Opportunity at BE Festival 2013 – deadline 30 Jan

CALLING PERFORMERS & ARTISTS FROM ACROSS EUROPE… BE FESTIVAL 2013 (Birmingham European Festival)
Dates: 2-7 July, 2013 in Birmingham, UK

1. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR the bi-annual BE FESTIVAL’s VISUAL ARTS PROGRAMME 2013-2014: MONEY / TRANSACTION / ALTERNATIVE CURRENCY

“When money dries up and there are still needs to be met in society, people come up with creative ways to meet those needs” (Peter North, senior lecturer in geography at the University of Liverpool)

BE FESTIVAL’s visual arts programme is a two year cycle exploring a particular issue. In 2013-2014 we aim to gain insights in to concepts such as money, value, transaction and alternative currency. We propose a laboratory where artists from different disciplines and cultures can explore the conjunction of arts, politics and economics, in an attempt to find innovative and experimental strategies that challenge obsolete systems and dominant conventions. More than ever, art practice has to be critically analitycal and creatively emancipating, in order to question the world we have been sold and why we have bought it. It is at times like this that art must come into its own to inspire new alternatives.

BE FESTIVAL proposes both a space in which ideas around money and its alternatives can be interrogated, and an innovative model for non-commercial artistic production. As in previous years, the success of the festival will rely hugely on alternative currency. Organisations will offer physical and human resources; local residents will offer their time, energy and space; artists will offer their work and ideas. And we will offer valuable alternative currency in return: professional development and skills training, new encounters and collaborations, exposure to new work, a lasting legacy.

BE FESTIVAL aims to devise a collective experiment that combines utopian aspirations with critical awareness. With this purpose, we open a bi-annual call for project’s submissions of:

a/ UK-based Visual Artists’ Exhibition (July 2013)
In an attempt to explore the ‘borders’ between performing and visual arts, we will programme work from three UK based visual artists whose work explores the themes of money, transaction, value and alternative currency. The three artists whose work best embodies the programme’s theme will be selected. The visual artists will be selected from different disciplines, and will exhibit their work at AE Harris and MAC Birmingham to international audiences. Their approach to the theme will serve as a catalyst to one of the panel discussions at the festival, in which all three artists will take part.
Selected artists will be provided with accommodation, meals, transport in Birmingham and free access to all festival performances, workshops, feedback sessions and discussions. There is money available for material costs to be discussed as part of your proposal and a fee of £500 for each of the three projects.

b/ European Visual Artist Residency (July 2013 – residency and exhibition in 2014)
Following the success of this initiative in 2011-12, we will invite an international visual artist to attend BE 2013 as a research residency, drawing inspiration from the festival in order to develop a new visual arts project, again relating to themes of money, transaction, value and alternatives currencies. The project will be created following the 2013 festival onwards, and presented at BE 2014, both at MAC and at AE Harris. After the festival is finished, the exhibition at the MAC will remain over 2-3 months.

The project selected will interact dynamically with the BE Mix project (see below)*. The visual artist will be part of the ensemble during the R&D week in 2013. Whilst the devising process will be inspired by the material collected during the residency (drawings, sounds recordings, videos and objects), likewise the visual arts project will be provoked and inspired by material generated through rehearsal.

In 2013, the selected artist will be provided with accommodation, meals, all travel costs and free access to all performances, workshops, feedback sessions and discussions. Studio space will be provided at MAC from 2 – 13 July.
In 2014, a two week residency will be provided prior to the festival (dates to be agreed, however installation must take place in the week leading up to the festival and you must be available for this period). There is money available for material costs to be discussed as part of your proposal and a fee of £800.

The deadline for submissions is 30 January 2013 and to be considered, please send a completed application form to art@befestival.org.

For more information, and to download the application form: www.befestival.org