FACT is inviting artists living or working in the North of England to create new digital work in the latest round of its FACT Together commissioning scheme. FACT Together will offer 4 early-career artists a grant of £2500 each plus a production budget to develop an idea that will be presented online.
After the resounding success of 2020 and 2021’s edition of the scheme, FACT Together returns for its third year, supporting 4 more early-career artists based in the North of England to create digital work. Originally set up in 2020 in response to the financial uncertainty caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19), the scheme has so far supported 14 artists across the North of England, many of whom have not previously presented digital work in this context. Selected artists receive a grant and production budget, plus 3 months of curatorial and production support to create work that pushes online presentation, and experiments with how digital art can engage audiences.
For this round of funding, FACT has partnered with Modal at the School of Digital Arts (Manchester Metropolitan University) – a new digital gallery and dynamic production centre that showcases artists working at the forefront of creative technology, facilitating innovative work in traditional and emerging art forms. Selected artists will have access to SODA’s advanced labs for extended reality, video making, sound art and design, motion capture and more, as well as access to mentoring sessions with Modal Curator Valentino Catricalà.
Within FACT Together’s 2021 cohort of artists (GLOR1A, Erin Dickson, Kerolaina Linkevica and Hope Strickland) emerged a wide range of outputs including film, immersive online experiences, and experimental game play exploring complex themes including goddess worship, rethinking binary approaches to our senses, frictions between architect and resident, and unearthing institutional collecting practices and colonial violence.
The open call welcomes all forms of online work including performance, audio, video, text, games, animation, social media and workshops. FACT is particularly keen to receive proposals from artists who are looking to develop their practice, so there is no need to have previously created digital or online work.
Valentino Catricalà, Curator of Modal at the School of Digital Arts
“I am thrilled SODA will be partnering with FACT on the third round of FACT Together. The North of England is currently witnessing incredible growth in the innovation sector. Art and Technology are the key to accelerating innovation and science and is making the North of England the place for a more creative and sustainable society”
Nicola Triscott, Director/CEO at FACT
“Supporting artists is central to what we do at FACT. Since it’s launch in 2020, FACT Together has built a wide network of artists and peers across the North of England, demonstrating the incredible talent we have across the region. It’s been wonderful to see how FACT Together has led to further opportunities for previously awarded artists, and I am excited to be working in partnership with SODA as we expand the residency to include even more access to expertise and pioneering technologies.”
Artists can submit their proposal online by sending a written proposal or recording an audio or video clip. For more information about FACT Together, eligibility and how to submit a proposal, please visit fact.co.uk/together.
Deadline for artist proposals is Sunday 24 July at midnight. If artists have any questions around accessibility or specific working requirements, please get in touch with FACT by email at residency@fact.co.uk