WORK Records:
call for artists
We are pleased to announce a call for three animation artists for WORK Records, an ambitious 18 month creative heritage project exploring historic working lives in the East Midlands.
WORK Records brings together “investigative” teams of heritage curators, historians, artists, current and former workers and volunteers, to explore the holdings of three heritage collections – Derbyshire Record Office, Corby Heritage Centre and John Smedley Archive – and discover what they can tell us about working lives three family firms: John Smedley at Lea Mills, packaging firm Robinson and Sons in Chesterfield, and steel manufacturer Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd in Corby.
The artists will make short animated films that will tell these untold stories, and be the catalyst for a programme of live and online events connecting contemporary workers and families with their historic counterparts.
Alongside the archive collections, we are working with arts Junction Arts in Chesterfield, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in Northamptonshire, the history team at the University of Derby, and Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
There is a total fee of £18,000 for each artist.
The deadline for applications is noon, Tuesday, 22 April 2025.
Submission through CuratorSpace. Follow this link to find out more about the Call for Artists and how to apply.
WORK Records: call for team members
We are also looking for people to join the WORK Records team in these roles:
Project Manager (0.6, 18 months) follow this link for more information
Project Historian (freelance) follow this link for more information
Evaluation Consultant (freelance) follow this link for more information
The deadline for applications to these roles is noon, Friday, 11 April 2025
WORK Records is made possible with Heritage Fund support thanks to National Lottery players. The project is also supported by Arts Council England.
Photograph: workers at the John Smedley knitting factory in Lea Bridge, Derbyshire, 1927, courtesy John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.