The 2022 Graduates in Residence scheme will be open for applications mid to late September, it will be advertised via the Launchgrad newsletter.
You can read about the scheme below.
Graduates in Residence Pilot Scheme archive information
Graduates from our BA (Hons) courses who are due to graduate in 2022 can apply to benefit from continuing ‘student’ access to many HCA facilities for free.
Successful Graduates will be expected to:
- Independently create a new and conceptually coherent body of work during their time at college
- Have a positive impact on the student community at HCA
- Contribute to HCA’s strategic mission and vision
- Be prepared to present their practice to current students
- Be pro-active and engaged with the student community at HCA
- Adhere to COVID-19 guidelines at all times
Graduates will benefit from:
- Computer space to use in course areas and/or access to IT suite computers
- Full college log-in and email address
- Free use (student terms) of specialist equipment and resources (no print credit)
- Free use of HCA workshop facilities, with bookings being carried out through the workshop manager at their discretion, with maximum availability to be determined by workshop teams at their discretion
- Ability to feed back into the creative community of HCA in a positive way
- Reputational gain and an enhanced professional CV
We expect demand for GIR spaces to be high and there is a robust application procedure. All applicants will receive short email feedback on their application. Benefits will be subject to regular review.
Applicants will be selected on the following criteria:
- Their ability to independently produce a body of work
- Viability of project (resources required, including space)
- Their potential positive impact on the existing student population/community of HCA
- A clear link to college strategic vision within their application
- The ability to co-operate in a busy working environment
- Health and Safety (and COVID-code requirements)
- Reference from course leader (HCA will organise this internally)
You can also find this information on our downloadable Graduate in Residence infosheet June2021.
Please note that all successful applicants will need to undertake a full DBS check which college will organise.
How to apply:
Applications are now CLOSED.
Frequently asked questions:
Q. I am a student currently enrolled on an MA programme. Can I apply to the scheme?
Not at the moment, although we recognise a loophole exists in the application criteria (see below). Once we have evaluated the pilot scheme we will look at the possibility of developing a sister scheme for postgraduates.
Q. I am a student currently enrolled on an MA programme who graduated from an undergraduate programme in 2019 or 2020. Am I eligible for the scheme?
We recognise that this represents a potential loophole in application criteria for the current scheme, and we will rectify this in future iterations of the scheme. If you are a graduate from an undergraduate programme who graduated in 2019 or 2020 who is currently enrolled in an MA programme we will consider your application out of courtesy. However, priority will be given to students who are not currently enrolled on MA programmes. We will only be able to offer very general short email feedback on applications for applicants who fall under this category as this could potentially otherwise give these applicants an unfair advantage if we develop a pilot sister scheme for postgraduates in future.
We strongly encourage students enrolled on MA courses to wait for a potential sister GiR scheme rather than apply speculatively to this scheme.
Q. If you develop a sister scheme for postgraduates, how can I find out about this?
We would advertise any postgraduate GiR scheme through our Launchgrad Newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of this page. We regret that as a small team we cannot email individuals to update them on opportunities.
Q. How do I know that my application has been submitted?
When you press the ‘submit’ button you should see a text that confirms your successful application and which thanks you for your application.
Q. Will I get feedback on my application?
A. All applications which are within the scope of the scheme will be given short email feedback. Shortlisted applications will be reviewed by a panel, not by course teams.
Q. Can I access help with filling in in my application?
As a small team, we regrettably cannot provide individual support for applications
You can access a hard copy of the questions to help to prepare for your application.
Q. Do I get access to IT support as a Graduate in Residence?
As a GiR you are expected to be highly competent in your field and not need specialist support from staff at HCA.
Q. What happens if I make a mistake in my application?
We accept multiple submissions so if you make a mistake on your application you can resubmit.
We will normally consider the last uploaded submission as the final submission but this will be checked by a human so please do not worry if you resubmit an incompleted form by mistake. We will contact you by email if we have any queries about your submission.
Q. Can I email you my application?
We cannot accept email or hard-copy applications.
Q. What should I do if I am struggling to access the application form on my computer?
If you are a current L6 student and cannot access the application form you can access support from IT teams through the button on studentnet.
If you are a graduate and cannot access the application form, please take a look at the Microsoft Support web pages.
If you use a screen reader, there is support available on how to navigate forms on the Microsoft website.
Q. What happens once I have submitted my application?
Your application will be graded against the application criteria and Health and Safety requirements. HCA will seek short verbal references from your named course team. Shortlisted applications will be taken to a panel meeting, which will make the decision about who will be our GiR. Course teams do not make this decision.
This diagram tells you more about the process after you apply
Q. If I do not get accepted this year, can I apply next year?
This is a pilot scheme and we will evaluate it at the end of the year. It is possible that applications will be limited to one per student/graduate (so if you apply this year and are unsuccessful you may not be eligible to apply next year).
Q. I would like to withdraw my application. How do I do this?
A. If you would like to withdraw your application, please complete this form.
Q. What do I do if I have not heard back from you?
We hope to have processed all applications before the end of September. If you have not heard from us before the first week in October, please feel free to contact us.