As we collectively try to absorb and adapt to the new restrictions that come into force this week, it is clear that any quick return to normality is not on the cards. However amidst the stop/start frustrations and anxieties of many, there are increasingly creative approaches to making work and opening up. It is going to be a tough slog, and we all wait with interest to see what support measures will be announced. But it is also apparent that sitting back and waiting for normality to resume isn’t an option, and it will take all our collective creativity and imagination to create new approaches and new forms to sustain the sector through these trying times.
Articulation is hosting the last of our Scottish Outdoor Arts sessions on Monday 28th bringing together Scotland based artists and promoters looking for mutually beneficial partnerships and ways to share resources to bring their work outdoors. And the newsletter is full of resources, advice, support and inspiration for those wrestling with the complexities of it all.
Articulation: Scottish Outdoor Arts Session 3: Partnerships
11am on Monday 28th September
Articulation (Scotland’s advocacy body for the Outdoor Arts, Physical Theatre and Circus Sector) are delivering a series of information and networking sessions to connect Scotland based venues, local authority and third sector organisations with artists and freelancers working across the outdoor arts.
As we emerge from lockdown and whilst social distancing measures are still in place it will be vital to take performance to public spaces and civic locations where audiences may feel comfortable gathering naturally again. The outdoor arts have the power to capture the imagination of a broad public that can act as a bridge to future attendance at building based arts programmes.
A Virtual Marketplace bringing together Scotland based artists and promoters looking for mutually beneficial partnerships and ways to share resources to bring their work outdoors. The first half of this session will offer 10 artists, venues, festivals, local authorities and third sector organisations to give a short 5 minute ‘pitch presentations’ on current works available for touring, commissions or programming opportunities from Autumn 2020 – Summer 2021. The second half of this session will focus on a series of pre-scheduled one-on-one ‘speed dating sessions’ between artists and promoters to introduce their forthcoming work in more depth.
Event hosted by Tim Licata (Artistic Director, Plutôt la Vie)
The #GettingBackOutdoors Survey was commissioned from Indigo by OutdoorArtsUK, as a free national online survey to capture audience views on returning to Outdoor Arts events post-lockdown.
The survey sought to expand on the data collected by Indigo in After the Interval: Act 2 and gather audience’s views on their desire to attend street, rural and countryside festivals, carnivals, melas and community events in the future and what some of the barriers to attendance might be.
The survey ran from 6 July – 21 August during a time which saw UK lockdown rules ease, more of the economy opening up and warmer weather encouraging people to venture outdoors again. This also coincided with the announcement on 9 July from the Culture Secretary that outdoor performances could begin taking place from as early as 11 July as part of the government’s Roadmap to Recovery.
(Updated) UK Government: Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Guidance for people who work in performing arts, including arts organisations, venue operators and participants.
This document includes guidance for a return to training and rehearsal, and managing audiences and venues or premises, in line with the law and current social distancing advice. The government understand how important it is that you can work safely and support your employees’ and customers’ health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic and not contribute to the spread of the virus.
Evidence on the most effective steps that can be taken to limit the transmission of the virus continues to be regularly reviewed. This guidance was last updated on the 18th September to reflect the current situation.
As we ease out of lock down, a number of organisations within the creative sector have published detailed risk assessments for re-opening premises which can be used for guidance within your own work:
HSEhave published thorough guidelines and a template for completing covid risk assessments.
Eventbritehave published the event safety playbook which is a short course which guides you through completing your own risk assessment.
The Space: The state of the sector: arts, audiences and digital, post lockdown
11am on the 14th October
A workshop for UK based arts organisations and cultural stakeholders.
When venues and studios closed down, we saw a mass migration to cultural content online - whether making, distributing or watching. The ability of arts organisations to adapt and reinvent was inspiring: the huge upswing in audience appetite for digital culture was exciting. However this has led to an ever busier environment that risks poor digital experiences being offered, and artists not reaching their audiences.
While the future for arts and culture is still not clear, The Space team invite you to join other arts practitioners to share learnings and observations from the last few months, and to discuss some of the questions which are core to the sustainability of the sector.
In July, Crying out Loud hosted the the Slow Thinking | Circus Snapshot meeting where they saw many people come together and offer their expertise and contribute to discussions.
There is now an open invitation for people to register to stay connected with Circus Snapshot and find out more about the eight refreshed Missions and two Sector Support Groups that emerged following the meeting.
You can find a summary of the Slow Thinking | Circus Snapshot findings here.
OutdoorArtsUK: #GettingBackOutdoors Webinar 1 for Venues & Organisations
If you missed this event which took place on the 14th August, you can now watch the recording online!
In response to Covid-19, many cultural, business and public sector organisations are looking at presenting arts and cultural activities outdoors. If you are wondering how to animate and populate streets, courtyards, parks, squares and shopping areas we are here to offer some guidance and advice. This is also a great opportunity to re-engage with audiences and local communities in these open-air settings.
This webinar will be useful for organisations which are looking for advice on programming and safely presenting outdoor events, from light nights to street festivals, rural installations to pyrotechnic installations, perhaps for the first time.
Surge is offering two bursaries for new physical theatre work suitable for digital and live indoor performance to emerging, Scotland-based artists and companies. The chosen artists/companies will be given a budget of £2500 towards the creation of the piece plus mentoring from Surge.
The piece will be devised to be performed either live in a theatre setting and/or broadcast live online, depending on public health recommendations at the time.
This will be a useful directory of Outdoor Arts Professionals & Consultants, who may be helpful to the wider cultural sector in advising, consulting and advocating for outdoor work. If you’re a venue, organisation, company or artist new to outdoor performance or interested in finding out more about how to work outside, these could be the knowledgeable and helpful voices you are looking for. The directory is broadly divided into three categories:
Creative Scotland: Hardship Funds for Creative Freelancers
Deadline for expression of interest:
5pm on the 25th September
This fund aims to address the current financial hardship being felt by creative freelancers who normally work in the culture sector but whose work has been impacted by Covid-19.
5m has been allocated to support hardship funding for creative freelancers in Scotland who are experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19. Creative Scotland is therefore looking to work with organisations that already offer this type of support to individuals across the creative sector to augment and / or extend the reach of existing hardship funds for creative freelancers.
As such, Creative Scotland are issuing an open call to invite any existing organisations, charities, trusts or unions based in Scotland or the wider UK who are presently managing funds to individuals in the creative sector (excluding Screen) for hardship or benevolent purposes in Scotland to work with them in delivering this funding. Funds should be national (ie open to those living anywhere in Scotland) and sector specific.
Arts Council England: National Lottery Project Grants
Arts Council England have reopened the fund with a budget of £59.8 million available until April 2021. They have prioritised reopening this programme to help fund independent organisations, creative practitioners and freelancers as quickly as possible.
The supplementary guidance outlines what has changed to make the fund more responsive to the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners during Covid-19.
Find out more about the changes, and how to apply by clicking below.
Spymonkey: Arts Council England Project Grants - In Depth
9:30am on the 8th October
This session will explore each section of the application in detail using examples from Spymonkey’s successful grants, as well as a guide to uploading your application onto ACE’s Grantium portal.
A practical, engaging online course for those who are new to writing bids or who want to build their confidence and develop their skills.
Delivered over 3 sessions through a mix of discussion, presentation and exercises to complete in your own time.
Packed full of relevant ideas and activities to put it into action. Delivery will be friendly and hands-on, providing lots of opportunities for sharing tips and asking questions, as well as live examples.
Session 1: Thurs 15 Oct 2020 10am-11.30am
Session 2 & 3: Thurs 22 Oct 2020 10am-11.15am and 11.45am-1pm
You will cover:
Who are funders and what are they looking for?
Jargon busting
Planning your bid
Pitching your project
Budgeting for your bid
Working with partners
Showing what your project will do
Increasing your chances of success
Next steps and getting started on your bid
Ideal if you're working in a small arts organisation or producing your own projects. If you're a freelance creative, interested in an arts career, or if you have just taken on a fundraising role, then this course will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to write successful funding bids.
Aproxima Arts present ‘The Harvest,’ a gastronomic gift to the people of Glasgow. Potatoes grown all over the city throughout lockdown, in handmade hessian sacks, are coming back to SWG3 for the launch of the Turbulent Tattie Chip Shop. Performers, Mischief La-Bas, will create a ‘chip production line’ transforming the humble tattie into the all-mighty, beloved chip in front of a live audience, before delivering it to the pop-up chip shop for frying. With large-screen visuals and music, ‘The Harvest’ is a special celebration of spirit, co-operation and good food in tough times.
This event will take place outside under the cover of a marquee and will follow the current Scottish Government advice on numbers of people who can meet up - maximum of 6 people from 2 different households. A ticket is for one table.
The Beltane Fire Society have announced there will be a Samhuinn celebration this year, just not in their usual manner. The future is more uncertain than usual at the moment, and they want to make sure that they can create something that is both meaningful and safe for the community to participate in and witness.
The festival will include a mixture of online and physical performance so the annual event can be enjoyed by all.
Nest is a collage of video responses to circumstances that don’t need explaining. An assembled abstraction of circus, staircases, and hamster-bedding. The graduating ensemble production of the National Centre for Circus Art’s BA (Hons) programme, directed by Arron Sparks, with sound design by Craig Byrne and material devised and performed by the cast.
Spymonkey are excited to offer a third series of affordable training workshops and webinars covering areas of finance, producing and marketing, alongside sessions delving into the creative process behind our work. This new series of online workshops and webinars is available to book throughout October.
A whistle stop tour through the main stages of producing a touring show - from bringing partners on board and fundraising, to timescales of the overall project management and final evaluation. This session will give you the key milestones for successfully producing your own projects.
Facciocose: Make a solo performance Online Training
Every Thursday from the 15th October - 17th December
Do you still want to make theatre during Covid-19?
This Make a solo performance Course is a space to learn dramaturgy and devising methodologies to explore new ways to make theatre during Covid-19.
Stimulate, Research, create, devise. Keep on making theatre.
The Course is a mix of theoretical and practical sessions where you will learn dramaturgical devising, how to build a character, and how to use research methodology to make experimental and bold performances. You will be asked to create a space of creative encounter and opportunity, take risks and challenge your practice to envision new ways to make theatre.
6-week online course
Starting October 6th, every Tuesday 5 – 7.30pm
LIFEbeat Creative Practice trainings combine a deep understanding of group process with a keen awareness of the role that creative expression plays in bringing individuals and groups alive:
Explore your relationship to your own creativity
Learn how to build safe learning environments
Learn arts-based activities that enliven learning and build group trust
Discover how to weave a variety of art forms into your work
Open to adults of all ages and professional backgrounds we: believe that everyone is creative and that you don’t have to be an artist to welcome more creativity into your working life.
Christina Poulton Creative: Setting up an arts organisation
10am on the 29th October
If you’re thinking about setting up an arts company or charity this workshop will help you explore the different options available and equip you with the information you need to decide your next steps.
We will cover:
When and why to set up an organisation
Different types of legal structures
Choosing the right kind of structure for your work
Defining your mission, purpose or charitable objects
Nuts and bolts e.g. bank accounts, insurance
Practical next steps
Ideal for creative freelancers who are planning to scale up their work or collaborate with others, and voluntary organisations who are considering registering as a charity or company.
Packed full of resources and tips to get started. Delivery will be friendly and hands-on, providing lots of opportunities for sharing ideas and asking questions, as well as live examples.
Popular Union: Outside In Arts Festival - Community Commission
Deadline: 30th September
Popular Union are inviting everyone and anyone to submit a proposal outlining their creative response to the theme: ‘looking out, looking in, looking up’.
This is an open call out to celebrate and showcase the creativity of our communities; both those who do and do not consider themselves ‘artists’. Whether you’re a professional musician, or a teacher who likes to paint in their spare time, Popular Union want to hear from you!
Applicants should respond to the theme as naturally and instinctively as possible, though the work should be timely and in some way a response to the state of the world today (though this is very much open to interpretation). This can be from people of any age and can be presented in any way; music, dance, a performance, drawing, poem, talk, zine, that can be presented digitally.
The programming team at Poplar Union will select 15 submissions to receive a micro-commission of £150 each to put towards the creation of the work. The artists selected will also receive guidance and support from the programming and marketing team at Poplar Union in developing their piece.
Good Chance Theatre are looking for an exceptional artist and ambitious, inspirational and visionary leader to join their senior management team as Co-Artistic Director. They will work alongside the Good Chance team to expand the ground-breaking work of the company, initiate and lead new projects, and help shape the organisation’s vision and mission in the coming years.
This role comes at an incredibly exciting time for the company; this year Good Chance celebrated their fifth birthday and are looking towards the future. At this time of global upheaval, Good Chance see an unprecedented opportunity to rethink, redesign, and reimagine, to connect with new audiences and build new communities, and make a bold argument for the importance of theatre and art in all aspects of our society.
The United Nations Board of Significant Inspiration and Surge: Call out for Performers
Deadline: 5pm on the 1st October
The United Nations Board of Significant Inspiration (UNBOSI) and Surge are looking for 5 performers to participate in their online delivered project C-19PP which will take place in October and November 2020.
UNBOSI, a lesser-known United Nations department, was formed in 1950 to study sites associated with human genius which generate ‘light bulb’ moments of inspiration. From research conducted with SURGE in 2019, the UNBOSI team identified hot spots in Glasgow and Dundee of immense inspirational value for local inhabitants.
Through enabling new connections, the UNBOSI team inspire future cooperation and friendship within local communities. UNBOSI’s formation was also a response to the common understanding that world leaders are continually losing their marbles.
For C-19PP, performers will receive online training to equip them to deliver, as part of a UNBOSI team, online workshops to members of the public. These workshops will explore inspiration through the creation of marble runs. Workshop participants will be inspired to create their own marble runs and enter them in a competition at the culmination of the project.
Participating performers will also be required to work independently to produce some content for an associated social media campaign and to engage with their local community to promote the project. Support for this will be provided by UNBOSI experts.
For 2020, on Sat 21 November, the 21st Emergency will take place in its seventh home - the brand new Contact - so new that this will be the first sneak preview audiences get.
Necessarily, Emergency 2020 will be somewhat different. A socially-distanced, walk-through event for durational and looping performance. Small booked audiences will be guided through the building in gallery fashion, pausing en route to watch the work.
So Emergency 2020 is looking for durational, performance installation; looping + intervention-based live works that can run over a minimum period of 4 hours.
Work can be in any relevant artform/medium, though some live presence is desirable; please note Emergency 2020 aren’t looking for black-box type shows nor for online work.
New Contemporaries are looking for a dynamic, collaborative and passionate individual to join their dedicated staff team at a senior level. New Contemporaries ideal candidate will come to us with good experience of working in the arts, and have a particular interest in the strategic, developmental, financial and operational aspects that are necessary to effectively run a small-scale arts organisation.
The Deputy Director will working closely with the Director and Board of Trustees, playing a vital role in ensuring the future development, ongoing financial resilience, management excellence and smooth running of New Contemporaries. The Deputy Director will be directly responsible for all aspects of financial management, day-to-day operations and staffing, as well as supporting New Contemporaries strategic development, fundraising efforts, relationships with key funders and governance, and will deputise for the Director when required.
Unlimited’s main aim is to commission disabled artists and companies to make exceptional work. It feels important at this unprecedented time, when many artists and companies have been stopped from touring and sharing work, to keep commissioning artists even when we are all unsure of where the cultural sector might be when these works will be due to bloom.
Unlimited have recently announced a new commission which opens on the 1st October. For this round, Unlimited has over half a million pounds available for Main Commissions, Research and Development awards and Emerging Artists awards.
Tania El Khoury and Basel Zaraa: As Far As Isolation Goes (Online)
9th - 11th October
As Far As Isolation Goes (Online) is a collaboration between live artist Tania El Khoury and musician and street artist Basel Zaraa.
In this live-streamed, 1-on-1 performance, As Far As Isolation Goes uses touch, sound and interactivity to bring audience members in contact with those faced with inhumane detention centres and a mental health system that disregards their political and emotional contexts.
Scenes for Survival is a new season of digital short artworks, created in association with BBC Scotland, Screen Scotland, BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine project and Scotland’s leading theatre venues and companies, with support from Hopscotch Films.
Each artwork has been exceptionally created by a quarantine creative team, connecting remotely, made up of a performer(s), writer and director and filmed by the performers, from their personal spaces of isolation. Over 200 leading artists and creatives have collaborated to create and release fifty-five unique films.
The season of works also act as a platform to raise money for the new Scenes For Survival Hardship Fund: a fund for artists and theatre workers who have been hardest hit financially by the current crisis.
A beautiful exploration of UK carnival culture, from the lens of black women and told through dance, music and mas costume. This alternative parade is realised through the streets and gardens of individual black artists – the everyday Queens, dressed in full carnival attire, dancing to original afrobeats and soca-inspired music. Choreography by Precious Onyenekwu Tatah. Directed by Somina Fombo.
Filmed in Lockdown is a series of new works of literary, musical, visual, and performance arts, commissioned for Culture in Quarantine by Arts Council England and BBC Arts.
Call Out to Artists and Makers, groups and organisations involved with Circus, Street Arts, Physical Theatre - let us and others know about your work. Take your place in Articulation’s Directory on the Website by sending your information to info@articulationarts.org
