Independents Biennial 2025, Commission Guidance

• Project Title: Independents Biennial 2025
• Total commission amount (inclusive of time and materials): £500 – £4000
• Festival dates: 7 June – 14 September 2025
• Deadline: 7th February 2025

For 14 weeks in summer 2025 (7 June – 14 September), Independents Biennial will take over the entire Liverpool City Region with contemporary art designed to improve the lives of audiences and create better working conditions for artists.

We are encouraging bold and ambitious approaches to practice, and want to remove as much risk from your process as possible. That includes supporting long-term projects in sourcing space, removing initial costs as a barrier to artists on income support, and mitigating the risk of permissionless art and public interventions.

Since 1999, Independents Biennial has been artist-led, so we are acutely aware of the financial challenges to artists, but also very aware that money isn’t everything. These commissions will form a major part of our programme, but artists who do not receive them will receive guidance and support in other ways.

Project requirements

This is an open commission round. It can be used to support wider programming, support larger projects, or fund the entirety of a project. Projects do not need to have a venue attached, but we do ask in the application form to clarify if a space has been found already, or to suggest the sorts of spaces you might need to fulfil your work.

• Every proposal must consider sustainable practice. There is guidance in the application form to preven tthis becoming onerous (eg. using electric van rental companies to reduce carbon footprint, building material circularity into the project, planning appropriate recycling or reuse of materials).
• These commission are restricted to visual and contemporary art. That can include work in any medium.
• Collectives are strongly encouraged to apply, especially if their work is multi-facted and 
• The priority of these commissions is to Merseyside/LCR-based artists, but commissions are open to all UK-based artists. Artists from elsewhere in the UK must consider the benefit to artists based in Merseyside (this could be through future studio exchanges, or the emergenge of new collaborations).

Ineligible proposals

Commissions can NOT be used to fund existing core costs of practice (studio rent, membership fees). Most overheads (venue hire, insurance) is covered by the festival so do not include these in costs unless they are unique and essential to the project.

Venue planning

There are over 100 venues across Merseyside signed up to host events, exhibitions and interventions as part of Independents Biennial 2025. That means that we have more spaces than available commissions. Some projects are self-funding, and others are already receiving project funding from other organisations to make their work happen next summer. 

For us to be able to asess your application, we have included a section in the form for you to share information about the sort of space you need. If you have space already, please indicate that in this section.

Commission amounts

There are four tiers of commissioning (£500, £1000, £2000 & £4000) offering artists a range of outcomes. Commissions can be used to support a larger project, or to pay for crucial components to finish ongoing bodies of work. Commissions for £2000-£4000 will be expected to have significant, new, public-facing outcomes.

That might be an exhibition, public installation or series of events. It could be the development of an ongoing engagement project.

Application criteria:

• Consider sustainable practices in your process. This could be in the materials you use, how you transport work, or how digital work is presented. 
• Preference is given to artists in/from the North West or living in/from Merseyside but are open to all UK artists.
• There is no set level of experience or education required for any call outs, but you must provide evidence of successfully producing work on a similar scale.

To apply:

Please complete the appropriate online application form with additional guidance below. If you have any issues with the application form, please email patrick@artinliverpool.com.

Applications are also accepted in alternative formats, detailed after the application links below.

Application links:

Apply for £500

Apply for £1000

Apply for £2000

Apply for £4000

Deadline: 11:59pm, 7th February 2025

Selection panel and notification of awards: 5th-10th February

Important: Artists must be available for installation, or make arrangements for installation between 30th May and 4th June 2025. If you can’t be present to install work, please describe alternative arrangements in your application.

Alternative formats:

Neurodivergent artists or artists with a second or other language can send a video application or arrange a five minute proposal phone call ahead of the deadline. These applications will be given equal weight and written up for the selection panel in February.

Application support:

If you require support during the application or advice on how to apply, email patrick@artinliverpool.com by 31st January. 

Somebody else can write the application on your behalf.

Production support: 

If there are any ways we can support artists with additional needs during the production of work, we will. If you need specific resources or support for any reason, please add a short description of this with your application.

This could include:

• Artists with young children or care responsibilities needing secure production space.
• Neurodivergent artists needing support or software.
• Assurances or safe spaces for trans, queer or global majority artists.

Priority will be given to artists with lived or working connections to Merseyside/LCR, but commissions are open to UK artists, particularly where they could benefit local artists with connections to UK studios and producers in the future.

Other ways to get involved:

Income support bursaries: 

We are offering discretionary bursaries to help artists in receipt of Universal Credit (or other DWP income or access support). For Independents Biennial’s income support bursaries, please se HERE. 

Open calls:

Some self-led projects may not require funding, but we can support with marketing, venue sourcing and/or curatorial support. See the open call for events, projects and exhibitions HERE. 

Volunteering:

We also require front-of-house volunteers and programme support volunteers. These roles have been requested by students and early-career creatives looking for curatorial or event experience. Information on volunteering for any part of the programme is available HERE. 

Jobs:

Two new job opportunities are also open for application with a 15th January deadline:

• Producer: Independents Biennial 2025. APPLY HERE.
• Volunteer Coordinator: Independents Biennial 2025. APPLY HERE.