Nature Abstraction by Matteo Zamagni at Interfaces, 21 August 2015, Barbican Centre PHOTOCREDIT Sidd Khajuria
The Barbican and The Trampery launch alt.barbican, a major new accelerator programme for innovative artists working at the intersection of arts, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Delivered in partnership with MUTEK, the British Council, and the National Theatre, this six-month programme provides opportunities and support for up to five artists whose practice falls outside traditional art form areas. alt.barbican will provide a range of showcase, mentoring and training opportunities within an environment in which research and discussion about this emergent field can take place and be shared.
Sidd Khajuria, Senior Producer at the Barbican said:
“alt.barbican is our response to an increasingly fluid creative landscape – one in which the boundaries between individual art forms are becoming less distinct. A generation of emergent artists are drawing upon multiple disciplines to create projects that are not served by traditional exhibition and performance spaces. Being a cross arts organisation, it’s vital the Barbican continues to support this emerging practice, and the hybrid nature of so much of this work is why we’re working in partnership with the National Theatre, MUTEK, and the British Council – all of whom are exploring similar terrain. It is, of course, wonderful to be collaborating with The Trampery once again to deliver a programme of work in this area.”
Applications for the inaugural cohort of five artists opened yesterday 13th February and invites submissions from practitioners around the theme of ‘the subversion of reality’. This can include current or future work. 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 the following technologies:
?Virtual or augmented reality, ?Projection mapping, ?Ambisonic, binaural or other immersive sound formats
This first cohort of alt.barbican artists will receive:
?A bespoke programme of seminars, workshops and meetings supported by leading academics, practitioners and experts. From leadership and pitch-training, to advice on funding and partnerships, the programme is designed to embed an entrepreneurial way of thinking and operating into the artistic approach, encouraging divergent and hybrid forms of practice to emerge.
?Business tools and training to enable their practice to scale and become self-sustaining.
?A fully-funded trip to share work at Inter_Connect LDN: 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. These mentors will be appointed in response to the specific needs and practice areas of individual artists.
?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 – a programme of talks and events, delivered across the Barbican and The Trampery’s venues. These events allow audiences to experience inspirational work which pushes the boundaries of fine art and technology, and hear from the artists who create them.
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.
alt.barbican is delivered by the Barbican and The Trampery; in partnership with the British Council, MUTEK and National Theatre; and supported by Arts Council England.
Further details and how to apply here: barbican.org.uk/altbarbican
