New Maker Training & Mentoring Opportunity

Fife African & Caribbean Network (FACN) and Fife Contemporary have come together to support an aspiring New Designer or Artist or Craft Maker of African and/or Caribbean descent to be at the centre of this exciting career development opportunity.  

The successful candidate will work alongside an established designer, artist and craft maker in a one-to-one tutoring and mentoring relationship and will learn about the process of furniture designing and making.

You shall be supported to work collaboratively on a commission for FACN to develop a design for a “Conversation Bench” and throughout the manufacturing process which will be hosted by Edinburgh Open Workshop (EOW) in Leith. The finished piece of furniture will tour various community settings across Fife and ultimately remain in the regions collection for continued community access.  

You will have the opportunity to attend studio visits with Fife-based furniture makers, the collections store at ONFife, and visit Scottish Wood and other Fife-based resources for artists and makers. 

A member of Fife African and Caribbean Network will also be available as a support and mentor throughout the programme.  

You should bring curiosity, enthusiasm, knowledge and love of your own creative discipline and your personal lived experience.

To be the successful applicant, you can be a creative person from ANY creative field. You do not need to have experience of furniture design and making. This training and learning opportunity is available to a person African and/or Caribbean heritage based in Scotland with connections to Fife.

You will be able to demonstrate their creativity and ideas through your application. You will have a further or higher education qualification in any creative discipline (for example any design discipline, fine art, craft or applied arts, textile or fashion, or other related field).

Alternatively, you might be self-taught but must be able to demonstrate a commitment to continued creative practice instead of a qualification.  

This is a learning and development opportunity, so you are exxpected to be in the early stages of your career, having finished a period of education in a creative field less than five years ago or having taken time out from a creative career for personal reasons and are seeking support to move back into professional practice.

Because of the time commitment required we cannot accept applications from someone expecting to be in full-time education during the academic year 2025-26. 

During the course of the bursary you will be required to design and build a two-person seat or bench in collaboration with mentor, Simon Whatley. FACN proposes that the bench should be for an indoor space and provide the opportunity for a safe space for two people to ask questions about one another’s culture and background and be a place that invites you to ask any questions you might feel are otherwise difficult to ask or be asked of you. 

This opportunity is ideal for someone of African or Caribbean heritage, and who is interested in exploring that heritage and lived experience through their work.  

This opportunity includes a paid training bursary, budget for materials, membership of Edinburgh Open Workshop for 1 year plus fees paid for two courses, as well as a travel and research budget. Full detail in the Application Pack.