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Open Call – Blazing New Worlds

Posted: 6 October 2021

Blazing New Worlds is a programme of commissions, events and workshops at The NewBridge Project which celebrates its 11th Birthday.

This October, The NewBridge Project will celebrate its 11th birthday. We want to mark the occasion with our members and communities, bringing everyone together for a special series of events and creative discussions designed by you. Blazing New Worlds will explore the current and future roles of artist-led spaces within their communities, our own role in Shieldfield over the next 5 years, as well as the physical and political shifts revealed by Covid-19

Blazing New Worlds will launch with an exhibition in our new gallery space in the Shieldfield Centre on Friday 22 October, and continues until the 31st January 2022

We want to use this time to reflect and consolidate with as many voices as possible. We want to listen and share, to come together and discuss the nature and future of  artist-led spaces, acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, but working collectively to help one another. 

We want to hear from you and support your ideas, including new and existing projects, events, texts, talks, art works, or anything that you’d like to make happen. Below you can find all the information about how to get involved.

How to get involved

Blazing New Worlds will focus on three key areas: Value Beyond CapitalThe Practice of Care; and Surviving and Experimenting in Times of Uncertainty

Through these three themes we invite you to get involved and propose your ideas in relation to these three key subjects. We want this to be an innovative programme which can create opportunities to meet, share, test and collaborate with as many people as possible. It is a programme that is designed to grow and be a starting point for conversation, we are not looking for polished ideas but  ‘jumping off’ points which can continue to be developed and built upon. 

Although we are open to how people respond to the Blazing New Worlds programme, we still encourage people to think about the three key areas. We have included some further reading below, which has been developed and constructed through internal conversations over the past two years. Please read over these to understand the wider context and narrative of the programme.

Key Dates

FIRST ROUND

  • Applications period: Tuesday 5th – Tuesday 26th October
  • Open Day: Tuesday 12th October (15:00 – 18.00)
  • Execution period: Monday,1st November – Friday, 28th January

 

SECOND ROUND

  • Applications period: Monday, 1st November – Monday, 29th November 
  • Open Day: Wednesday, 17th November (12:00-15:00)
  • Execution period: Wednesday, 1st December – Friday, 28th January

Practical Considerations

In total, we have £3000 to support ideas, and will allocate pots of £200 to up to 15 projects throughout the 2 rounds. If your proposal is not successful in the first round, you’re welcome to reapply in the second round. 

Please submit your proposal for a project including a maximum request of £200. We would like to know how this money can support your idea: it can be used to cover anything from materials to your time, or participants fees. 

You don’t need to have a specific budget breakdown, but please outline how the money will be used in your proposal, or feel free to contact us if you are unsure. We are very happy to chat through any questions you might have. 

We are interested in supporting a range of ideas, including new and existing projects, events, texts, talks or art works. This could be a group discussion, a screening, a workshop or anything that you’d like to make happen but don’t have the resources to do so. 

We are very open about how selected applicants can present, host work, or get involved, and we have included a list of loose ideas and formats below. For example, you might want to – 

  • Develop a new artwork (painting, print, drawing, performance, sculpture, collage,  video, ceramics, sound)
  • Contribute a piece of text or pamphlet 
  • Host an event / discussion / workshop 

 

Ideas can also be presented and hosted on site at The NewBridge Project (in person) or (digitally) through The NewBridge Project website and NewBridge staff members can also be available to support with their time and advice. Again, we ask that you roughly outline this in your application or chat through with us about any of your concerns. 

How to Submit an Proposal

You can send your expression of interest in a number of different formats, such as a written document (ideally 1 PDF), or an audio / video recording (maximum 3 minutes). 

Please include our Equality and Diversity monitoring form (download below, complete and return with your application).

FIRST ROUND deadline: Tuesday, 26th October.

SECOND ROUND deadline: Monday, 29th November.

We also encourage people to join us on our open days, this is a great way to meet face to face and to chat through any ideas you might have. If you are unable to attend these dates, please get in contact as we would be happy to arrange a brief telephone call. If there is another way you wish to apply, then get in touch to let us know.

All applications should be sent to applications@thenewbridgeproject.com

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be assessed and selected by Rebecca Huggan (Director), Niomi Fairweather (Programme Director), Beatriz Lobo (Programme Coordinator), Andrew Wilson (Artist & Programme Committee Member) and the wider NewBridge Staff team. 

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