Artist Call Out

We’ve partnered with virtual reality content platform LIVR and Inclusion Producer, Jazlyn Pinckney, to offer artists a new opportunity to create work in immersive 360-degree video.

Are you an artist interested in exploring 360 and immersive experiences?
Do you want advice and tech support to create a digital work?
Or do you want a digital Plan B for a project you’d like to tour?

Funded by Arts Council England, this project will enable you to take full advantage of Extended Reality (XR) technology to connect with audiences in new ways, at a time when many avenues are closed. It will:

  • Enable you to reach audiences through a captured or created piece of work while venues operate with limited capacity.
  • Introduce you to new skills and experience in digital content creation.
  • Empower you to think about your practice in digital forms and how this can add value- artistically and financially – to your work.

As an artist, you will retain full intellectual property (IP) and control of your work.

An easy read version of the information on this page, is available to download here.

LIVR is the world’s first virtual reality content platform dedicated to theatre. It offers a fully immersive 360 Extended Reality (XR) experience that transports you into the audience of some of the best live performances; on-demand and from the comfort of home.

The aim is to make theatre more accessible to all, bringing the magic of the live experience to fans and new audiences on their schedule, while celebrating and supporting the industry and its artists.

From new works by emerging artists to critically acclaimed and award-winning productions, there’s something for everyone in their ever-growing library of shows.

We are looking to select five artists or companies to each work with the LIVR team at Battersea Arts Centre for five days. Working with LIVR, you will create a piece of work that utilises their digital technology and expertise. This will involve:

  • Filming existing work in 360 to be viewed on a range of devices including mobiles and laptops.
  • Working with the LIVR team to understand the full possibilities of the technology. This will include full digital production facilities and post-production effects.
  • Learning about the post production process and how it can be used. Up to 5 days additional time can be spent in the edit with the LIVR team (optional, at the artists’ discretion)
  • Learning about digital monetization and marketing approaches.

Whatever avenue the selected artists choose to go down, they will retain full IP of the created work with the ability to distribute this however they see fit.

 

Each of the selected five artists / companies will receive:

  • A £5k fee
  • A contribution of up to £200 for return travel (if based outside of London)
  • A contribution of up to £500 for accommodation (if based outside of London)
  • 5 days in a space at BAC
  • Producing and technical support from BAC and LIVR
  • Marketing and documentation support from BAC and LIVR marketing teams
  • Dedicated time with technical experts from LIVR and industry experts in marketing & distribution
  • Inclusion of the work within BAC’s Spring season 2021
  • Following the premiere in BAC Spring season 2021, the artist/company will retain full IP of the created asset, allowing artists full control of what they do with this
  • Work that has either had significant R&D time and/or work that is ready to be presented but has not extensively toured.  Access to space at BAC is for 5 days and does not include additional rehearsal time.
  • Work that can be presented in the Members Bar at BAC.  The dimensions and technical spec are included in this downloadable attachment. Please note, there is no additional fee or budget for technical hires so BAC in-house and LIVR equipment must be used.
  • The Members Bar will be available to film and rehearse in. You may film in other locations if desired, but there is no further budget for this.
  • BAC is a Relaxed Venue and we work to create no new barriers. We are interested in how your project considers accessibility.
  • We wish to share project learnings with the public and our peers across the sector. Therefore you will be required to talk to an independent evaluator for up to two hours about the process.

Who Can Apply

  • Independent artists or companies
  • Applicants for this commission must be based in England
  • We encourage applications from people with lived experience of disability and from groups that are underrepresented in the arts sector
  • Applicants must be available to come to BAC for one week (Monday – Friday, 9am – 6pm) between w/c 29 March and w/c 26 April 2021.

What We Expect

This is a chance to create a work that harnesses the potential of emerging digital technology. It is also an opportunity to exchange knowledge with the BAC and LIVR teams, and contribute to sector wide learning around artist-led digital content creation.

If you are selected, you may be invited to participate in other activities with BAC and LIVR such as audience engagement work, talks and other events, for which additional fees will be available.

To apply, fill out a short application form via the button below by 12 noon on Fri 22 Jan 2021 .

Alternatively, you can also email us a brief (max 5 mins) video or audio clip telling us:
1) About your idea
2) What interests you about this opportunity and why.

Please use ‘LIVR Application’ as the email subject, and remember to include your full name and any links to past work.

APPLY NOW

We are keen to hear from artists from all walks of life and encourage applications from disabled artists or those under represented in the creative sector.

An easy read version of the information on this page is available to download here.

Shortlisted applicants will be notified w/c 25 Jan and all other applicants soon afterward.

The Selection Process

An Informal Conversation
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a meeting on zoom to have an informal conversation about their application. This will also be an opportunity to ask any questions relating to the project

Proposal and Interview
Shortlisted applicants will then be asked to create an in-depth proposal and be offered 1.5 hours of time with either a BAC Producer or Jazlyn Pinckney and a member of the LIVR team to work up their idea. Once the proposal is submitted, shortlisted artists will be invited to interview with the selection panel.

Announcing the final five
The final 5 selected artists and/or companies will be announced w/c 22 February 2021.

A fee of £150 will be paid to each shortlisted artist for their time.

We are committed to offering feedback for everyone who applies. Response times may vary.

While we know that we will still be working in a degree of uncertainty as a result of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, we are committed to offering this opportunity and will work with artists to create covid-secure, comfortable conditions for creating work.

Safety is paramount and we want to provide artists with as much certainty and clarity on how we are operating as possible. Each selected artist/company will be required to have a meeting with a member of our Production & Technical and Operations teams to discuss the measures in place and the processes we expect people working in the building to follow, to keep everyone safe.