The Garden Shed Gallery is an art gallery inside (and outside if you like) a garden shed at Greenbelt Festival (23-26 August 2019). For the duration of the festival an artist takes over the gallery with their exhibition. We are looking an artist or artists of any discipline to bring your work and to host an exhibition in fitting with the theme 'Wit and Wisdom' that will make the most of the unique location and space.

Greenbelt Festival is the leading outdoor festival of artistry and activism, with a focus on music, theatre and talks. It is progressive, political and spiritual, welcoming strong voices and opinions - those with or without faith, and regardless of background, gender and sexuality. This year the festival will be held over the bank holiday weekend (August 23rd-26th) at Boughton House, three miles north-east of Kettering. Previous exhibitions in the Garden Shed Gallery at Greenbelt include The Thousand Mile Dress by Katie Duxbury, Snö by Carla Chan and Delilah and Samson by Georgina Barney. Each year the festival adopts a theme, and for 2019 it is ‘Wit and Wisdom’. You can find out more about the event here - www.greenbelt.org.uk.

Greenbelt's Team are looking for an artist/s or creator/s to exhibit in/around the Garden Shed Gallery, one of our three shed galleries that pop-up for the festival weekend.

We are particularly keen on proposals that consider the festival theme (this year it is ‘Wit and Wisdom’) and ethos (blending artistry, activism, spirituality, politics, faith and justice), make use of the unique space (both inside and outside the garden shed) and engage festival goers. The aim of the Shed Gallery is to be engaging for young and old, those who are regulars in galleries and those who would never dream of stepping foot inside a gallery (perhaps this will be their first taste of visual art). 

Greenbelt is not afraid of the provocative, imaginative or thought provoking. Those who attend the festival like to participate and be surprised by engaging hidden gems within the festival programme.

The shed is approximate 2.4 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.9 metres high at apex (72" by 95" by 78") It has a door on the short side and no windows. The interior of the shed can either be clad with boards to create a more formal gallery space or left in its rough state. The interior has been painted previously (black/ white) and can be painted again depending on the artist preference.

The shed can be an exhibition space or can become part of the exhibition itself.

More details:

• Artists are responsible for setting up the exhibition prior to the festival (we can provide access in the days prior during the festival build) and deconstructing the exhibition at the end of the festival.
• During the festival Greenbelt will provide volunteers to invigilate the exhibition at the Garden Shed but encourage the artist to be present for the festival and make time each day to meet visitors to the gallery.
• The Garden Shed will be open each day of the festival (typically approx. 9am to 9pm/ 10pm).
• The shed is locked when unattended using a coded padlock.
• Exhibitors will need to have their own public liability insurance (available with Artist’s Newsletter membership).
• There is electricity to the shed so digital artworks can be exhibited, and we can discuss arrangements to make this work for you. (Electrical equipment must have been PAT tested.
• Lighting in the form of fairy lights is available for the interior and we can discuss with exhibitors’ further requirements depending on whether they are part of the exhibition or aid engagement with the exhibition.
• The exhibition can make use of the shed inside and out as well as the space immediately outside of the shed but exhibitors are responsible for considering the implications of the weather for their art work.
• Deadline for submission: Midnight 31st January 2019. You will be notified by end of March 2019 at the latest whether you have been successful or not.
• Reasonable expenses are available to support the artist/ exhibitor and artists will be provided with a Festival Maker ticket for themselves which gives access to the Festival Village and General Campsite for the festival. We may also be able to make a small payment to the artist/exhibitor (please include an idea of expenses and fees in your application).
• If you would be interested in submitting please click the 'Make a Submission' tab to apply.

Selected Artists:

If your submission is selected a member of the Greenbelt Team will be in touch. To assist with publicity in the festival programme and website it will be helpful to have the following information:

• Short Artist Bio
• Selection of high res images. min 1MB and preferably landscape.
• Website/ Social Media links.
• Link to a latest video (if applicable to your work).
• 3 x Quotes from others about your work (if possible)