Deadline: Friday 30 August, 6pm

As Manchester booms and venues fall and rise, artists continually drift from space to space, eager to find a platform to showcase their art.

DRIFT is a network that supports the development of local artists looking to create work which combines art, technology, and performance.  

The project was formed out of a need to provide opportunities and support for local creatives, looking to build a professional career within the arts. The type of work seen through DRIFT can range from cutting edge electronic music, generative digital art, dance and spoken word.

They believe in artists and their visions so have developed a wide range of opportunities for in the run-up to DRIFT 2019, including commissions, workshops, mentoring, networking and performance opportunities.

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COMMISSIONS
There are two commissions available for DRIFT 2019. They welcome applications from artists or collectives working across art-forms to make work with a performative outcome. (Collaborations can include but are not limited to, dance, digital art, electronic music and spoken word). Both commissions will be presented as part of DRIFT 2019 at the Lowry and will have access to a lighting designer and mentoring as part of the commission. Finished works should be no longer than 20mins in total. 

CREATE = £2000
This commission is designed to support a mid-career artist/collective with an exciting idea. You will have had at least three public showings of work and will be looking create the beginnings of a new interdisciplinary work.

GROW = £2000 + £500 to support your further development 
This commission is designed to support the beginnings of an artist/collective’s journey, this may be your very first public performance or you may have performed before but are working across art form for the first time. This commission comes with a bespoke support package to further develop you as an artist. Support can include dramaturgical, technical and mentoring, as well as rehearsal space and sharing opportunities. 

Theme: DEVICE x RITUAL 
"Our everyday life is full of ritual, from checking your phone first thing in the morning to making sure the snacks are just right before we binge-watch our favourite show. For DRIFT, we are asking you to create a 20 minute performance which examines how we can repurpose our technological devices, transforming them into instruments to express our culture. We want you to investigate how repurposing devices through a combination of art forms such as dance, music and digital art, allows for new rituals to be born. We are not looking for one singular answer, rather, we are excited to see your interpretation of this theme."

Who can apply: 
They believe in supporting amazing artists within Manchester particularly those underrepresented within mainstream art settings. You will need to be based within Greater Manchester. CREATE is designed for mid-career artists and GROW is for those with less industry experience. If you are unsure which you should apply for please get in contact.

For information and how to apply, click here.