International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016 // Call for an Outdoor Place or Unusual Space Idea (OPUS)
IDFB is inviting professionals to submit a great idea and/or concept for a new festival commission for IDFB 2016, with a particular focus on dance or cross-artform projects that take place in outdoor places and unusual spaces. We welcome ideas from UK based or international artists.
Deadline for proposals: 29 April 2015, 10am
The IDFB team will work alongside the successful professional artist/company to produce and realise the OPUS Idea in a collaborative way. The Artist will be paid a fee as collaborator (please include this in your submitted budget), and the project will be creatively produced by IDFB.
We welcome proposals that come with a company of performers. Alternatively, performers can be recruited for the project, collaboratively through a fair and equal process. Collaborators or partners should be researched and named within the proposal where relevant, but please note that all artistic personnel will be mutually agreed by the Artist and the Creative Produce
Brief
We are looking for an idea that takes performance to Birmingham City Centre in an outdoor place or unusual space. The idea must be high impact with maximum reach, with low demand on technical needs and resources. To apply, your idea does not need to be fully formed, but it does need to be a great concept that can be collaboratively developed within the timeframe. The future of the work after IDFB will be subject to negotiation between the Artist and IDFB.
Requirements
The OPUS Idea must;
• be designed for Birmingham City Centre in an open outdoor place or unusual space, but also be transferable to other cities (i.e. a tourable model, site specific being less important)
• be accessible to 100+ people per performance
• we will prioritise concepts that have an international facet, whether it be the lead artist, a collaborator, a culture, or a theme
• be movement based, but not necessarily dance
• be high impact and accessible to an everyday audience of all ages
• consider that technical resources are limited and building heavy infrastructure or staging is difficult; the idea therefore needs to be suitable for an existing landscape
Budget guide to the cost of the proposal is £20,000 (more than one project may be selected to take place).
Costs covered as part of IDFB core budgets include: producer, administration, studio space, marketing & PR. All other costs must be included in your proposed budget.
Who can apply?
Any professional artist or company can apply. You must be available during April/May 2016 to collaborate and deliver on this project. Studio space dates need to be negotiated and agreed based on need.
How to apply
To apply, please submit a written proposal of your OPUS Idea, ensuring that you answer all of the
requirements as stated above, and following the following guidelines:
• Guide proposal length, 2 sides of A4, please be clear and concise.
• Proposals must include a project title and a short (approx 100 word) summary at the start.
• Name any collaborators or partners, and confirm whether they are available to work on this project.
• Include an estimated budget breakdown within your proposal (additional to the 2 sides).
• Please include a CV or covering letter outlining past experience plus links to relevant past works and at least one reference.
Deadlines
29 April 2015, 10am: Deadline for proposals to be submitted
w/c 11 May 2015: Dialogues with shortlisted artists
22 May 2015: Decision of confirmed artist
02 May-29 May 2016: IDFB 2016 festival dates (in which the project will take place)
Please note, that it is our ambition to work with the artist/company to secure funds and tour the work beyond IDFB 2016.
Contact
If you have any questions about your proposal, please contact Hannah Sharpe on 0121 689 1093 or emailhannah.sharpe@dancexchange.org.uk
For further information please visit: http://www.dancexchange.org.uk/about/commissions-auditions
