Thu 17 Dec 2020

Theatre by the Lake call out for artists

A new call out for digital submissions for March event.

The most recent lockdown has unfortunately scuppered our original plans to host this event live at Theatre by the Lake. But never fear, we’re going to be moving Open Space online for its second edition, with a special Zoom event on the original date of Friday 12 March showcasing exciting new ideas and work from Cumbrian Creatives.

What are we looking for?

We’re inviting members of the Cumbrian Creatives network from all disciplines to apply for one of four Digital Micro-commissions. We’ve included some guidance for applications below:

  • We’re looking for scratch pieces of between 10-15 minutes, which can either be performed live via Zoom, pre-recorded and streamed via Zoom, or experienced online in another form for an online audience.
  • Work can be solo or collaborations between multiple artists.
  • We would love to hear about all kinds of untried and untested work, from spoken word to music, dance to new plays, comedy to performance art and much more.
  • Pieces should be in the development stages – this is a scratch night so we’re expecting rough and ready!

Further details

  • Four pieces will be shown at the next TBTL Open Space scratch night – held via Zoom on Friday 12 March 2021.
  • The chosen artists must be available on the night for a Q&A with the audience, even if their piece is pre-recorded.
  • Each chosen artist or collective will receive £500 towards their expenses.
  • Unfortunately TBTL can’t assist with any tech requests, so please pitch your piece within your own capabilities.

How can you apply?

Proposals can be submitted either in writing or by recording a short video (2 minutes max) telling us:

1) About your idea (200 words max)

2) About you (200 words max)

3) About how being part of Open Space would help you progress your work (200 words max).

Email your proposal by Monday 8 February 2021. Please do not send attachments greater than 25MB. We’ll let you know if your proposal has been successful by 15 February 2021.

Whilst Open Space is open to everyone, the theatre will be prioritising the work of Cumbrian based artists in the Open Space programme and actively encourage proposals from ethnically diverse artists, LGBTQI+ artists, and artists who are d/Deaf and disabled.

If you require this information in another format, or think you may need further support to access this opportunity (e.g. BSL interpretation), please contact us to see if we can help. 

Timeline

  • Monday 8 February – Applications deadline for digital micro-commissions
  • Monday 15 February – All applications will receive a response by this date
  • Monday 8 March – Deadline for pre-recorded scratch pieces to be sent to TBTL
  • Friday 12 March – Open Space Online. Four pieces shown via Zoom, followed by Q&A with the artists