Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (BDBF) has launched a financial support scheme for local artists to help develop their creative work and provide their input into the organisation’s future plans.
Artists In House will initially select three artists to help trial and develop the scheme from the new year. Each artist will receive £10,000 to support their artistic work as well as give their time as freelance artists to bring their voices directly to BDBF’s programming, artistic decision making and strategic direction in an ever-changing environment, as well as mentoring and advising other artists.
The coronavirus crisis has created unprecedented challenges for artists, performers and freelance creatives across the city. Feedback from the sector has revealed that immediate help is needed such as financial support; networking opportunities with peers; sharing resources, as well as long term opportunities to create work for digital audiences. Through engaging in conversations with local networks and participating in the national Freelance Taskforce, BDBF is contributing to the Cultural Recovery Action Plan for Brighton & Hove.
BDBF commissions and supports both emerging and established artists and companies, enabling them to develop, take risks and deliver work of the highest quality across theatre, circus, dance, spoken word, music, digital/media and multi-art forms.
Kyla Booth-Lucking, BDBF Director of Programming and Participation said:
“We want this scheme to support and nurture local artists during these uncertain times, but we also want to gain valuable insights from the artists themselves. Alongside our other support for artists through the Open Venues scheme and Creative Catch-ups, this will help us to grow and to effectively support the community of artists who live and work in the local area. As we look to the future re-opening of our Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre spaces, this collaborative way of working will be vital to producing, encouraging and developing new artistic work here in the city.”
Applications are invited from artists based within Brighton & Hove and wider BN postcode areas, particularly from diverse candidates who are under-represented in the current workforce and programming. The deadline for the first round of applications is Friday 8th January 2021 and BDBF is hosting online advice sessions for artists who have questions or need more information before applying..
Full details are on Brighton Dome’s website: brightondome.org/artistsupport
Further information about Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival:
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival is a registered arts charity which aims to champion the power of the arts, to enrich and change lives, and inspire and enable artists to be their most creative. They operate three venues, an annual arts festival and two music education services (Brighton & Hove Music & Arts and East Sussex Music), teaching 14,000 children across the region.
Each year Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival presents over 600 events spanning music, theatre, dance, comedy, literature, spoken word, visual arts, film, digital and more as part of its year-round programme as well as producing the internationally acclaimed Brighton Festival in May.
Brighton Dome is the south coast’s leading multi-arts venue – a three space, Grade 1 listed building made up of the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre at the cultural heart of one of England’s most creative cities. They have embarked on an exciting journey to restore and reunite this historic estate, starting with a major refurbishment of our nationally important Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre. The transformation will restore long-lost heritage features as well as provide new, state-of the art facilities.
