Artist Call: Soho Sideshow
Soho Sideshow
with Artsadmin and The Soho Society
Calling mid-career artists who are interested in developing a bespoke proposal for Soho in London.
Part of Live Art Development Agency’s DIY 10
Sign on the front door of artist Sebastian Horsley (1962-2010) in Meard Street, Soho
This is an opportunity to discover more about the history and current life in Soho and to develop a bespoke proposal for the area with production support.
Project summary: 6 mid-career artists working under the umbrella of Live Art are given the opportunity to make bespoke context-specific proposals for Soho in London.
A site visit will include:
• a tour of key historic places
• a talk on contemporary challenges for the area
• an introduction to organisations, spaces and opportunities
• a brief account of planning requirements and event law
Artists will develop proposals specifically for the area individually, and at a later date will present their ideas to The Soho Society, Artsadmin and key local organisations (depending on the needs of specific proposals). Artsadmin will give follow-up support to individual artists in order to move proposals towards the production phase.
Soho is laden with possibilities for the kind of live, interactive, and ephemeral interventions that have come to be understood in the UK as Live Art. It has been the playground of the nation, key in the development of music and fashion. It also has sex shops, cuisine from all over the world, the centre of the UK gay scene, and houses people from all kinds of economic and social backgrounds. In recent years, partly because of foreign investment, Soho has become an area of boutique shopping, expensive cake shops, and High Street stores. This gentrification is not all bad but it does threaten the character of one of the most interesting and historically rich areas of central London. It is the aim that one or more of the ideas will actually be commissioned and that the work produced will reinvest Soho with the ‘edginess’ characterised by Soho’s history.
All participants must commit to the entire process, both meeting days, and be willing to discuss their developing proposals with peers (subject to intellectual copyright). Modest bursaries will be provided for out of pocket expenses.
Dates, times and location(s):
Day 1: Friday 30th August, 12pm-9pm, Site Visit, Soho
Day 2: Friday 11th October, 3pm-8pm, Ideas Presentation, Soho
Full proposals must be submitted by Friday 1st November.
Application procedure:
A maximum of 5 mid-career artists (self-identified but as a guideline minimum of 8 years professional experience) will be selected through application. Joshua Sofaer will participate as the 6th as well as facilitating the group. Application is by CV and covering letter, assessed by The Soho Society, Artsadmin and Live Art Development Agency. Please include weblinks where appropriate. (If your work is not adequately represented online you may submit up to 5 images as jpeg or pdf files and/or up to 5 minutes of video up to a combined total of 5mb but please do not reproduce what is available online.) Please feel free to ask any questions. Scroll down and use the contact button below. Applications must be received by Thursday 30th May 2013, emailed to info at joshuasofaer dot com.
This project forms part of DIY 10, a Live Art Development Agency initiative developed in collaboration with the following partners: Abandon Normal Devices (North West), Artsadmin (national), Buzzcut with Imaginate (Scotland), Cambridge Junction (East), Chapter Arts Centre (Wales), Chelsea Theatre (London), Colchester Arts Centre (East), Compass Live Art (Yorkshire), Duckie (London), Fierce Festival (West Midlands), Forest Fringe (Scotland), In Between Time (South West), Live at LICA (North West), National Theatre Wales (Wales), Norwich Arts Centre (East), Platform (national), The Showroom, University of Chichester (South East), Sound and Music (national), Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Yorkshire), The Works: Dance and Theatre Cornwall and University College Falmouth (South West). With additional support from Create (Ireland).