"Being part of Circus is fun and rewarding, we get to work on stuff which has a wider impact, we learn and challenge ourselves. Being in a group gives us strength to achieve greater things, but mostly we get to spend time with like-minded folk."

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Established in Inverness, in 2019, CiRCUS ARTSPACE is an voluntary artist-run initiative and graduate support programme. Over the past 3 years we have been committed to building public and participatory programmes around contemporary visual arts in the Scottish Highlands. We are a voluntary collective of practicing, professional artists and producers working across many different disciplines including painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, performance and participatory work. Going forward we want to amplify a wider diversity of voices, places and experiences and promote equity, with a particular focus on non-dominant narratives and communities.
 

Our values

1. To promote contemporary art as an integral part of culture in the Highlands;

2. To embed an artist-led ethos in all we do;

3. To value aspiration over previous experience;

4. To develop a community of support, experimentation, exchange and ideas;

5. To develop inclusive experiences which embrace diverse communities;

6. To encourage sharing of values and collaboration between art forms.

 

How we work

We believe that being part of the CiRCUS ARTSPACE committee is a constant collaborative learning experience and no prior knowledge of working in an arts organisation is required. The role is a demanding one, but also a unique opportunity to explore your interests with a supportive group of artists and practitioners. As a community of practice the committee works together non-hierarchically to deliver a public programme, developing each aspect through conversation, mutual support and consensus. Work is shared based on committee members’ skills, available time and a willingness or desire to take something on. We try to share responsibility for all work areas as much as possible, but usually have one or two lead artists overseeing each project. 

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What we do

The CiRCUS ARTSPACE committee work collaboratively to produce a yearly programme of exhibitions, artist residencies, talks, workshops, events, community projects and peer learning. We enjoy bringing people from our broad audience of ages and interests together to create memorable experiences. Our aim is to develop events which are inclusive and build on these highly valued moments of commonality and community.

See our What's On for a list of past events and Projects for some of our current work.

 

Who are we looking for? 

We are looking for professional visual art practitioners based within the Inverness area initially for a 2 year period. CiRCUS ARTSPACE seeks motivated individuals interested in collaborative learning with a passion for contemporary visual art. We are keen to hear from practitioners at all stages of their career, however we are unable to take on members who are currently in full time education.  If you are currently in part time education, for example a masters, then please consider if you have the capacity to take this on.

 

What's involved?

Committee members are engaged in every aspect of running the programme including curation, events management, fundraising, marketing, learning & workshop/outreach delivery and administration. You will gain essential professional development experience as well as developing skills applicable to your own artistic practice. 

 

We would like to emphasise that this is currently a voluntary position, although we are in the process of developing our operational structure. Each year we review our own positions on the committee and the direction of our programme. The committee seek to be remunerated for some of our labour in the future but this is currently funding dependent. The time commitment varies depending on circumstance but 2 - 7 hours a week is about average, with a weekly online team meeting (currently Tuesdays at 3pm) & varying responsibilities around the dates of programming activity. There are also in person studio sessions once a month in Inverness. 

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How to apply

Please send us:

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1. a short written expression of interest (max 400 words) that states your interest in being a part of our artist-run organisation and what you would wish to bring to the committee; 

2. an artistic CV (maximum 2 pages). There’s no specific experience we’re looking for in regards to your CV; we’re just interested to see what you’ve done.

 

Please supply these by email as one PDF file labeled ‘Firstname_Surname_Committee_App’ to hello@circus.scot with the email subject ‘Committee Application’. 

 

Deadline: ongoing (our initial deadline has passed, but we are still open to reviewing new applications). After your application has been reviewed, you may be invited to an informal meeting where we will ask about your ideas for CiRCUS ARTSPACE, get to know each other, and give you the opportunity to ask any questions. 

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Access

CiRCUS ARTSPACE is committed to equality and accessibility. We welcome committee applications equally regardless of ethnicity, religion, disability, social background, age, gender identity or sexual orientation. If you are facing any barriers or have additional access needs which stop you from applying, please get in touch.

 

For all queries email us at hello@circus.scot

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We look forward to hearing from you!

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