Artist in Residence

The Role

As part of an agreement between Magdalen College School (MCS) and Magdalen Road Studios (MRS), the school will sponsor the costs of a studio space for an artist for a 12-month period. The School will also benefit from access to the MRS gallery space and The Artist-in-Residence (AIR) will offer a series of twilight workshops after school at MRS or MCS for small groups of scholarship pupils leading to two annual exhibitions of pupil work at MRS. The AIR will also produce a piece of work which reflects their practice for permanent display in the school by the end of the academic year. In addition, the AIR will work for three quarters of a day in the Art Department at MCS during term time. This is likely to be from 11am to 6pm on a Thursday (with an hour for lunch) and include joining timetabled lessons, leading Art clubs and societies, and producing materials (newsletters etc.) to inspire pupils. The ¾ day (0.15 Full Time Equivalent) at MCS will be salaried. The full-time equivalent salary is £24,255pa, so pro-rata to 0.15FTE, this would be £3638.25pa. There may also be the opportunity to take on the supervision of one of the school’s Community Service Organisation (CSO) placements, and this would be considered an additional 0.1FTE.

The Candidate

The successful candidate will:

• take a keen interest in the welfare of pupils;
• show clear commitment to safeguarding children;
• be a well-qualified graduate of Art or a related discipline;
• show clear enthusiasm for the subject and be willing to share and discuss their personal practice;
• independently plan and deliver workshops to pupils of a range of ages in an engaging manner;
• have excellent written and spoken communication skills;
• have sound IT skills;
• have the ability to work collaboratively and effectively as part of a wider team;
• display a high level of attention to detail;
• work hard to support pupil progress;
• be willing to take part in continuing professional development;
• respond positively to feedback;
• understand the safe use of equipment and materials used in the Art department and share responsibility for the safe conduct and good behaviour of pupils in the Art department;
• make frequent, regular and serious use of their studio space, and ensure they work in accordance with the requirements set out by MRS to their tenants;
• produce and present a piece of their own work by the end of their residency (August) to the school with the intention of it being used by MCS for permanent display;
• produce a short, half-termly written report/bulletin, providing an update on how they have used the studio over the preceding months;
• plan and run at least 8 ‘twilight’ workshops over the course of the academic year for groups of pupils. It is expected that these would typically run between 4 and 6pm, to a maximum group size of approximately 12 pupils. These pupils would typically be those holding Art Scholarships, but there may be opportunities to work with other groups or classes. The core aims of the workshop are to allow pupils to gain insight into the work of a professional artist and the use of their studio space, and to encourage pupils to approach art-making in ways than they might not encounter within a school setting: this might involve collaborative group work, or responding to a more challenging conceptual approach. A workshop might begin with pupils being shown the artist’s studio space, and some workshops may take place in the school studios for practical reasons. Twilight workshops might offer stand-alone, one-off activities, or be developed into a series of sessions working towards a more ambitious outcome. MCS staff will organise parental permission and a member of teaching staff will accompany the pupils. Running the session will be the remit of the AIR. Basic equipment and resources can be provided by the School’s Art Department, through advance planning and discussion;
• work with the pupils, to assist them in curating, hanging, marketing and critiquing their exhibitions (two per academic year) The arrangement MCS has with MRS includes provision of two, week-long exhibitions in the MRS gallery space. Technician support will be in place to help install the work in advance of the private view;

Please see the Information Pack for more information.

The Artist in Residence will report to the Head of Art, and ultimately to the Master.

Application Process

Candidates should submit the “MCS Application Form for Teaching and Support Staff” which can be found on the Job Vacancy link of the website (www.mcsoxford.org). To access Click here. Candidates should also submit a digital portfolio of their work, which could be a link to a website. To apply for the position please send the following three documents to the Recruitment Officer, Miss Yelena Molcanova (recruitment@mcsoxford.org).

1. “MCS Application Form for Teaching and Support Staff” Form
2. CV (Curriculum Vitae)
3. Digital portfolio of your work (this could be a link to a website)

All documentation should be sent no later than Monday 3rd June at midday. The school’s preferred method of communication is by email and it will not be necessary to send a hard copy of the documents by post.

References may be taken up in advance. If you do not wish references to be called for at this stage, please make that clear on the reference section of the application form.

We anticipate holding interviews from Thursday 6th June, which will include a practical activity with pupils. We will be in contact with shortlisted candidates by telephone. Please be aware that all shortlisted candidates will be requested to complete a “Self-Disclosure” form before attending their interview. We reserve the right to interview and appoint before the above date and early applications are encouraged.

Remuneration and other benefits

This is a part-time fixed-term position. The school will sponsor the costs of a studio space for an artist for a 12-month period. The AIR will also work for the equivalent of three quarters of a day in the Art Department at MCS during term time, in addition to offering regular twilight workshop opportunities at MRS for small groups of pupils. The three quarters of a day spent at MCS will be salaried. The full-time equivalent salary is £24,255, so pro-rata to 0.15FTE, this would be £3638.25 pa. There may also be the opportunity to take on the supervision of one of the school’s Community Service Organisation (CSO) placements, and this would be considered an additional 0.1FTE.

Non-teaching staff have a Group Pension Scheme (5% employee and 10% employer contribution) available depending on the eligibility criteria. The school also operates a cycle to work scheme, and travel loans are available. Free lunches are provided all year round with options of hot meals, soup, salad, puddings and fruit during term time and a choice of packed lunches during school holidays. The school has a fully equipped gym which is available for staff use, and staff may also enjoy access to the University comprehensive programme of staff sports clubs, including football, climbing, yoga, Pilates, and badminton.

Head to www.mcsoxford.org/vacancies to find out more.