Failed Supporting Statement - Another Gaze, Sept 2019

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Commissioning Editor

Dear Another Gaze editorial team,

I was delighted to learn of this editing opportunity from a friend who made sure I saw your Tweet about it. I am a researcher of film and visual culture transitioning from academia to forge a career as a writer and podcaster. What I can bring to your team is a scholar with extensive knowledge of histories, theories and practices across cinema and the visual arts who pays great attention to detail and firmly believes lifelong education and knowledge-sharing should be for the many and not exclusive to the few. From my experiences as an educator and an early career researcher, I understand the challenges faced by writers of all levels. I strive to improve on best practice as an editor through the provision of observations aiming to work with authors to help them be the most effective communicators they can be. This includes ensuring ideas are logical and are demonstrated convincingly, that claims are evidenced, and that structures and writing styles convey those ideas effectively to readers. This editing post will help me hone those skills further, enhance my own writing and will hopefully lead to further such opportunities in my freelance work.

To indicate my experience, included as attachments are two versions of an essay I was commissioned to write by Surrey Art Gallery in British Columbia about a video installation by artist Sylvia Grace Borda. The longer version is due for publication as part of a text marking ten years of the gallery’s UrbanScreen, an outdoor IMAX projection showcasing commissioned public moving image works. The shorter version will be published on the gallery’s website as part of its ‘Presents’ series. The differences between the two indicate my attention to suitable structure and my ability to edit with concision without losing meaning or detail. Please also find attached a brief CV detailing my most relevant experience, including editing and peer review work. If I can provide further samples, please do not hesitate to ask.

I am based in Newcastle upon Tyne where I am an influencer for the growing Reclaim the Frame initiative led by Birds’ Eye View Film Festival to promote films made by women and to widen their circulation and audiences. As my publications may indicate, I am originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and moving image production from and about the region in the last twenty or so years has been my main research area since my PhD studies (2008–11). A significant strand of these studies is women’s (marginalised) experiences of conflict and the continued impact of issues stemming from conflict on women during official peacetime since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. An example is my work on performance artist Sandra Johnston (a blog post here gives an indication of the nuances of women’s and girls’ experiences: https://peablair.blogspot.com/2017/11/rise-up-live-performance-by-dr-sandra.html).

In terms of others’ engagements with films and artworks I take interest in, I have recently appreciated and learnt a lot from:

Rebecca Harrison (2018), ‘Fuck the Canon (Or, How Do You Solve a Problem Like von Trier?): Teaching, Screening and Writing about Cinema in the Age of #MeToo’, MAI, 9 November. Available at https://maifeminism.com/fuck-the-canon-or-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-von-trier-teaching-screening-and-writing-about-cinema-in-the-age-of-metoo/.

Zélie Asava (2017), Mixed Race Cinemas: Multiracial Dynamics in America and France, Bloomsbury. Sample available at https://bloomsburycp3.codemantra.com/viewer/5b1d0ebec15c52da1d92199d.

I try to keep up with the latest exhibitions even when I can’t get to see them. For instance, I am very drawn to Turner Prize nominee Helen Cammock’s work at the moment. As writer in residence at Yorkshire Sculpture International this year I got to see work by international artists like Cauleen Smith, Tau Lewis and Huma Bhabha. For shows I can’t experience first hand, Twitter is an important tool in keeping my knowledge fresh as I follow many arts organisations and publications. I feel strongly that feminism should be intersectional and inclusive and enjoy learning about the creative potential of language to facilitate inclusivity.

Many thanks for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

With best wishes,

Paula

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