DIY: 2012 – Call for Participants

DIY 9 is an opportunity for artists working in Live Art to take part in unusual training and professional development projects conceived and run by artists for artists.

DIY 9 projects are aimed at both emergent and experienced practitioners, and take place throughout the UK. The DIY 9 programmes take many forms, with a variety of themes this year including fabulation, spirituality, anarchist bomb plots, the ethics of oil sponsorship, citizen robots, and even bouldering.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the workshop leaders and participants from the many DIY 9 projects that have been taking place up and down the country since August 2012. The feedback received so far has been fantastic.

“A life-changing weekend in Morecambe” Amelia Gildea – Nigel and Louise DIY

“AMAZING DIY9 weekend in Morcombe, THANK YOU for helping me put on my artist bobble hat.” Laura Milnes – Nigel and Louise DIY

“’Who’s been vagal-farting again?’ – Stacy Makishi leads awesome live art workshops.” Vera Chok – Stacy Makishi DIY

“DIY9 today was super spectacular again. We got to fantasise our dream performances: giant skirts and animals, forests, washing machine raves” Natalie Clarke – Stacy Makishi DIY

“Our DIY with Richard Layzell is great! Thanks for the opportunity. So far we’ve been perceiving Whitstable with closed eyes!” Accidental Collective – Richard Layzell DIY

A full report on all of this year’s DIY projects written by the participating artists will be available from November.

Follow the links below for more information about each individual project.

Neil Bartlett
Getting Out More Often: a week of performance
Five unlikely theatrical outings.
22 – 27 October
Full details
London
Dickie Beau
Water shouldn’t be water
A weekend workshop in fabulation. For open minded artists seeking lines of flight. Not for wimps or sceptics.
13 – 14 October
Full details
Birmingham

sean burn and Mike Layward
Live Art and the 1882 Walsall anarchist bomb plot 
A Live Art weekend looking at the nature of freedom.
13 – 14 October
Full details
Walsall
Eloise Fornieles
Stop it Just DO
A workshop on intimacy and endurance performance – accessing physical and emotive landscapes.
5 – 6 October
Full details
Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Oriana Fox
Live Art Therapy
This Workshop Will Change Your Life For The Better!
28 – 29 July
Full details
Cumbria and Manchester
Nicole Garneau
Art-Oil-Numbers-Bodies-Love
A Live Art workshop on the problems of the oil Economy and oil sponsorship of the Arts.
9 – 12 August
Full details
London
Richard Layzell
METROPOLIS
An exclusive DIY event in collaboration with the Whitstable Biennale
10, 13 and 15 – 16 September
Full details
Whitstable

Stacy Makishi
Though Shalt Not Bore God: Live Art and Spirituality
What happens when you mix Religion and Live Art? Get ready for an intensive workshop full of friction, fracture, break ups, break throughs, rupture and god willing, rapture!
1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 September
Full details
London
Michael Mayhew
The Body as Art
A Five-Day Surgery on the practicalities and functionalities of working with the body.
3 – 7 September
Full details
Manchester

Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari
‘When I was a little girl/ when I was a little boy…’ Who actually gives a shit?
A workshop questioning the assumed interest of an audience in an artist’s life and opinions.
14 – 16 September
Full details
Morecambe, Lancashire

Steve Ounanian
OH BRAVE NEW WORLD, THAT HAS SUCH ROBOTS IN IT*
Create the perfect citizen-robot as defined by the criteria set out by the UK Border Agency.
20 August, 22 – 26 August and 12 September.
Full details
London

Andy Whall
Bouldering, creativity and a haptic approach to landscape
Bouldering incorporates notions of the ‘new’, finding unchartered problems, and aesthetic notions of body movement over the surface of the rock.
6 – 7 September
Full details
Cornwall

Adam Young
During And Enduring This Presence We Seek
A 24 hour experience on the possibilities of presence in performance.
8 – 9 September
Full Details
Leeds
Zierle & Carter
At the edge of the land, of practice, and of knowing
Taking flight or the fall? Exploring ‘the edge’ as departure point to the not yet known.
4 – 8 August
Full details
Cornwall

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General DIY information follows below.

I feel I have refined my entire practice and honed it down into being far more workable, productive and efficient. My understanding of the areas I am influenced by is now clearer and I am able to articulate my concerns that will help me when applying for courses, funding or when submitting proposals. –– Poppy Jackson, participant in Practice-based Research for Emerging Artists, DIY 6: 2009

Information for all projects and applicants
Follow the links on the DIY projects above to find details of each DIY project. Each project description has specific information relevant to that project; on this page you can find information about all the projects and answers to frequently asked questions.

Requesting further information
The lead artists are happy to respond to questions about their DIY projects. If something is not clear or if you would like further information (eg about dates and the time you will need to commit) then email the lead artist. In each project description the contact email of the lead artist is included. Please make sure you put ‘DIY 9’ in your email subject line and cc all applications [email protected].

Who can apply?
DIY is a scheme for artists working in Live Art. However, many of the DIY projects are relevant to artists who are interested in Live Art but may not have an extensive track-record of Live Art practice. In each case read the project description closely to understand if there is a specific ‘target’ of participants (eg at a certain stage in their career).

Some projects may prioritise artists from within the region in which it is based (except for London which is open to all artists). However, other artists are not excluded from requesting a place on the project. Past experience tells us that there are often places available for all artists who want to take part. Therefore we strongly recommend that if you are interested in taking part in a project – even if it is not taking place in the region in which you live – then you should make a submission.

Deadline and notification
Most DIY projects have an application deadline of Monday 9 July, 2012. If you would like to take part in a DIY project you need to contact the DIY project leader and submit your application to them (cc’ing [email protected])

Each project has slightly different selection methods – most often you will be asked to submit a cv or biography and a short statement. You should check each project description carefully to work out what is required for your submission. If in doubt, email the lead artist as early as possible with a question to clarify what is required.

Each lead artist will respond to your submission and let you know if you have been accepted to participate. They will usually do this within a week of the deadline. Sometimes they will request further information to help them work out if the project is right for you.

The deadline is the final date for submission. We encourage you however to make your submission at any time leading up to the deadline.

How much does DIY cost?
Generally DIY projects are free to take part in; however, for some projects you will be asked to contribute to the cost of food and other direct expenses. Mostly you will also be asked to cover your own travel costs to and from the place where the project is taking place. Some projects provide participants for specified costs such as travel.

Where relevant, details of costs are mentioned in the project descriptions; however, if you are in doubt email the lead artist to check.

What happens if I can’t attend all days?
DIY projects are short and designed for small numbers of participants. It is therefore ideal if you are participating that you attend all days/sessions of the DIY project. If this is not possible but you really want to take part, please contact the DIY project leader and outline your availability to determine if they will accept your application.

Access requirements
Unfortunately, some projects require certain levels of physical fitness and/or are not accessible for all artists. If you have access requirements please contact the lead artist to discuss the suitability of the project.

How can I lead a DIY project?
The artists leading DIY projects were selected through an open call. You can read the archive page including the guidelines for the call for DIY project leaders here. We plan to run DIY in 2013 and will again select DIY lead artists through an open call. Join the Live Art Development Agency e-list to remain informed of our projects and activities.

If you require further information about any of these projects or artists, please contact the Live Art Development Agency at [email protected]

DIY 9 is a Live Art Development Agency initiative developed in collaboration with Abandon Normal Devices (North West), Artsadmin (national), Fierce (West Midlands), Live at LICA (North West), The Performance Centre at University College Falmouth (South West), PLATFORM (national), Sound and Music (National), Whitstable Biennale (South East) Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Yorkshire), Colchester Arts Centre (East) and The Works, Dance and Theatre Cornwall (South West).

Applications are now closed.