership included across all public-facing activity

Further details can be found in the job information pack in the sidebar.