With support from a Digital Now grant from Canada Council for the Arts, TRAction is seeking 10 artists for its upcoming 10 Ways Project. Artists will be commissioned to create original digital content (1-minute videos) to be widely shared via multiple social media platforms. The theme for this year’s series is “10 Ways to Fix the Planet”.
In more detail, TRAction is seeking 10 highly qualified and diverse artists from across northern Turtle Island (Canada) who can create pithy video shorts (including dance, theatre, spoken word, sound and/or other video-prone content) for widespread media sharing. KEY TO NOTE, however, is that the project will be enacted via a participatory and facilitated process that brings artists together with community members (Indigenous knowledge keepers, scientists, youth, climate specialists, and activists) for an in-depth dialogue to develop 10 would-be “solutions” to current crises. In other words, artists do not come with prepared ideas or content; rather, the theme for each of the 10 videos will develop from the initial facilitated process (i.e. one video for each of the 10 ‘solutions’). After this facilitated process, the 10 artists will have a three-month period to create, film and edit the video content.
Inspired in part by the social media created around the Black Lives Matter protests, the project aims to create high quality, yet accessible shorts that also offer critical information, spur dialogue, and incite action. Quite clearly, finding ways to “fix” the planet proposes an outrageous goal, but it is the attempt to entertain such a lofty goal that offers an opening for both exchange and humour, as well as visioning.
Each of the 10 artists will be given a budget (of $2500 all-inclusive fee and materials, plus $1000 for videography/edit) to develop a 1-minute video. The videos will be collected and released via TRAction’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok), as well as through other live and on-line screenings over the coming three years.
APPLICATION
Artists are not expected to submit a fully realized concept. The concept will emerge out of discussions with the community members. For the application, artists are only required to submit the following:
Name
Email
Location
Bio
Website
Work Sample (up to 3 links, no more than 5 minutes of video)
Expression of interest (500 words)
Social Media handles (not required)
BUDGET EXPECTATIONS
Artist Fee $1300
Artists Costs $1200
Videography/Editing Fee $1000
DATES
(EXTENDED) Artist Application Deadline: May 1, 2022
Successful Artists Notified: May 6, 2022
Three Participatory Sessions (2-3 hours each): June 2022
Research creation period: July 2022
Artist Concept & Storyboard Submission: July 31, 2022
Artist Concept & Storyboard Approval: August 15, 2022
Production and Post-Production Dates: August 15 - September 30, 2022
Video Submitted: September 30, 2022
10 Ways Launch: October 24, 2022
Online Release Dates: October 24, 2022 - January 1, 2023