Expressions of interest invited for Cheshire East artists to take part in exciting Lumen LightLab mentoring and commissioning programme.

This programme invites expressions of interest from emerging or mid-career artists from the Cheshire East/Crewe area who have a desire to develop light-art work.

In order to apply the artist must meet all of these criteria:

• Be living or working in Cheshire East.
• Be over 18
• Be available for both entire days of Thurs 29th Oct and Fri 30th Oct 2020 (Blackpool trip)
• Be available 27th Nov (in Crewe)
• Be willing to participate fully in the programme
• Have a strong desire to develop their practice to create light-art, or to develop work involving light in a creative way.

Lumen LightLab builds on the success of the hugely popular and well attended Lumen festivals in 2018 & 2019. To accommodate restrictions of Covid the 2020 event is very different. Instead of a concentrated one-night celebration with a well-attended switch-on ceremony, it is a light-art trail over 16 nights, with no live elements that could draw a large crowd.

This year the event is managed by a team from Blackpool Illuminations & Lightpool which presents a special opportunity to create a bespoke mentoring programme for some of our local artists to develop ideas for light-art works with the support of this experienced team.

Up to 10 artists will be recruited to the programme, and given an intensive 2-days of training, tours, inspiration and masterclasses in Blackpool and then invited to submit a proposal for consideration for commission in response to a brief.

Subject to funding, 1-3 artists will be selected to develop their design and receive £1500 fee each and mentoring support, as well as additional fees for materials.  The fees for materials would be determined by the designs, and agreed by the Steering Group.

All confirmed participants will be offered:

A two-day visit to Blackpool (Thurs 29th Oct and Fri 30th Oct 2020) to include:

• A guided tour of Lightworks, Lightpool Festival, Blackpool Illuminations and exhibition ‘The Lights’ at the Grundy Art Gallery, plus overnight stay on 29th Oct (inc breakfast & lunch costs) 
• Masterclasses and talks where cohort meet established artist/s working in the light festival field
• Presentations on different aspects of making this kind of work by sector professionals from Lightpool, Blackpool Illuminations, the Grundy Art Gallery and LUTN
• £200 per participant to cover subsistence and travel.

After the Blackpool visit, all artists will be invited to submit a design to be considered for further R&D in response to a brief

• Subject to funding, 1-3 artists will be selected to develop their design and receive £1500 fee each. The Steering Group will agree additional funding from £5k materials budget to be distributed between them based on the needs of their designs.
• To assist these artists to resolve their designs, they will be offered 2 mentoring days each, and pieces should be finished to be documented by early-feb 2021.
• All commissioned pieces will be considered for inclusion in Lumen 2021

In addition, all participants will be offered:

During Lumen 2020 27 Nov to 12 Dec 2020

• Participation in mini exhibition to show progress drawings, ideas or inspiration at the Lumen 2020 event with exhibition costs covered.
• Opportunity to share the experience locally in person to key cultural stakeholder groups, remotely, via blog post or on radio.  It is an expectation of all participants to do at least one of these.
• Opportunity to be showcased on Lumen social media and website.
• Invitation to 2-day Light up the North festivals network National Conference being delivered online in Dec 2020

Find out more

More info and images about the Lumen festival: https://lumencrewe.co.uk/

Selection

Selection of applicants will be made by the LightLab Steering Group (made up of  Events Officer from Crewe; Creative Director for Lightpool; Head of Blackpool Illuminations; Head of Arts, Blackpool, Cultural Economy Manager from Cheshire East)

Artists will be selected on the following criteria:

•          Competency to develop excellent work
•          Capacity to participate fully in the LightLab opportunities
•          To develop then deliver new work according to the timeframe
•          Openness to collaborate, commitment to a sense of teamwork.
•          They live or work in Crewe/Cheshire East.
•         They are over 18.

Key Dates

Closing date to submit expressions of interest:  Monday 5 Oct 5pm

Selected participants contacted: w/c 12 Oct 

Blackpool Visit Thurs 29th Oct and Fri 30th Oct  all day

Artwork/ ideas submitted for mini exhibition: 12 Dec

Lumen Crewe opening night: 27 Dec 2020

Lumen Crewe Festival: 27 Nov to 12 Dec

Winners of commission announced w/c 7 Dec

Commissioned artists must complete their pieces by 9 Feb 2021

Please note this opportunity is subject to funding.