**DEADLINE EXTENDED to Friday 24th January 2020** Call for unique proposals from visual artists to exhibit work as part of the *new* SHOWCASE strand of the Saltaire Arts Trail Open Houses 23-25 May 2020. The annual Arts Trail opens up the UNESCO World Heritage Site to visitors by presenting great contemporary art within its public and private spaces, and the Open Houses make use of Grade II listed mill cottages at the invitation of the owners, turning them into mini-galleries and giving artists a unique exhibiting opportunity.

Who are we?

Largely volunteer-led, Saltaire Inspired creates exhibitions and projects in unique spaces. We promote and develop artists and their practice, showcase and sell high-quality contemporary craft and design, engage and inspire the local community and aim to make visual arts accessible and engaging through the use of private and public buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage Site as venues. Visit the Saltaire Inspired website to find out more.

Our premier event, Saltaire Arts Trail, takes place annually, in 2020 this will be the late May bank holiday weekend, 23-25 May. Over three days, Saltaire becomes a magnet for visitors, with an estimated 6000-8000 attending each year since 2007. There are commissioned exhibitions and installations, a high-end contemporary craft designer/makers fair, free creative family workshops, and of course the famous Open Houses - a village wide gallery of contemporary art in the Grade II listed homes of Saltaire residents. 

*SHOWCASE* Open Houses

Kindly offered by the local residents of Saltaire, the Open Houses encourage visitors to explore the parts of the village not traditionally on the tourist map.  The Open Houses are hugely popular, with many visitors taking the opportunity to see inside the small industrial cottages (average floor space 12ft x 12ft) and to see the wide variety of art on offer. Visitors do come prepared to take an interest in the art on show in the houses, and each year are looking for exciting and innovative projects which really set apart our Arts Trail from others in the UK. The houses are without doubt one of the unique selling points of the Saltaire Arts Trail, providing a village-wide gallery space, a truly unique venue in which visitors can appreciate contemporary art in an informal domestic setting, within the UNESCO world heritage site of Saltaire.

The SHOWCASE opportunity offers a limited number of spaces within the Open Houses for artists wishing to explore innovative ideas for engaging and exciting art projects, installations, performances, or socially engaged practice. SHOWCASE will offer artists a platform to explore new experimental works, and is open to artists who do not wish to make their work available for sale. 

What we are looking for?

We are looking for proposals that will captivate our audiences and create a talking point across the wider Saltaire Arts Trail event. This opportunity is offered to artists wishing to submit proposals for projects or artworks not intended for sale - this could include, but is not limited to; performance art, live art, socially engaged practice, small scale installations, film/video, sound art, interactive audience engagement, curated projects, etc. 

• Proposals that reference location or are site-specific in nature are strongly encouraged.
• As in all strands of the Arts Trail, we are looking for work that is of gallery standard, contemporary and interesting, and that will make our events stand out as exceptional in quality and interest. 
• We are keen to welcome submissions from both recent graduates/artists in the early stage of their careers as well as from established artists.
• Space in the houses is limited and we do not have sufficient volunteers to invigilate them throughout the event. You'll need to be prepared for, and excited about, showing your work in a domestic setting, alongside other artists, and being present to welcome visitors. Artists must be available to install and take down their own work, as well as helping to invigilate and welcome visitors during the weekend.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read our 'Opportunity FAQs' for more information about the event before applying.

How to apply

Make your submission via Curatorspace, uploading between 4 - 10 good quality images. Please ensure that you upload and attach each image individually.

A non-refundable administration fee of £6 will be required for all submissions. As a volunteer-led charitable organisation, this helps us to cover the administrational costs of carrying out a fair and unbiased selection process with an independent panel of industry professional judges.

The administration fee should be paid no later than the closing date of Friday 24th January 2020, in order for your application to be considered. The £6 administration fee does not guarentee you a place within the Open Houses, all applications are subject to a selection process.

Before you submit your application, you will be directed to Curatorspace's secure payment portal in order to make payment of the application fee and to complete your submission.