Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two: Call for Proposals

Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two 

A series of activities on Live Art and Disability 2010

The Live Art Development Agency is delighted to invite proposals for two new Live Art commissions from UK-based artists who identify as disabled. The two new works will each receive an award of £2,000 and be presented in the Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two: Live Art and disability programme of events in Autumn 2010.

If you are interested in this opportunity and have an idea for a new work, please read on for the background to the project and details of how to apply.

Deadline for applications: June 24, 2010
Dates of events: Autumn 2010 (exact dates to be confirmed)

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Introduction and context

In 2006, the Live Art Development Agency instigated Restock Rethink Reflect, a programme of initiatives for, and about, artists who are exploring and questioning notions of cultural identity.

Building on the achievements and findings of the first Restock, Rethink, Reflect, the Agency is currently developing Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two, a programme of activities exploring the ways in which the practices of artists who work with Live Art have engaged with, represented, and problematicised issues of disability in innovative and radical ways.

The Live Art Development Agency was founded in 1999 to support the proliferation of Live Art practices and critical discourses in the UK and internationally, and over the last ten years we have tried to respond to the exciting, innovative and diverse nature of Live Art, by developing an extensive portfolio of resources, professional development initiatives and projects.

Live Art is often an interdisciplinary, itinerant and ephemeral area of contemporary arts practice that operates within, in between, across, and at the edges of visual art, theatre, dance, digital media and the moving image. Inevitably there are many challenges to the documentation, archiving and contextualistion of such work, and these challenges can lead to the exclusion of significant artists and approaches from wider cultural discourses and art histories. This is particularly the case for artists concerned with politicised and complex questions of identity and cultural difference, whose experiences and practices are often sidelined within UK’s cultural histories.

Following a research gathering in October 2009 with a small group of radical artists working with issues of disability in innovative and exciting ways, the Agency is now developing plans for a major public project for 2010 that will involve commissioned and invited performances, presentations, and discussions. The event will also include screenings of rarely seen but influential films and/or documentation of work by key artists and/or reflecting key moments. The public event will generate material for, and be followed by, a publication which will be published and distributed by the Live Art Development Agency.

Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two aspires to reflect, map and archive the ways in which Live Art has been, and continues to be, a potent platform for artists to explore notions of identity and representation; and to resource and empower artists now and in the future. We hope that the Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two event and publication will be aimed at, and of interest to, artists, students, scholars, activists, policymakers, critical writers, and thinkers.

Artists from the research gathering are working with the Agency as the Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two advisory group: Tonny A, Katherine Araniello, Bobby Baker, Pete Edwards, Mat Fraser, Catherine Long, Maria Oshodi, Jenny Sealy and Aaron Williamson.

Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two is financially assisted by Arts Council England.

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The Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two Commissions

Proposals are invited from artists, or collaborations between artists, who identify as disabled and are working in Live Art and related areas for two new “live” works to be presented in the Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two programme of events in Autumn 2010 (dates tbc). As noted above, Restock Rethink Reflect has been developed as an opportunity for artists who are exploring and questioning notions of identity and representation in innovative and radical ways, and proposals will be assessed in that context.

Conclusions reached at the Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two research gathering have also informed this Call for Proposals, and although not essential as part of your proposal, we particularly welcome applications engaging with one or more of these issues:

1. Ideas of interdisciplinarity; new intergenerational dialogue; and/or new collaborative partnerships.

2. Enhancing the commissioned work by professional development support that will be self-identified by the commissioned artist (for example, working with a mentor or dramaturg, development of critical writing around the project, and/or specific ‘skills’ development).

It is anticipated that the Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two programme will take place in Club Row (Shoreditch, London) or another similar gallery or “empty” space in London. The proposed works should therefore be “non theatrical” in their conception and staging, not have extensive or elaborate technical requirements, and ideally be works that might be located in a range of spatial and curatorial contexts in the future with minimum set up.

Each new work will receive an award of £2,000 (inclusive of all taxes and expenses). The £2,000 award can be applied towards: artists’ and collaborators’ fees for the research, development and presentation of the project at RRR2; research and development expenses (for example, rehearsal space, travel, materials, props); and professional development expenses. The commissioned artists will in addition be provided with technical, access and staff support for the public presentation of the commissioned works.

Successful applicants will be notified by mid July. The commissioned works will be presented no earlier than mid-October 2010.

It is intended that the commissions will be documented by the Agency and that the works will be represented in the proposed Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two publication. Applicants are encouraged to consider and propose ways in which their work might be documented in visual and textual ways.

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Eligibility:

•Undergraduate students may not apply.
•Applicants must live or work in the UK.
•The commission is for new work which has not been shown in the UK before.
•The Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two Commissions can be used as a match for existing funds but only if the project can be feasibly delivered within the Restock, Reflect, Rethink Two project timescale.

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Applications:

Please contact the Agency if you wish to receive these guidelines in an alternative format.

We welcome applications in the following formats: written proposal, audio proposal, video proposal, a presentation in person or via Skype. Please note that the method of the submission format should reflect the access needs of the applicant.

Applications must include the following:

1) A summary of your proposed work – for example, this could include the form, content, and/or context of the proposed work; an outline of your intended creative research and development process etc.

•How the project responds to the opportunity to explore and question notions of identity and representation in innovative and radical ways.

•Please highlight if the proposed work is responsive to ideas of interdisciplinarity; new intergenerational dialogue; and/or new collaborative partnerships.

•If you have included this within your plan, your professional development needs and the ways that these will be addressed through your proposed commission (for example, working with a mentor or dramaturg, development of critical writing around the project, and/or specific ‘skills’ development).

•Your approach to the documentation of the proposed work.

Please note that written submissions should be no more than three pages of A4. Other methods of submission should be the equivalent in length.

2) An up to date CV or biography, which outlines your relevant experience.

3) We would also like you to include a short statement (250 words maximum if written, or the equivalent in length if the submission is in another format) on your response to the following questions:

• In what ways have Live Art practices offered you a platform, a context, a framework, and a language?
• In what ways have Live Art practices and approaches contributed to discourses around the construction and performance of identity, and particularly to awareness of ideas about the issue of ‘disability’?
• What are the moments, people, events and works that have influenced you as an artist and in what ways would you like to influence future generations?

4) A link to your, or a relevant, website as supporting material.
If you do not have a website you can submit supporting material that is appropriate and representative with your proposal, including DVDs (of films and/or images), publications, press and letters of recommendation (if available).

Please include a list of the supporting material you submit, and ensure that all supporting material is clearly marked with your name and address. Please note that any material you submit is done so at your own risk and we can only return supporting materials if a SAE (stamped address envelope) is enclosed.

5) You must complete a monitoring questionnaire (at the end of these guidelines) and return it with your proposal; your application will not be eligible without it. We will not use the information you provide there as part of the assessment and selection of proposals, and will detach it from your application.

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Assessment Criteria and Selection

Applications will be assessed and selected by the staff of the Live Art Development Agency, project consultant Rajni Shah and members of the Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two advisory group.

Assessment criteria:

•The strength and originality of the project concept, and, if included in the application, approaches to ideas of interdisciplinarity, new intergenerational dialogues, new collaborative partnerships and/or professional development.

•The viability of the idea within the context of Restock, Rethink, Reflect Two. ie. as an opportunity for artists who are exploring and questioning notions of identity and representation in innovative and radical ways.

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Further information

We very much welcome discussion with all potential applicants. If you wish to talk about any aspect of your proposal in advance of submission please do not hesitate to contact Lois Keidan [email protected] or 0207 033 0275.

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Application deadline

Completed applications must be received by June 24, 2010

Applications, marked Restock, Reflect, Rethink Two Commissions in the subject line, should be emailed to [email protected] as a Word attachment, a RTF document or a PDF.

Please note we can only accept applications by email, unless there are exceptional circumstances which must be discussed with the Agency in advance of the deadline. We will only consider applications received by the deadline.

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Notification of results

Successful applicants will be notified by mid July.

We will write to applicants by email giving the outcome of their application.

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Complaints procedure

Complaints and appeals in relation to Restock, Reflect, Rethink Two are undertaken under the Complaints and Appeals Procedure of the Agency. Information about the procedure is available on request from the Agency.

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Equality of Opportunity

The Live Art Development Agency supports issues of diversity in the practice and politics of Live Art and is positioned and structured to be able to work effectively with, and within, a range of cultural frameworks, artistic practices and social issues.

The Live Art Development Agency is committed to responding to the complex needs of a diverse society and, in its schemes and initiatives, aims to enhance the involvement of artists and the public regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation or education.

The Live Art Development Agency is committed to equality of opportunity in all selection procedures.

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Contact details

Live Art Development Agency
Rochelle School
Arnold Circus
London E2 7ES
United Kingdom
+ 44 020 7033 0275

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Monitoring

The Live Art Development Agency places a strong emphasis on equality of opportunity and access. In order to help us monitor this commitment, please complete this monitoring questionnaire. You must return this questionnaire with your application, which will not be eligible without it.

This questionnaire asks for statistical information only. We will not use the information you provide here as part of the assessment and selection of proposals, and will detach it from your application.

We have designed the questions on this form to help us analyse applications for Restock, Reflect, Rethink Two, and to be compatible with information that will be collected by Arts Council England. We will share the data collected through this form with Arts Council England for monitoring purposes. You should choose the answers which best describe you.

Cultural Diversity
Please state what you consider to be or how you chose to define your ethnic origin (for example, Asian, British Asian, White European, Black Caribbean, British Chinese, etc:

Disability
The Disability Discrimination Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Do you consider yourself to be a disabled person?Yes No

Age
To which age group do you belong?

Below 20
20 – 29
30 – 39
40 – 49
50 – 59
Above 60

Gender
How do you describe your gender?