Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick
In conjunction with the Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick
1. Invitation to Tender
Expressions of interest are sought from individual composers to undertake a residency at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. This residency is made possible by the Arts Council, in partnership with Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and the Lime Tree Theatre.
The residency will be hosted by the Department of Arts Education & Physical Education at MIC. The residency will be for a duration of 12 months initially, with the possibility (dependent on sufficient funding) of it being extended by a further two years. The start-date of the residency is negotiable with the composer.
This residency is proposed for early or mid-career artists in any musical genre with a primary specialism in composing (which can include song-writing), who fit into one of the following categories:
I. A solo-practitioner with an interest and track-record in composing within educational contexts
II. A solo-practitioner with an interest and track-record in composing
III. A solo-practitioner who has an interest in collaborating with the Department of Arts Education and Physical Education with a view to developing work that may be of significance and relevance to both parties. This may involve other artists as collaborators throughout the residency
Expressions of interest from potential holders of the residency should include:
• a portfolio of past work;
• a statement of current and/or potential links and synergies with the arts in Mary Immaculate College;
• a list of other artists with whom they might potentially collaborate;
• a proposal for a schedule of activities for the first year of the residency in the first instance, but also for possible years two and three of such a programme.
Upon appointment, a full schedule of events and activities is to be agreed between the appointed artist and the College.
A short-list of potential composers will be developed from the expressions of interest, and an appointment will be made following an interview process. The annual fee for the residency is €22,000, with an extra €5,000 available towards a performance fund. The appointed artist will be offered a contract for service with Mary Immaculate College.
The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest will be 2pm on Friday, January 31st 2014.
All materials should be submitted to the Human Resources Office, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick in an envelope clearly marked ‘Composer in Residence Tender’.
Informal queries regarding the residency should be directed to Dr Michael Finneran, Head, Dept. of Arts Education & Physical Education, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. Email: michael.finneran@nullmic.ul.ie Telephone: (061) 204976.
2. Background to the Residency
Mary Immaculate College (MIC) is a third level College of Education and the Liberal Arts, academically linked with the University of Limerick. The College offers a wide range of taught and research programmes in Education and the Liberal Arts at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and over 3,000 students are engaged in studies here. More information about the College can be found on our website: http://www.mic.ul.ie
The Department of Arts Education and Physical Education (AEPE) was formed in September 2007 as a result of restructuring within the new Faculty of Education. It emerged from the amalgamation of four pre-existing teams-: Drama Education, Music Education, Physical Education and Visual Art Education. Whilst the four specialist teams still remain in place, they now exist within a departmental environment which is geared to the special needs required in teaching and researching creative, imaginative and active subject areas. The arts and physical education have a long and valued tradition within Mary Immaculate College, both as academic pursuits within programmes of initial teacher education and as student activities outside of College programmes. AEPE aims to build on that strong tradition, and to forge new and innovative ways of developing its work in initial teacher education, as well as striving for excellence in research, and providing a valuable service to the wider community.
Since September 2013 the Department has been successfully hosting a theatre artist-in residence, Branar Théatar do Pháistí, and the proposed composer in residence will complement and enhance this work in new ways. It is the aspiration of the college to have residencies in all three core arts areas that they teach, and so music is the second proposed area, with a focus on composition.
The Lime Tree Theatre is the most recent addition to the MIC campus, having opened as a professional performing arts space in October 2012. It now hosts a programme of local, national and international touring theatre, music and dance and is managed by Louise Donlon. The theatre aims to be at the centre of arts provision in Limerick and the mid-west and, because of its position within Mary Immaculate College, is particularly interested indeveloping audiences for work aimed at children and young people:
www.limetreetheatre.ie
3. Purpose/Objective:
The primary purpose of the proposed residency programme is to enliven the musical culture of the MIC campus, and to allow practicing artists to feed into the educational programmes and work of the institution.
This would be accomplished through a number of targeted groups:
Composing workshops and performances will involve targeted undergraduate and postgraduate students from courses including the Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Arts (in conjunction with the Music Department), Graduate Diploma in Education, MA in Music Education and MA in Education and the Arts (META).
School-children will partake in composing workshops and attend performances on campus and in schools in connection with planned projects and events.
The composer in residence will work with the MIC Children’s Choir which involves student teachers and DEIS primary schools in Limerick city working together on a partnership choral initiative.
Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development courses for teachers will be linked to the composers work in conjunction with planned projects.
The wider public will have access to the residency through public performances in collaboration with the Lime Tree Theatre and other artistic institutions in the city.
As the residency will align with Limerick City of Culture (2014) for its first year, it is envisaged that the residency will feed into MIC/Lime Tree Theatre City of Culture projects such as the proposed Children’s Arts Festival and Children’s Opera.
Research on the initiative will take place on campus in conjunction with academic staff members.
The objectives of the residency are threefold:
I. To allow the artist to develop new and innovative work
II. To explore and interrogate with the staff of the department, through research and practice, the challenges, boundaries and possibilities surrounding the artist/teacher relationship
III. To further develop and share best artistic and educational practices with student teachers, practising teachers and children
This residency will offer emergent or established artists the opportunity to:
I. Avail of rehearsal, research, administrative and performance facilities within a specialist department of a medium-sized College of Education and the Liberal Arts that has a long tradition of supporting and developing the arts in education
II. Develop or establish their educational practice through working with student teachers, local schools and community groups
III. Engage with the resources and facilities of the new Lime Tree Theatre on the campus of Mary Immaculate College
It is desirable that the composer will have a strong presence throughout both semesters of the College year (26 weeks per annum) which will be worked out during the planning stages of the residency. Outside of pre-arranged engagements, much of this time would be available to the artist to pursue the development of new work. Following the appointment of the artist, a full programme of events would be formally agreed and published. The artist would have a formal review meeting after each six months of the residency with the college artist in residence committee.
