In Session

In Session, formerly known as GRADJOB, emerged in 2018 as a response to the lack of support, exploitation, and precarious working conditions experienced by emerging artists working in Scotland. Our goal was to provide long term support mechanisms for early-career creative practitioners, to demystify the contemporary art world and to create a space to make, share, dream and collaborate.

Now in its third year, In Session provides creative practitioners with the support they need to sustain and develop their practice. Our 7 month paid residency is dedicated to building a bank of knowledge about the conditions that impact practice as an early-career practitioner.

A core ongoing focus of the Guild SSO program is to research the current utility of arts university/HE education and support systems for recent graduates. This is to ensure that East Street Arts and the wider artist-led sector partners can advise HE/Universities/graduate support networks on practical, concrete skills needed to create resilient emerging artists, and fill in gaps missing with our own alternative graduate support provisions.

In Session will lead an ambitious research campaign to kickstart East Street Arts university work. They will gather data on Fine Art Undergraduate students seeking entry into the English Contemporary Art sector in their first year after graduation to determine the extent to which graduates feel that University professional development courses have prepared them for work in the sector, as well as the specific challenges they face in the wake of COVID-19.

In Session will be working in a consultancy and campaigning role, with their findings around key institutions and student experiences across England being used to recommend changes to professional development courses that would help ensure graduates are better prepared to overcome the challenges of the artist-led sector in the future.