Open Call for Projects. Artists are invited to submit project proposals for Light Up Lancaster Festival 2017. If you 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, then we want to hear from you.

About Light Up Lancaster

Light Up Lancaster Festival is in its fifth year. The event dates are Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th November, culminating in the annual fireworks spectacular finale on the Saturday night.

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 now looking to programme some work to complement 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. We are interested in supporting new work and also in programming existing work.

All projects should engage with the theme of light and should explore our 2017 guiding theme: The Natural World, and be suitable for a family audience. We are particularly interested in projects which have an interactive element.

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 £2,500

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, interactive element and connections to our guiding theme, The Natural World.

As follows:

·       7 August (5pm) - Closing date for proposals

·       By 11 August - Offers made

Further Information

The Festival:

The Festival is a self-guided trail through the city centre on 2 evenings. Audiences follow a trail of installations, performances and events - mostly outdoors in the city's open spaces and set against the backdrop of the heritage buildings, but some inside venues, galleries, shopping centres, library etc. Audiences select their own route. Ideally any performance events should be no longer than 10 minutes (repeated several times throughout the evening) or be durational. 

On the Friday evening (3 Nov) all installations / artworks run from 5pm – 10pm. On the Saturday evening (4 Nov) installations / artworks run from 5pm, culminating with the annual fireworks display, fired from Lancaster's castle at 8pm, lighting up the historic landscape and skyline of the city. 

The Festival is family friendly. Engagement opportunities will be available to audiences and local communities in the lead up to the festival and throughout the weekend. We expect audiences over the weekend to be approx 30,000+

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, and pedestrian areas 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 the sort of location which would work. Please state this in your proposal.

Weather:

Wind and rain is likely to be a factor in November. And, whatever the weather, our 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 weathers.

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.