Artists and organisations are invited to submit project proposals for Light Up Lancaster Festival 2016. We are keen to hear from artists who want to work with us to create a wonderful, unique and authentic light and art festival for Lancaster which is owned by the local community and which celebrates and illuminates Lancaster's rich cultural heritage.

About Light Up Lancaster

2016 will be the fourth year ofLight Up Lancaster Festival. The event dates are Friday 4th and Saturday 5th November. Some artworks will be in situ/performed for just the Friday evening, and others will continue into the Saturday, alongside the annual fireworks spectacular.

Light Up Lancaster is delivered by Lancaster Arts Partnership (lead organisation for this project is The Dukes) in partnership with Lancaster Business Improvement district (BID)and Lancaster City Council, supported by funding from Arts Council England among other funding partners. The Festival is planned and managed by a Steering Group which includes representatives of the local business community and arts organisations. A Creative Producer, Julie Brown, leads on the artistic programme.

Call for Arts Projects

We are interested in commissioning some new work and also programming some existing work to compliment our core arts programme. All proposals should be for work to take place in the city centre or close environs, and could be sited or roaming. Advice on available locations will be given. Projects could be installations or performance-based, could take place indoors or outdoors, and could be for one of the nights of the festival, or both (or longer, if there is an engagement/outreach element).

All projects should engage with the theme of light and should explore our 2016 guiding theme: The City and Its People, and be suitable for a family audience.

The available opportunities are:

Emerging artists' micro-commissions Up to £1,000

Established artists new work or existing work to be re-sited for Lancaster Up to £3,000

Our Process

All proposals will be assessed by the Light Up Lancaster Creative Producer,supported by members of the Steering Group. Proposals will be assessed on these criteria:  artistic quality, ambition and innovation, financial and logistical viability, value for money and connections to our guiding theme. Following the initial assessment stage, some artists/organisations will be asked to develop their proposals further.

As follows:

·         23 June (5pm) - Closing date for expressions of interest

·         By 4 July - Shortlisted artists/organisations contacted, some invited to further develop their ideas

·         By 25 July - Further short listing and commission offers made

Further Information

The Festival:

The Festival is in 2 parts:

The Friday evening (4 Nov) is a self-guided trail through the city centre. Audiences follow a trail of installation, performances and events - mostly outdoors in the city's open spaces and set against the backdrop of the heritage buildings, but some inside venues, shopping centres, pubs etc. Audiences select their own route. Ideally any performance events should be no longer than about 10 minutes (repeated several times throughout the evening) or be durational. Expected audience:   12,000+

The Saturday evening (5 Nov) centres around the annual fireworks display, fired from Lancaster's castle at 8pm, lighting up the historic landscape and skyline of the city. The fireworks display is one of the finest displays in the north. Some of the artistic programme from the Friday night will continue into Saturday. Expected audience:  12,000 +

Both nights are family friendly. Engagement opportunities will be available to audiences and local communities in the lead up to the festival and throughout the weekend.

More information about Light Up Lancaster can be found here www.lightuplancaster.co.uk

Locations:

The Festival is located in Lancaster city centre and all events should be easily reached on foot. Lancaster has some fantastic heritage buildings and open spaces in the city centre, and a large pedestrian area with attractive, wide streets, as well as intriguing alley ways and corners. You may have a location in mind for your project, or you may want us to suggest one. Please state this in your proposal.

Weather:

Wind and rain is likely to be a factor in November - this is the North! And, whatever the weather, audiences will still come. All projects should be weatherproof, or should have a wet weather contingency plan to allow them to go ahead in all but extreme weather.

Support:

All projects should be technically self-sufficient and budgets calculated to include all technical requirements. Projects will be supported by the Festival Creative Producer and a Festival Production Manager who will act as a co-ordinator and advisor to participating artists and organisations. All projects will be marketed centrally by the Light Up Lancaster Festival.