Aims/priorities: DISRUPT is a new digital arts festival taking place in July 2021, coordinated by the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. It has been set up to explore how performing arts has supported communities across the UK during the pandemic and how this time of uncertainty has encouraged new and radical ways of working. Grants are available to support the showcasing of new or existing creative work at the online digital arts festival. The festival is particularly keen to fund the following types of work which will be showcased at DISRUPT:
- New and experimental performance-based projects created with, by and for communities during the pandemic.
- Tools and tactics to build skills on new or different ways of working in the performing arts, including practical steps on how communities, artists and organisations can collaborate.
- Projects that explore alternative and more democratic futures for the performing arts.
The Open Call for creative proposals has been split into three strands:
- Community Commissions - For proposals for experimental and collaborative performance projects between communities and creative partners. The project should be a response to the pandemic or its consequences, and stem from something a community needs or wants to make.
- Tools and Tactics - To encourage and develop new collaborative skills by looking at radical new ways of working that have developed as result of the pandemic. This could include how art is made, selected or thought about by involving and broadening who and how communities are involved in decision-making.
- Alternative Futures - To explore and develop changes that need to occur to harness collective learnings/unlearnings about community collaboration.
Grants can be used for the following:
- Artist(s) fees.
- Production fees and costs.
- Project management costs including any insurance or legal costs.
- Equipment and software necessary to produce the work, whether hired or purchased.
- Rights clearance costs for online publication.
- Marketing costs.
- Expenses and travel.
- Access support costs.
Who can apply? DISRUPT is open to communities, community organisations, researchers, creatives, artists, charities and arts organisations that work meaningfully together. Applications must be co-written by a community partner and a creative partner. For more information on what they mean, take a look at the Open Call and their Terms & Conditions.
Grant amount: The programme offers three funding strands:
- Community Commissions - grants of up to £5,000 are available for experimental and collaborative performance projects between communities and creative partners. The project should be a response to the COVID-19 pandemic or its consequences.
- Tools and Tactics - grants of up to £1,000 are available to encourage and develop new collaborative skills by looking at what radical new ways of working have developed because of the pandemic. This could include how art is made, selected or thought about by involving and broadening who and how communities are involved in decision-making.
- Alternative Futures - grants of up to £1,000 are available to help open up spaces to explore what needs to change in order to harness collective learnings (or unlearnings) about community collaboration.
Application process: An application form and budget template can be found at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama website.
Deadline: 30 January 2021, noon.
Contact information: Tel 0207 628 2571, Email disrupt@gsmd.ac.uk
Website address: Disrupt | Guildhall School of Music & Drama