DIY: 2018 – Katie Etheridge & Simon Persighetti: DIY Twin Town

A weekender for regional artists to connect, exchange, celebrate and create a Live Art Twinning Ceremony!

Deadline for applications: 5pm, Mon 18 June
This DIY is supported by Lancaster Arts

Project summary

DIY Twin Town is a gathering specifically for regionally based artists to explore the notion of exchange and collaboration embedded in the ethos of Town Twinning. Sharing models for regional working outside of the large cities, we will look at ways in which the local can provide a portal to national and international contexts.

“How can the town you live in resource and challenge your arts practice?”

Whilst Devoran Arts' concept that “the town is the venue” frames their work in Huntly, in Penryn we have come to live the idea that “the town is the studio”. Local pubs, markets, shops and streets have become the places in which our work is developed and tested. This ongoing conversation can be both exposing and stimulating and has led to a rich network of practices, ideas, networks, connections, supporters and resources, many of which lie outside of what might be recognised as arts infrastructure.

Welcoming participants to Penryn, Cornwall, DIY Twin Town will include cultural exchanges, conviviality, connecting with local civic and arts organisations, and creating a new Live Art Twinning Ceremony. The weekend will afford opportunities for new collaborations, conversations, friendships, and twinnings.

Accommodation: In the spirit of Town Twinning we aim to put participants up with members of the local creative community. DIY Twin Town includes a welcome meal on the first night. Artists are asked to commit to the full weekend of activities.

How to apply

Applications are invited from artists whose lives are based regionally and outside of the large cities. You may be making work locally, nationally or internationally. You might be “the only artist in the village” or part of a thriving arts community in a small town.

Artists at all stages of their careers may apply. Areas of practice include: live art, performance, writing, visual performance, music, relational and socially engaged practice, sound art, producing etc.

The online application asks about you and your practice, your interest in the DIY, the way in which the town you live resources your practice, and what you might bring with you from your locality to share with others on the DIY.

Dates, times and location

Dates: Fri 3 – Sun 5 Aug 2018
Times: Arrive for 6pm Fri, depart 6pm Sun
Location: Penryn, Cornwall

The artists

Katie Etheridge & Simon Persighetti are artists and performance makers based in Cornwall, UK, who create participatory projects exploring the interrelationships between people and places. Their collaborative practice since 2011 invites local, national and international audiences to investigate their own relationships with the places in which they live, work and play. Their work has been commissioned by a number of partner organisations including Compass Live Art, Live at LICA, Penryn Arts Festival, Country Arts, Western Australia.

For questions about this DIY, please contact Simon.