BEAF FESTIVAL – COMMISSIONS OPPORTUNITY 2023 – UNHEARD VOICES
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
DEADLINE: 5PM MONDAY JANUARY 9 2023
BEAF Commissions Programme provides opportunities for individual artists, creatives, collaborative partners and groups to create new, temporary events, performances, exhibitions and community programmes.
All we require is a short Expression of Interest – it’s the idea and the concept that we are most interested in for the EOI. The work must be a new project or a development of earlier work that has not been shown before in Bournemouth. A selection process will take place, and shortlisted proposals will be invited to provide further detail before final selection.
We are keen to support projects where a contribution from BEAF might open doors to other funding, or the outcome will make a wider impact and engagement with communities and audiences. We are looking to offer funding up to £5,000 for ambitious projects which address our key theme outlined below.
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST APPLICATION PROCESS
WHO CAN APPLY?
All creatives working in any medium, either individually or as part of a group who are currently based in, or originally from Bournemouth/Dorset, or who remain connected to the county through work, family or professional associations.
WHERE WILL THE COMMISSIONS BE LOCATED?
Proposals can be site specific, use internal or external locations, but all venues must take access into consideration. Our priority is to locate projects in and around Boscombe, but other locations will be considered.
WHAT ARE THE DATES?
All events must take place within the festival period, FRIDAY 16 – SUNDAY 25 JUNE 2023.
MENTORING AND SUPPORT PROGRAMME
Each commissioned project will be supported with a mentor dependent on needs of the project, experience and developmental requirements.
THEME FOR BEAF FESTIVAL 2023 – UNHEARD VOICES
Building on the festival’s history of providing a platform for UNHEARD VOICES, proposals are invited to address this overriding theme. Each year, BEAF invites an international artist as inspiration for our Unheard Voices theme. Our first invitation in 2021 was South African artist, William Kentridge, introducing his seminal animation project, Other Faces, “sharing personal stories linked to the complexity of existence, to uncertainty and to the broader reflection on the human condition”. For 2023 our theme is inspired by Iranian visual artist, Shirin Neshat, currently living in exile in New York, and her work TURBULENT, a monumental video installation speaking of the global turbulence of the modern day, is described as, “The fight against inequality, the battle for label-free identities, and the fight against right-wing populism…” (1)
“I’m really interested in social justice, and if an artist has a certain power of being heard and voicing something important, it’s right to do it.”
“Life could be more meaningful if we find the compassion to open our minds and our eyes to other people’s issues and see if we can expand our love and care for people beyond our immediate family.” Shirin Neshat
To view some of our previous commissions please click here.
