Knowle West Media Centre are excited to launch a new programme called ‘Creativity + Care’. The programme will explore themes of radical care and pleasure activism. It will provide opportunities for creatives to explore and experience nourishing spaces of care that can support, inspire and enable their creativity.
We are looking to commission four artists/creatives, working in any medium, who want to explore the theme of creativity and care with us. The first round of the programme will explore Care Languages. This takes inspiration from the idea of Love Languages (words of affirmation, quality time, acts of services, gifts, physical touch) which describe different ways of expressing and receiving love. We want to expand this thinking into exploring how we express and receive care for ourselves and others through creative practice.
The commissioned artists will collaborate with Knowle West Media Centre (either remotely or in person) between July – October. They will take part in a care-giving circle where we explore the theme of care languages by asking two key provocations. Artists could respond to one/both of these questions, in relation to their practice:
What is a creative care practice or experience that nourishes you that you could offer up to others?
What is a creative care practice or experience that you like to offer others, that you would like time to develop?
This could and should be an experience/practice that you do to ensure your own care and wellbeing, or that does the same for others, and should be rooted in your creative practice/s. We are really open to what your form of creativity + care looks and feels like.
For example, do you spend time doing your hair a certain way each week? Do you take a specific walk every now and then to bring yourself joy? Do you like to cook food or dinner to show care? Do you like to play music or create a playlist for others to listen to? Do you like to create engaging art activities? Hold discussion circles?
Artists should also consider how others can publicly participate or learn. For example, can you cook for someone and invite others to a dinner? Can you create a listening party?
We will be looking to commission ideas which could exist across physical and digital spaces. We think this looks like commissioning 2 artists/creatives to work on ideas which can be experienced as stand alone ‘gifts’ in domestic / remote settings – perhaps these are digital offerings, and 2 creatives who might want to bring their ‘gifts’ into a physical / public setting or space (this could be at KWMC but does not have to be).
Fee:
Additional Support:
Who do we want to work with?
We are interested in collaborating with those most in need of these spaces and resources – creative people who are most impacted by oppressive systems, structures and cultures within the creative sector (people who have lived experience of finding the creative sector to be ableist, ageist, racist, classist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic) and who, as a result, are often underrepresented, under-resourced and underserved by the sector.
This opportunity is open to artists/creatives based anywhere in the UK. We are also very interested in working with creative people local to Bristol and in particular, South Bristol. We would love to connect with people who are new or not yet present in the creative industries and we have experience of working with emerging artists.
Timeline
To apply
1.) Read the full Artist Brief
2.) Submit a written audio or video response in this online form.
Application deadline: 9am, Monday 12th July 2021
Commission start date: July 2021
If you have any access needs that require you to submit your proposal in another format, please get in touch so we can help you find a suitable option. All applications will be assessed according to the same criteria and submitting in a different format will not affect your chances of being selected.
To find out more
If you would like any further information or have any questions, please contact Josephine on 0117 903 0444 or josephine@kwmc.org.uk
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