The Old Red Bus Station is summoning local Leeds creatives to participate in their newest exhibition opportunity that aims to investigate the effects of disinformation on society. Selected works will be exhibited in a group show at the venue and act as an exciting round up to Old Red’s ‘Public Service Announcement’ campaign.

About our campaign

1 in 3 small businesses in the UK are fearing collapse if unable to access financial help by April 2023. Government funding for independent businesses is far less accessible than it was a year ago, with many applications being rejected despite successfully meeting the criteria. The effects of the last two years have been detrimental for independent enterprises in this country and could cause us to lose more than a quarter of a million small businesses over the next 12 months. 

It has been made clear to us that we can no longer rely on our government to support the maintenance, nurture or growth of cultural enterprise in this country. We must now turn to one another for help and support. We have a pledge to promote collective action within local communities to support the protection and development of our treasured independent spaces.

Public Service Announcement (PSA) 

PSA is a campaign which aims to provoke public action for the protection and promotion of cultural diversity up North. The team at ORBS are hosting a series of events, exhibitions and creative opportunities that focus on supporting and promoting local talent, businesses and creativity, whilst fundraising to help keep our doors open.

The Brief: 

Disinformation is false information deliberately and often covertly spread in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth. Disinformation can have significant and far-reaching impacts on society. It can create confusion and sow distrust, leading to the spread of misinformation and flawed decision making. Disinformation can manipulate public opinion, influence elections and undermine democracy. Additionally, it can contribute to the spread of harmful conspiracy theories, erode the credibility of legitimate sources of information, create divisions within communities and perpetuate stereotypes and prejudice. The widespread use of social media has made it easier than ever before for disinformation to spread quickly and reach large audiences…

What we are looking for

We want you to creatively respond to this theme and consider the effects disinformation has on the current socio political climate and/or what role it has played throughout history. You may interpret this however you see fit...

All creative mediums are welcome (painting, collage, illustration, music, projection, textiles, sculpture, AV etc..)

We would love to see new work catered specifically to this brief but if any previous/existing work fits the topic please feel free to submit it...

Here are some words to get you thinking… Deep Fakes, AI, Censorship, Shadowbanning, Fake News, Falsehoods, Clickbait, Algorithms, Computer Bots, Fabrication, Propaganda, Exaggeration, Blame-Shifting, Gaslighting. 

More information

Deadline for Submission: 19th April 2023

Exhibition to take place in May 2023 (subject to change).

How to submit your work

Digital Work: Send us a JPEG minimum of 300dpi.

Sculpture/3D work: Send us high quality photos of your piece. (If you are submitting 3D work please consider how it will be displayed in the live venue space. It may need to be drilled down to a plinth or have a securing system attached)

Painting/Collage Work: Send us a high quality photo or a digital version of your design as a JPEG minimum of 300dpi (The original piece will be exhibited)

Video Work: Send us a link to your video on any video player i.e Youtube, Vimeo

If your submission is successful we will contact you to discuss getting your work exhibited at the venue as part of the group show in May.

If you like this brief you should check out our t-shirt design competition here. https://www.curatorspace.com/opportunities/detail/tshirt-design-competition/7029

We look forward to seeing your creativity and how you interpret the brief. 

Any queries please get in touch

Thank you, ORBS x