Sofia Niazi, 2017
Taking inspiration from start-up accelerator models, alt.barbican is a response to the blurring of boundaries between individual art forms and a generation of emergent artists drawing upon multiple disciplines and new technologies to create projects with new expressive possibilities.
The Barbican and The Trampery are looking for innovative artists working at the intersection of art, technology, and entrepreneurship to take part in this major new project.
The six-month programme for up to five artists, includes an all expenses trip to Montreal and will provide a range of showcase, mentoring, training within an environment in which research and discussion about this emergent field can take place and be shared.
Artists on the programme will respond and explore the theme of ‘the subversion of reality’.
Enquiries might include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Digital mimicry – exploring representations of human form and experience, the natural environment, and the uncanny
- Social interaction, creativity and enterprise – new ways of communicating, making and business in the age of virtual reality
- Heightening or repressing human senses with technology –innovative techniques for viewer engagement and opportunities for emotional experiences
Practitioners might be employing or interested in working with virtual or augmented reality, projection mapping, ambisonic, binaural or other immersive sound formats.
alt.barbican artists will receive:
- A bespoke programme of seminars, workshops and meetings supported by leading academics, practitioners and experts.
- Business tools and training to enable their practice to scale and become self-sustaining.
- A fully-funded trip to exhibit their work at Inter_Connect London: a genre-spanning art, culture and technology showcase produced by MUTEK, the Montreal-based festival of electronic music and digital creativity.
- Mentorship provided by a wide range of established professionals, including from the National Theatre and their Immersive Storytelling Studio team.
- The opportunity to apply to an alt.barbican commissioning fund of £7,500 to realise a major piece or body of work in the Barbican’s public spaces.
- The opportunity to forge international connections through our partnership with the British Council’s Creative Economy Team.
- Events to showcase research and works-in-progress as part of Interfaces Monthly and Quarterly – a programme of talks and events, delivered across the Barbican and The Trampery’s venues.
Additional support includes:
- A £1,500 honorarium for participating in the programme.
- Unlimited drop-in access at The Trampery Republic, a new space for creative innovation at East India Dock, where the selected artists will form part of a growing network of creative businesses and start-ups.
About Inter_Connect London
We are inviting all artists who participate in alt.barbican to exhibit a piece of their work in Montreal; at Inter_Connect London – a major, multi-venue festival that includes audio-visual and musical performances, exhibitions, design, gastronomy, conferences and films, always experienced through the prism of digital creativity.
How to apply and further information
The application process opens on Tuesday 13 February and the deadline for applications is Sunday 19 March at 12noon GMT.
Click here for full information and details for how to apply