Image by Arpita Shah

BME Residencies: October 2010 saw the commencement of 2 residencies invested in by Creative Scotland. The aims are to support the career development of artists from BME backgrounds.

Ajamu X's project 'The Forgotten Diaspora' aims to be the first comprehensive series of portraits of black individuals within arts and culture, public life, community activism, business, music and entertainment and ' ordinary' people living and working in Scotland.

Arpita Shah's residency will explore a number of strands: the position of women with Asian, Arab and Eastern backgrounds living in Scotland, and a project looking at youth and identity with reference to Scottish history painting. Both artists will be based at Street Level in Trongate 103 for the next several months, accessing the facilities to produce their work.

Previous residencies included that with artists Lindsay Perth through the multi-story project. Lindsay is an interdisciplinary and socially engaged artist who has worked with Street Level on a number of projects over the past 10 years – in 2007 this included a residency with Fife Council collaborating with 12 individuals involved in front-line services in local service networks in Fife, engaging them in creative processes in order to facilitate their skills and competencies with their own client groups. In September 2007, the multi-story residency commenced with the aim of collaborating with young people, refugees, asylum seekers and the wider community. The project was interdisciplinary and cross-cultural, fusing traditional art forms and new media approaches.

Earlier residencies have included a gallery based one with Kenny Bean, which resulted in his solo show at the gallery in 2002,
Adinda van't Klooster with an adult learning centre, and a schools based residency with Gillian Steel.

Residencies are fundraised for in addition to core activity and we welcome applications from artists considering projects for discussion.