I Create... artist grants

Introduction

Thank you for expressing an interest in Southwark Council’s I Create…Artist research and development fund for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Artists.

I Create… has been developed as part of Southwark Stands Together, Southwark Council’s commitment to tackling racial inequality.

If you have a creative idea you would like the chance to develop, and if a period of focused development work and mentoring would help you progress your practice, the I Create…fund may offer you an opportunity to achieve this.  

I Create… will support artists from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities who:

• live in Southwark, or whose practice is based in the borough
• have not previously had a major commission from a Southwark cultural organisation
• want to explore a creative idea in one of the following disciplines:
  • Dance*
  • Film and Video
  • Music*
  • Public Art
  • Theatre
  • Visual arts

*Any genre, but must include a classical element for music / an element of classical ballet technique for dance.

Artists are invited to apply for a grant of £6,000, to be spent on the research and development of a creative idea between May and November 2022.

Mentoring

In addition to the grant funding, artists will be paired with a creative mentor from a Southwark-based partner organisation specialising in the artist’s chosen discipline. Mentors will be senior members of the artistic or commissioning staff at each partner organisation. They will offer 6 to 12 months of bespoke support to the artists throughout the research and development process, as well as offering practical advice around career development and sustainability.

Artists will also be offered two showcasing opportunities at the end of their period of research and development: one with their paired partner organisation and one as part of a group showcasing event with all participating artists in late 2022 / early 2023, to which curators, artistic directors and commissioners from around the borough will be invited.

Partner organisations, where the creative mentors are based, are as follows:

• Dance: Central School of Ballet
• Film and Video: Film and Video Umbrella
• Music: The Philharmonia
• Public Art: Dulwich Picture Gallery with Bold Tendencies
• Theatre: Theatre Peckham
• Visual Arts: Tate Modern

All partner organisations have signed up to the Council’s Southwark Stands Together pledges.  

Things to think about when completing your application

• What creative idea do you want to research and develop?
• How will a research and development opportunity help you progress that idea to a ‘commission-ready’ state?
• What do you want to achieve during a research and development period and how will you know if you have achieved that?
• How would you like to structure your research and development activity? How long will it take, is it one focused period of work or spread over a longer stretch of time, what are the key milestones during the process, will it involve other collaborators?
• What value will you be able to take from the mentoring and showcasing opportunities that are on offer alongside the funding?
• Why do you want to undertake this research and development process, and why now?
• What impact will this opportunity have on your professional practice and your connection to Southwark?

Before you apply

• Please read the eligibility criteria and application guidance
• Check the Frequently asked questions page
• Consider booking onto a 1 to 1 sessions with a member of the Southwark Council culture team. Please email us to arrange this.

Page last updated: 11 January 2023