Artist in Residence

Art and Design at EKC Dover College is on the move. The new academic year sees us take up residency in the newly built, bespoke premises in Bench Street, Dover.

 With the move comes a new name, EKC Dover College Bench Street Arts Campus - and with a new name comes new opportunities.

We are seeking a passionate and innovative Artist in Residence to join our vibrant community. Could it be you?

Located on Kent’s south eastern coast, known as the ‘Gateway to England’ for its proximity to France, and known for its iconic white cliffs and castle, its history and heritage, Dover sits surrounded by artistic inspiration. The College itself offers a wealth of established networking opportunities and is a key institution of the expanding Dover art scene.

As the Artist in Residence you will have a guiding presence and be part of the active college and local community, supporting our students to thrive and become established within the creative industry.

In return for inspiring students through their course of fine art, photography and graphic design, you will have access to equipment, a studio and exhibition space in which you can continue to develop their own discipline.

We are offering a dedicated studio space at the Bench Street Arts Campus for you to develop new work, undertake research, and further your professional practice. The studio is available during term time, up to five days per week.

You will also have access to campus facilities (subject to availability and timetabled teaching commitments)

As part of the residency, you will be expected to present an exhibition of your work at the campus and in return for the provision of studio space, you will contribute to the college community through the delivery of workshops for students, and by participating in open evenings and key college events.

A materials budget will be provided to support the development of your practice (amount to be confirmed).

We are looking for a passionate and inspiring creative practitioner who is eager to play an active role within both the college and wider local arts community. You will be an established or emerging artist with a strong commitment to developing your own professional practice while supporting and motivating the next generation of creatives.

As Artist in Residence, you will bring energy, innovation and industry insight to students studying art subjects, helping them build confidence, refine their skills and explore opportunities within the creative sector.

You will thrive in a collaborative environment and be excited by the opportunity to:

• Engage with students through workshops, mentoring and creative collaboration
• Contribute to exhibitions, open evenings and key college events
• Become a visible and valued part of the college’s creative community
• Inspire aspiring artists and designers through your professional experience and artistic journey

You will be creative, approachable and enthusiastic, with excellent communication skills and a genuine passion for nurturing emerging talent within an inclusive and ambitious learning environment.

Outstanding Ofsted Provider

East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding rated provider. It is proud to be the first General Further Education college organisation in the country to have received the Outstanding grade against each of the strands under the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of everything they do across EKC Group and this is illustrated in our ‘Strong’ skills grading by Ofsted.

Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities for upholding these principles.

As a designated establishment, we are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore have an obligation to carry out checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include conviction/caution self-declaration, Enhanced DBS check and obtaining sufficient referencing.

It is a criminal offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so.

If you are successful in being shortlisted to interview, your suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults will be explored as part of the interview process.

Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

East Kent Colleges Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of our communities. We are particularly keen to increase the diversity of our staff body and encourage applications from candidates where there is underrepresentation in our workforce.

We are proud to hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer. This confirms our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. With any successful candidate, we will explore any reasonable adjustments to a role due to a health needs or disability.

Similarly, we have a commitment to Care Leavers (Care Covenant Pledge) and to current or previous Armed Forces personnel (Armed Forces Covenant Pledge) with a commitment to interview applicants who meet the positions essential criteria and who have declared this on their application. 

We welcome applications from anyone wishing to work flexibly and those considering a return to work from a career break.

We do not engage with agencies for permanent staff and have an in-house recruitment team.