The Tetley has announced The Tetley Jerwood Commissions, which provides three Northern artists with the opportunity to develop a body of work, or curate a group exhibition at the renowned Leeds gallery.
Jerwood Arts, one of the leading funders for UK artists, is supporting the programme through their Development Programme Fund.
Nominated artists and curators were shortlisted and the final three selected by: Eoin Dara, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Zoe Whitely, Chisenhale Gallery, and Bryony Bond of The Tetley.
Those selected are:
Emily Hesse, Samra Mayanja and ROOT-ed Zine
who will have the support of a mentor, a budget for research and development as well as production, and institutional backing. The three will be able to transform their practice as they reach new networks and develop a high profile exhibition.
Emily Hesse: – An exhibition commission will centre around a project in development with academic Andrea Phillips, The Witches Institution, which Hesse describes as:
“a collaborative series of experimental works, discussions and experiences that aim to think about, in this current moment of hypocritical political structures, what a cultural institution run by alternative magic could physically manifest as.”
Samra Mayanja:
Development of a new body of work from a solo expedition around the UK in search of materials to make bark cloth, a Ugandan fabric.
ROOT-ed Zine:
Development of an exhibition entitled Past (Retrospect), Present (Reality) and Future (Reform), The exhibition will feature work by emerging BIPoC artists from, or based in, the North West of England.
They said:
“This year has been turbulent for many and has made a lot of us pause and reflect on the Past, the Present and the Future. During the chaos we’ve also been reflecting, and have noticed centenary cycles of oppression and want to preserve this knowledge in order to disrupt the cycle and make change.”
Over an 8 month period, the three will also have regular studio visits and meetings with The Tetley team. They will also have the opportunity to meet one another to share developments and to receive peer support.
The next phase will be production, where supported by The Tetley team, exhibition planning and installation as well as marketing will take place.
In the final phase, critics and curators from outside the region will be encouraged to visit and meet the creators.
The three final exhibitions will be hosted at The Tetley, Leeds during 2021-2022.
Photographs provided by Chapter 81. Feature photograph EHesse. TheOldWife.
