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Artist open call: Cultural Accelerator (CLOSED)

An exciting opportunity for Greater Manchester artists working across VR, Gametech and immersive experiences to engage with experts, learn new skills and present R&D sharings at MediaCity

Are you an artist/creative practitioner/collective interested in exploring, learning and experimenting with digital technology? Are you interested in engaging with creative exchange, collaboration and R&D opportunities? If yes, we have an exciting proposal for you!

We’re looking for artists to take part in Cultural Accelerator, a unique artistic development programme set in the heart of MediaCity. Led by FutureEverything for the MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub, the Cultural Accelerator programme is designed to support creative collaborations between Greater Manchester based Private Sector organisations and creatives working in Virtual Production, Immersive Experiences and Gametech.

FutureEverything has two commissioning strands for the Cultural Accelerator Programme:

R&D FUND – AWARDS UP TO £2,500
FutureEverything will award up to eight seed fund commissions to support artists developing new ideas/projects or seeking to incorporate new skills into their practice.

PRESENT FUND – AWARDS UP TO £25,000
FutureEverything will award larger commissions to up to three artists who have projects that are closer to fruition and would have completed projects to present by Nov 2024.

As part of the Cultural Accelerator programme, artist participants will be offered:

– Tailored access to a broad community of companies and technologists with facilities, resources and skills to support the development of your ideas/projects.

– Hands-on support from MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub and FutureEverything to help you realise the ambition for your ideas/project.

– A chance to share learnings and showcase work developed at a public event and exhibition at Media City in November, 2024.

– Opportunities to experiment, take risks and innovate with advancing creative mediums.

– Networking events designed to galvanise collaborative relationships with the private sector network, and develop opportunities to work beyond the life of the Cultural Accelerator programme.

What is Cultural Accelerator

Designed to cultivate, rejuvenate and level-up the innovation ecosystem that suffered during the pandemic, the Cultural Accelerator programme will explore the ways that creative innovation can be used to identify areas for MediaCity business growth, using artistic commissions as a tool to help companies explore new territories.

The programme takes place within MediaCity from June to November 2024, including a consultation process to engage Greater Manchester private sector digital organisations, and an artist residency format with creatives working within the context of digital arts practice to explore emerging technologies within creative industries such as games technology, virtual production and AI. The programme culminates in a public exhibition of projects created by the commissioned artists and a presentation event showcasing R&D research at MediaCity.

The Cultural Accelerator programme provides organisations an opportunity to gain new insights into creative approaches, and offers participating artists a space to connect with key players in the technology industry through a period of R&D, mentorship and support from FutureEverything.

How to apply

We are inviting interested artists/artist collectives to submit an expression of interest which should cover:

– An initial response to this brief including a description of your current artistic practice, your approach to working on the project (R&D funding or present funding), potential creative tools/platforms/formats that you would use, and the reasons for your interest in this project (not longer than a double-sided A4). Alternatively a video presentation or recorded audio version of the application will be accepted, and must not exceed 10 mins in duration.

– Examples of current work or portfolio relevant to the brief including links to screen-based work and participatory projects (in PDF format)

– CV (in PDF format)

– Completed Equal Opportunities Form

Please send expressions of interest to Jonathan McGrath, FutureEverything Producer at info@futureeverything.org, with the subject line CULTURAL ACCELERATOR 24. If you have any accessibility requirements, email the address above to arrange a phone/video call within 24 hrs of the request.

If you want to check your eligibility, or have any burning questions about the opportunity you can book a drop-in call with our Producer, Jonathan McGrath on Thursday 4 July and Monday 8 July to get the information you need to feel more confident with your application.
Book now via our Calendly link HERE.

Additional information on the project, full artist brief and important dates are available in the downloadable document below.

Application deadline: Wednesday 10th July at 17:00

Downloadable material

Artist brief

pdf (157.14 KB)

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Cultural Accelerator

A unique artistic development programme set in the heart of MediaCity, bringing together Greater Manchester based digital artists and private sector organisations

This programme is funded by Innovate UK via the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) pilot Innovation Accelerators programme.

This investment in Greater Manchester is a new model of R&D decision making to harness innovation in support of regional economic growth and help attract private R&D investment and develop future technologies.