THE BRIEF:
This year we are looking for 2 x installations which can stand out against the landscape of the festival.
We are open to different approaches, materials and ideas, but please consider the following when developing your idea:
- How sustainable are the materials and methods you are using
- How durable the piece is – our audience are fairly ‘hands on’ and the Lake District weather can prove both wet and windy
- What kind of infrastructure your piece requires
- In a busy landscape, how will it stand out
- Will your piece need lighting at night, or is it lit internally
- Is it a participatory or performance related installation? i.e. Does it require audience input, will the end of the festival see it being burnt or destroyed as part of the work?
- Is it tourable to other destinations – we would love to support you in getting your work to partner festivals
- The majority of programming at Kendal Calling takes place between 12pm-2am, this means in the summer months that 9 hours of our programming is during daylight and 5 hours in darkness. How will your piece work in these conditions?
THE OFFER TO ARTISTS:
£10,000 budget per installation
This budget is to cover: All artists’ time, materials, live delivery and associated staffing costs. Any associated rig and derig costs, including haulage, crew travel accommodation and catering.
Mentoring and producing support
You will be in contact with Phil McGough an experienced light art producer and producer of the Northwest based installation commission scheme SHINE. Phil will support you to create your piece recognising areas of training that might be beneficial, or if Phil feels another mentor may be better placed to support you, he will work with the From The Fields team to identify the right mentor for you.
Cathryn Peach-Barnes is an experienced outdoor arts producer having worked on award-winning arts programmes internationally and produced installations for festivals across the UK, she will be your contact for Kendal Calling.
Training support
A small budget for training will be available. This could be used to refresh part of your website to tour your installation after Kendal Calling, update a necessary plant ticket to increase your ability to install the work yourself, or pay for training to cover the relevant documentation you will require to bring your artwork to life.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Kendal Calling exists for everybody, as such we encourage everyone to apply, whether your background is in construction, festivals, fabrication or gallery work, there is a place for you.
We are interested in bringing the best work to Kendal Calling and supporting you in your journey as an artist.
We are particularly interested in hearing from artist/s where this commission would be one of the largest that they have secured.
We additionally encourage all artists to apply who experience an imbalance of opportunity, whether because of class, race, dis/ability, gender, sexuality or rural location.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION
- The first stage of this application aims to gauge a sense of your idea and experience, please include sketches of the work you wish to create and communicate the scale of your work as well as the ambition
- The second stage will dig into the feasibility of your idea, requesting a topline budget breakdown
- Please take a look at the Kendal Calling website here, and particularly our Lost Eden page here, and consider how your piece works with our aesthetic
KEY PROJECT DATES:
May 8th – Deadline for first stage applications
May 12th – Artist(s) invited to second stage with deadline of May 19th
May 26th - Artist/s selected
June 26th – Technical plans and RAMS deadline
July 25th – Installation on site to be completed
APPLY:
To apply, please see below and complete the form by EOP May 8th.
If you experience or anticipate any barriers within the application process or require help to make an application or access information, please do contact us on hello@kendalcalling.com with COMMISSION QUERY in the title of the email and we can make any necessary adjustments.
Please ensure you title your email COMMISSION QUERY, otherwise our team may not pick it up due to the volume of emails we receive on other matters.
Please note that this commission is funding dependent, whilst we are confident in securing funding, if we are unsuccessful in securing funding prior to Kendal Calling 2023, your work will be included in future funding bids to ensure we are able to stage your work at Kendal Calling.