We are dedicated to helping you achieve your goals throughout your creative career as you evolve as a professional. The Designer in Residence Scheme is a post-graduate initiative created to support recent graduates and alumni wishing to establish and develop their own creative design practice.
Based within the studios of the Communication Design Programme at Gray’s School of Art this initiative provides free access to workspace, equipment, support and on-site mentoring to selected graduates and alumni. Our objective is to encourage, cultivate and support ‘start-up’ designers (particularly within the local demographic) and assisted by the wider academic culture and entrepreneurial approach of RGU, maximise access to an effective support network for our learners and graduates wishing to launch an enterprise.
We work closely with a number of Enterprise Partners including the Scottish Institute for Enterprise; Enterprise North East Trust, NESTA and Freelance World in an effort to provide support and resources and to encourage graduates to view their practice not only as a creative endeavour but also as a commercial activity capable of generating income and employment for themselves and potentially others within the local creative economy.
Our aim is to provide participants with flexible business support including market research; developing business plans and identifying and securing a customer/client base that leads to sustainable trading.
We expect our graduates to apply their transferable skills, be innovative, confident, self reliant and motivated and to work in partnership the wider creative industries.
Please note that places are limited and therefore only Gray’s Graduates and Alumni are eligible for selection.
To be considered you must download, complete and submit the attached application form in the first instance.
As part of the initiative participants will be expected to assist and support undergraduate learning activities in collaboration with academic teaching and support staff.
You will be expected to contribute a set amount of ’activity’ hours over the duration of your contract. For example this might involve: assisting with the delivery of a studio project; the demonstration of materials, techniques, software and/or equipment; administrative duties (i.e. recording attendance); the coordination of exhibitions and contributing towards e-learning and social networking activities etc. There is also scope for you to further develop your own personal projects and gain experience within a teaching environment.
Terms and conditions will be negotiated and agreed on an ’individual basis’ with Subject Leaders prior to taking up the post.
Participants will also be expected to familiarise yourself with the University’s Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Policy.