Barra Culture has announced a series of community-led projects and is urging locally-based artists to take part.
The Arts Council England-backed cultural programme, part of CREATIVE PEOPLE AND PLACES, revealed plans for four brand new commissions, and is on the lookout for creatives to collaborate with.
Each of the projects gets under way this summer, and applications for the paid-for commissions are open now.
The first project is BARROW’S GREEN SPACES – a collaboration with local residents, reimagining disused green spaces across the town. An inspirational environmental or outdoor artist is needed to help deliver a transformation of the space that will highlight the importance of outdoor cultural activities, with a focus on health and wellbeing.
The project will culminate with a community celebration in early September.
Another commission will see Barra Culture teaming up with Love Barrow Together to create an online DIGITAL MAP OF BARROW. They are seeking a digital designer to build an interactive online space that will be populated with pictures, audio and video, featuring and created by the people of Barrow, sharing their stories, poems, memories, artwork, music and more.
This project can be undertaken remotely, so applications are welcomed from anywhere in the world.
The remaining projects both require work to be done locally by the artists: ORMSGILL NOW AND THEN – produced in partnership with Ormsgill Stronger Together – will incorporate photographs from residents’ lives into a creative process resulting in a new piece of art, which would eventually find a permanent home at Ormsgill Community Centre; and the final commission – entitled BARRA PALETTES – will require the artist to explore the entire borough of Barrow and its 13 wards, consulting with the community and capturing colours to create a palette for each ward that will influence future Barra Culture works.
Barra Culture is part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme, and these new commissions form part of an artist-in-residence output for 2021/22.
Daniel Tyler-McTighe, director of Barra Culture says, “The Creative People and Places programme is about more people taking the lead in choosing, creating, and taking part in arts and culture experiences in the places where they live. We were keen to bring this to Barrow and give local people the chance to be involved in some culturally significant projects and engage in the art and culture taking place in their local communities.”
The application deadline for each of the commissions is noon on Wednesday May 19, 2021 – more details and fees can be found online: www.barraculture.org.uk. For more information or interviews please contact helen@barraculture.org.uk.