A round-up of opportunities available to creatives based on the Fylde Coast in June and July 2024.
These include grant funding, commissions, jobs, consultations, research projects and more. New opportunities will be added to this page as they arise.
Artist Residencies: Work/Leisure_4 Open Call
Work/Leisure_4 is inviting emerging and mid-career artists to create new work in 2024.
Across three previous iterations, Work/Leisure has delivered 9 short-term, non-prescriptive artist residencies, enabling artists to research and develop new work in the historically and culturally unique location of Blackpool, UK.
Work/Leisure’s first iteration (2016) sought to address Blackpool as a site where ‘work’ and ‘leisure’ are intricately linked. Its second iteration (2020) occurred at a time of global pandemic and home or remote working, when boundaries between location, space and time had softened and the borders between work and leisure spaces, and time were harder to define. The third iteration, delivered in the context of the a-n Assembly Blackpool: The Coast is Queer (2021), continued a non-prescriptive and fully inclusive approach, platforming the artist and the work as Blackpool continued to move closer back to normal.
This fourth iteration of Work/Leisure, invites artists to Blackpool during key phases of the town’s tourist season – Summer and Autumn – to research and develop new work at Abingdon Studios (ABS), using the studios and project space as a base from which to evolve new ideas into new forms. This new iteration considers flow, transience and the congregational qualities that connect the coast and the city; the networks in which ideas of ‘work’ and ‘leisure’ may manifest and play out.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://work-leisure.org/open-call-2024/
Exciting new training roles for budding creatives in Grand Young Company
Blackpool Grand Theatre is helping to lift the curtain on the next generation of creative careers in theatre making, performance and beyond with two new training Pathways being offered in Acting and Musical Theatre.
Auditions will take place in July for young people from Blackpool and its surrounding areas to join either the GYC Acting Pathway for 14-19 year-olds or the brand-new GYC Musical Theatre Pathway for 16-24 year-olds.
The Open Audition Workshops for the GYC Acting Pathway for 14-19 year-olds will take place at The Grand Theatre Studio on:
- Monday 15 July 2024 from 5pm to 8pm
- Tuesday 16 July 2024 from 5pm to 8pm
Open Audition Workshops for the GYC Musical Theatre Pathway for 16-24 year-olds will take place at The Grand Theatre Studio on:
Wednesday 17 July 2024:
- Beginner’s Dance – 10am to 12.30pm
- Intermediate Dance – 1pm to 3.30pm
- Advanced Dance – 4pm – 5.30pm
Saturday 20 July 2024:
- Beginner’s Dance – 10am to 12.30pm
- Intermediate Dance – 1pm to 3.30pm
- Advanced Dance – 4pm – 5.30pm
Following a six-month training and development period starting in September 2024, both GYC cohorts will then receive the opportunity to perform in front of live audiences on the main stage and studio at the Grand Theatre.
The GYC Musical Theatre Pathway will offer a unique opportunity to collaborate with leading artists, writers and theatre makers to create and bring to life newly commissioned musical works. Blackpool Grand Theatre’s commitment to providing accessible platforms for young people to receive high quality training is further cemented in the extension of the age category for this exciting new Pathway which will accept applications from young people aged from 16 up to 24. The GYC Acting Pathway will perform a newly written play as part of the 2025 National Theatre Connections Festival. Both pathways will then present their second, fully staged productions at Blackpool Grand’s own Storytelling Festival in the summer of 2025.
For full information on the Grand Young Company or to book an audition place please visit www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/get-involved/grand-young-company
For any questions please contact [email protected]
Light Up The North - launch of the Artist Directory
Check out the new Light Up the North artist directory.
Open to national and international artists, it is a great opportunity for light artists to profile their work to the sector.
Companies looking to book art work for festivals and events can also use it to find the latest opportunities.
Youth Music: NEXTGEN FUND
The Youth Music NextGen Fund offers young creatives grants of up to £2,500 to make their ideas happen.
The Youth Music NextGen Fund is for early-stage musicians and wider music adjacent creatives to invest up to £2,500 in their own projects and make their ideas happen. The fund is especially aimed at those whose lack of finance holds them back from pursuing their goals.
It’s open to 18–25-year-olds (and up to 30-year-olds who identify as d/Deaf or Disabled) who live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
We want to support the future of the music industries. Singers, Rappers, Songwriters, Producers, DJs, A&Rs, Managers and Agents, right through to roles that have yet to be defined.
Applications for the NextGen Fund are now open.
NextGen Fund Round 9
Deadline: 28 June 2024
Notification: September 2024
NextGen Fund Round 10
Deadline: 15 November 2024
Notification: February 2025
Artist Commission: Comic Artist/Illustrator to illustrate the Global History of Tea exhibition at The Harris
As part of the Harris Your Place project, we are exploring The Global History of Tea through a display on the second floor of the Harris, reopening in Spring 2025. We have partnered with both experts in the field and community groups to uncover the global and often uncomfortable histories of tea and its impact on the world. We aim to shine a light on these histories in an honest and open way.
The Role
We are looking to work with an emerging or established comic artist/illustrator to create a comic book that will enhance our Global History of Tea display, improving the visitor experience and highlight specific stories in an interesting, inclusive and accessible way.
Deadline for applications Sunday 14th July 2024
- Successful applicant notified Wednesday 31st August 2024
- Research, development & production 1st August – 30th September 2024
- Artist submission 1st October 2024
- Harris reviews work 1st October – 31st October 2024
- Revision and final sign off 1st November – 30th November 2024
The development of the comic book will be informed by research done with the Harris staff team and volunteers, and with experts in the community. We would like the artist we recruit to be based in Preston, Lancashire or the North West. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities. Our Goal To produce and print a 12-page comic book that will have a limited print run (number to be confirmed). Some of the illustrations will be used as printed panels displayed in the cases alongside the objects.
Artists Fee
The artist will receive a payment of £2,500 paid in two instalments.
Read the full project brief and application information here: https://www.theharris.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CALL-OUT-FOR-A-COMIC-ARTISTILLUSTRATOR.pdf
Lightpool Open Call 2024
BRIEF FOR NEW COMMISSIONS
We have an open call for expression of interest to showcase at Lightpool Festival 2024. UK creatives are invited to submit expressions of interest to submit an idea for a light artwork that is engaging to all age groups. Both light art professionals and newcomers can submit an idea.
We are interested in:
- New works exploring light.
- Projects which use technology in innovative ways to encourage play and exploration.
- Sustainable light art which uses Green Energy solutions.
We are looking for artworks that are:
- Suitable for outdoor light festivals.
- Artistically challenging/interesting and of high quality.
- Structurally resilient enough to withstand the winter weather.
- Considered accessible for all.
We’re particularly interested to see applications that consider:
- Environmental sustainability in their design and embody best practice in their delivery.
- Design artworks for reuse – materials/equipment – building onto what happens at the end of the festival.
- Encouraging novel and artistically ambitious ideas.
Budget
- An artist fee of £5,000
- Support from Lightpool and Lightworks to realise the idea
- Production/materials/fabrication costs up to £15,000
The intellectual property of the artwork remains with the artist, the physical ownership will be transferred to Lightpool on completion of the artwork.
The brief: Lightpool Brief for new commissions 2024
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Our community engagement policy aims to develop and deliver a new innovative creative community programme of workshops, events and projects, engaging with our local community, third sector organisations and business partners and developing projects with our local creatives and cultural sector organisations.
We aim to develop projects that target groups who do not usually engage with Lightpool Festival and break down barriers to increase cultural participation and create long term relationships.
- PROJECT 1: It’s a small world
- PROJECT 2: Making Art with plastic waste
- PROJECT 3: Pitch Your Idea
Ideally, we would like to procure engagement from multiple community-led organisations that are embedded in and working with local communities, who are able to act as a trusted voice and to encourage participation. We are supportive of small organisations collaborating with one another to deliver what is set out in their proposals.
Read the brief Lightpool Community Engagement brief 2024
Submission deadlines 17 June.
LIGHTPOOL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
This is an exciting opportunity for an artist who is interested in creating imaginative light work for the public realm and has a particular interest in working with light and its many forms.
We are looking for artists that are interested in providing exciting installations that audiences can connect and interact with; that can create work of scale and respond to the challenges of the often hostile natural environment of being outside in the autumn/winter.
You will be a problem solver; open to new applications and approaches; and will build on the experience gained in being at Lightworks to further develop your practice; and be willing to share your learning with peers, during and beyond the residency.
We anticipate the residency will start in August 2024 and be completed by November 2024.
- 2 artists will be selected to take part
- Lightworks and the facilities/support are available during the
Residency
At the Lightworks facility there will be access to structural and electrical engineers, artists, animators and lighting technicians. The facility also covers computer aided manufacture processes including CNC cutting and carving.
Budget
• A fee of £3,600 is available for the artist to cover all their time, subsistence and expenses incurred in undertaking the residency. We envisage a proportion of the time will be spent on site at Lightworks (but not necessarily exclusively). We have based the fee on the artist working approximately 18 days @ £200 per day over the residency period.
• Materials budget of up to £1,500
• A maximum fee of £500 will be paid to cover accommodation. and travel expenses.
Read the Brief: Lightpool Artist in Residence 2024
Closing date for applications: 5 July 2024
CHRISTMAS PROJECTION MAPPING
We have an open call for expression of interest for digital animators to join the digital creatives at Blackpooll Illuminations to create a fun, family friendly projection for Christmas 2024.
We are looking for a UK based digital animator to create a 3 to 4 minute chapter that shows off the best of 3D animation. Under the steer of the Lightpool Artistic Director, you and the creative team at Blackpool Illuminations will bring the Blackpool Tower to life with a winter festive story that is accessible to all communities.
The content might include graphic animations, video footage or a combination of the two – but must utilise the building to create an immersive experiences to bring the building to life.
We are specifically looking for artists with bold, fresh ideas to work with the Lightworks production and development team, to create a piece of work that utilises your digital expertise and is accessible to families.
Skills development and sharing is central to this project, you will be working alongside digital creatives from Lightworks, the home of Blackpool Illuiminations. Lightpool and Blackpool Illuminations will be providing production, marketing, documentation and technical support to ensure you can make the most of this opportunity.
Budget
- An artist fee of £4,000
- You will be working with the digital team at Lightworks, and be expected to attend in person at various times during the development.
- You will receive support from Lightpool and Lightworks to realise the idea.
Read the brief: Lightpool Brief Christmas digital mapping 2024
Closing date for applications 12 July 2024
Fylde Coast Creatives Meeting
7pm, Monday 17 June 2024, Lowther Pavilion
This is a free opportunity for local creatives to come together to discuss their creative process and how they can get involved in our future.
Open to all creatives, our Fylde Coast Creatives Meeting is a space for you to chat with us about your art form and how it could become part of the programming of our brand-new Education Centre & Studio Theatre. Opening in April 2025, this new 150-seat venue will not only act as a seed venue, but also give us the flexibility to provide you with a space to build and develop your creativity.
This session is free to attend and will involve us giving you more information on our new venue, including a chance to see the space, our plans for the future, and networking opportunities.
Lancaster Arts TEST Residency: On Circus #2
The Lancaster Arts TEST residency is an opportunity to experiment with your practice or test new ideas through a supported residency in the Nuffield Theatre, rather than develop a new show or piece of work.
In September 2024, this will be our second residency for artists/collectives who include contemporary circus in their practice; this may include circus, theatre, dance or live artists and may involve taking your practice in a new direction influenced by new artforms. We are seeking to support practice that is innovative, contemporary, and cross artform, and requires a large theatre space for its development. The residency will include technical and producer support and an opportunity to engage with the full Lancaster Arts team.
‘The non-show-outcome based residency allowed me freedom to explore artistic ideas, training and writing without the pressure to deliver a polished performance. [It] supported me to explore multiple strands of my practice with time and space and scale. This allowed for long-term thinking, and the streamlining of my ideas.’
https://www.lancasterarts.org/ideas/tom-cassani-testing-the-strange – Tom Cassani, TEST residency: On Circus, 2023
You can find out full information about this opportunity on our https://www.lancasterarts.org/ideas/lancaster-arts-test-residency-on-circus-2024 – News page.
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: Midnight Sunday, 30 June 2024
- Interview shortlisted applicants (online) 17/18 July 2024
- Site visit to Lancaster: Week of 5 Aug 2024
- Nuffield Residency: 16 – 20 September 2024 (with a sharing on 20 Sept)
Please contact mailto:[email protected] – [email protected] with any questions or if you wish to apply in a different format for access reasons. Please note that we cannot read application drafts.
Commission: Lancashire Fringe Festival
LANCASHIRE FRINGE FESTIVAL will take place between late September and October 2024 in Preston. We want to commission TWO new pieces of theatre by diverse under-represented artists and performers.
By under-represented we mean artist and performers who identify as LGBTQ+ or are from a minority background. This could include, but is not limited to, Black or Asian artists or disabled artists.
Commissioned artist(s) must have a strong connection to Lancashire.
The commissions should be based around storytelling and can be anything which are performance based, indoor or outdoor, theatre, spoken word, dance etc. This commission is unable to fund stand-up comedy or music.
The new works will get £1,500. As part of the commission you will perform your new work at Lancashire Fringe Festival. We anticipate two performances per commission, with a performance lasting around 60 minutes.
You’ll get some marketing advice and support and your performance will get documented. You can see what we’ve done with the festival previously here: https://enjoyshow.co.uk/lancashire-fringe-festival/
This application form is for one of the two commissions.
If you have an exciting idea and want to put it forward as a piece to be commissioned, fill in the short form below and rename this word document with your surname_firstname.
For any questions you can email Garry Cook at [email protected]
Closing date for submissions is 11.59pm, Sunday, June 23, 2024.
Email your submissions to [email protected]
Link to downloadable word doc application form: https://enjoyshow.co.uk/2024/05/31/lancsfringe-call-out-004-diversity-commission/
Soundbytes
3:30pm – 7:30pm, Wednesday 26 June, Blackpool Central Library
An information and support event for musicians, DJs, Live Music Event Producers, Promoters & Music Industry Professionals.
Join Arts Lancashire, Creative Lancashire and Arts Council England for SoundBytes: an information & support event for Musicians, DJS, Live Music Event Producers, Promoters & Music Industry Professionals on Wednesday 26th June 2024. Free to attend. Booking essential.
Musician, journalist and owner of online music publication, Louder Than War, John Robb, will facilitate a series of interviews, talks, panel discussions with music industry professionals, live music event producers and Arts Council England, exploring opportunities to create, produce and perform music in Lancashire and beyond, and how you can secure funding for your music practice and events.
There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and if you’re looking to link up with other musicians, event producers, venues and Arts Council representatives, there will also be opportunities to network.
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