Friday 20 February 2009

Critical Communities

What does being critical mean to you?

Are you an artist/writer involved in new work?
Are you interested in developing your critical skills?


Critical Communities is a dialogue, discussion and writing project that will explore and expand what it means to be critical in writing on and as new work (live and interdisciplinary art). We are looking for 10 local practitioners who want to explore critical writing in relation to their writing/artistic practice, to take part in each of two regional hubs: London & Yorkshire.

Critical Communities will run from February to May 2009, and will take place through face to face meetings and online. Together, we will discuss contemporary notions of the critical and the role of critical writing in relation to new work. The project will culminate in a print-on-demand publication, produced by the writers and artists involved in Critical Communities, to be published in 2009.

Critical Communities is designed to generate debate around the ways we critically engage and communicate live and interdisciplinary arts practices. At the end of the project, participants will have participated in group discussions and feedback about their work, have developed their skills as writers and editors, and had the opportunity to be selected for the Critical Communities publication, edited by Open Dialogues.

Critical Communities is looking for people who are willing to develop the project collaboratively, work as a team and take an active role in creating a Critical Community.

Critical Communities has been developed by Open Dialogues and New Work Network (NWN) and is supported by East Street Arts, The London Consortium and Space Studios.

Commitment and Selection criteria: It is essential that each Critical Communities participant commit to attending all 3 discussion events, the 1 day editorial workshop and contribute to the NWN online forum space. It is also anticipated that you work to develop and submit a text to the final publication.

For further details and an application pack see: www.newworknetwork.org.uk, or http://open-dialogues.blogspot.com/2009/01/critical-communities_7506.html. Or email: info@newworknetwork.org.uk with ‘Critical Communities’ as the subject line.

Application Deadline: 10.00 am 9th February 2009

Critical Communities participants must be NWN members to take part in the project and online forums. To find out more about membership benefits and to join online, please see:www.newworknetwork.org.uk. (Membership costs £15)



About Open Dialogues
Open Dialogues is a UK based collaboration that produces critical writing and debate on contemporary interdisciplinary and live art. For more details see http://www.opendialogues.com/ and http://open-dialogues.blogspot.com/

About New Work Network
New Work Network supports the development of new performance, live and interdisciplinary arts practice by providing networking support for arts practitioners. http://www.newworknetwork.org.uk/index.php


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Application Information


1. What is Critical Communities?
2. What will we do?
3. Who are we looking for?
4. Commitment and Schedule
5. How to apply


1. What is Critical Communities?
Critical Communities is a practical project that will explore and expand what it means to be ‘critical’ in writing on and as new work. Taking place in two regional ‘hubs’ – London and Yorkshire – Critical Communities will run from February to May 2009 through face to face meetings and online. The project will culminate in a print-on-demand publication which will include the writing produced by the participants involved in Critical Communities, edited by Open Dialogues, to be published in 2009.

Application Deadline: 10.00 am 9th February 2009


2. What will we do?
Critical Communities will bring together two small groups of artist/writers to explore the notion of the ‘critical’ in relation to new work and critical writing. Together, we will discuss the practice of critical writing on, and as, new work. Some of the writing generated in Critical Communities will be published in a print-on-demand publication, 2009.

Critical Communities is designed to generate debate around the ways we critically engage and communicate live and interdisciplinary arts practice as artist/writers. At the end of the project, participants will have participated in group discussions, gained feedback about their work, developed their skills as writers and editors, and had the opportunity to be selected for publication.


3. Who are we looking for?
Critical Communities is looking for people who are willing to develop the project collaboratively, work as a team and take an active role in creating a Critical Community.

In each hub (London & Yorkshire), we are looking for a group of up to 10 local practitioners. To participate you must be interested in exploring the notion of the ‘critical’ in relation to new work and critical writing, and be willing to take an active role in the development of your group. All participants must commit to the schedule of events (see below), to using the NWN forum as a virtual meeting point in between discussion events and to developing a text submission for the final publication.

Practitioners
Calling all practising artist/writers whose work deals in critical perspectives, who have experience working with writing or text, and who want to explore critical writing in relation to new work.

To participate you must have a proven enthusiasm and professional experience in the production of new work that involves writing or text, or be able to demonstrate that you are an experienced critical writer with knowledge of new work.

To take part in Critical Communities and use the NWN online forums, all participants need to be members of NWN. NWN Membership enables access to NWN activities and events, ticket discounts and full use of the NWN website. For more on membership benefits, please see:http://www.newworknetwork.org.uk/modules/membership/viewmembership.php?aid=3 and join online. (Membership costs £15)

4. Commitment and Schedule

Application Deadline: 9th February 2009

It is important that all participants attend all discussion events and the editorial summit. The following dates are set as:

London Critical Community

Venue: Clore Management Centre, 2 Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HXS and Space Studios, 129 - 131 Mare St, London, E8 3RH
Evening meetings: 24th Feb, 10th March, 24th March 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
1 day (editorial summit): Saturday 9th May, 10.00 am – 6.00pm



Yorkshire Critical Community

Venue: East Street Arts, Patrick Studios, Leeds, LS9 7EH
3 Wednesdays: 25 February, 11 March and 25 March, 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
1 day (editorial summit), Saturday 9th May, 10.00 am – 6.00pm

Regular contributions to the NWN Critical Communities online forum will be encouraged in between live meetings, as a virtual space to connect the two regional hubs and turn live conversations into written form.

The editorial summit will be a one day workshop in which final drafts of texts will be discussed and collaboratively edited. The texts worked on here, and throughout the project, can be submitted for inclusion in the Critical Communities publication.

The deadline for submitting work for the Critical Communities publication will follow the editorial summit (date tbc). The publication will be launched by end of May 2009

Throughout:
Visits to local exhibitions, artists studios and performances, as necessary
Continuing dialogue on the NWN Critical Communities online forum
Regular feedback of your own and other participants’ work
Develop a text for the final publication

5. How to Apply
Please send a brief CV (no more than 2 pages) outlining your experience in relation to new work, critical perspectives, and critical writing. Please also answer the Applicants Questions. Send your application to: info@newworknetwork.org.uk, and include ‘Critical Communities Application’ in the title by 10.00am on Monday 9th February.



Applicants Questions:


These questions are designed to help us understand why you are interested to take part in Critical Communities and to help us build a compatible group of participants. We want to find out about you, and your relation to new work and critical writing, and there are no right or wrong answers.

• What interests you about Critical Communities and why do you want to take part in the project?

• Can you tell us briefly (no more than 200 words) about a piece of work that you made that is relevant to this project? (include examples or web links to any relevant written, and/or artistic work as necessary).

• What experience do you have of people responding publicly to your work?

• What does the term ‘critical’ mean to you?

• What would you hope to gain from taking part in this project?

• If you could invite any 3 people from history or the present day to respond to, or have a conversation with you, about your work, who would you invite and why?

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