Cultural Connector
Deadline for applications: Midnight 19 December 2024
Digital Interviews: 3 & 4 January 2024
Neon Dance seeks 1 emerging practitioner from any artform/discipline (EG: Performing Arts, Literature, Media, Music, Costume, Film, History etc) to engage their local community and network with our installation “Beyond Body and Things” as part of Festival of Tomorrow as well as plan and deliver their own creative response to our work. You will need to be based in Swindon.
Fee: GBP£650.00 inclusive
Budget for Cultural Connector response: GBP£100.00
The Installation
‘Beyond Body and Things’ by Neon Dance explores social connectivity and collaboration using bio-inspired robotics. A collaboration with Bristol Robotics Lab and the visual artist Ana Rajcevic, Neon Dance will takeover an empty shop at Swindon’s Designer Outlet the week commencing 12th February 2024 and invite audiences to interact with our robots as well as suggest their own robot design!
Role
1) The Cultural Connector will promote the installation Beyond Body and Things to their network, peers and local communities.
2) The Cultural Connector will create their own response for people in their local community that is inspired by the installation. Your creative response could be creative writing / a piece of music / a short film or some other creative response. You will be supported by Neon Dance and it will need to take place by 1st August 2024.
This role is task based, not hour-based. We work flexibly and remotely, to agreed deadlines. As long as tasks are completed, you can define when and how they get done. We welcome applications from practitioners across all art forms and subjects of interest.
Responsibilities
In promoting Beyond Body and Things, you will describe Neon Dance and the project in your own words and using chosen methods (EG: social media, word of mouth, personal invites). We want you to tell people about our activities to engage them in a conversation about the project and themes it explores.
You will encourage your network and local community to attend our installation, which is taking place at Swindon’s Designer Outlet in February 2024 (exact dates tbc). Our aim is that you engage a minimum of 5 people to engage with the installation.
You will plan and deliver your own creative response to take place physically or digitally by 1 August 2024. You will be supported by Neon Dance, including mentoring from Adrienne Hart, artistic director and/or Maeve O’Neill, executive producer.
You will consider access and inclusion for your own creative response to Beyond Body and Things. There is a maximum budget of GBP£100.00 available to support the delivery of this activity or event. All expenditure must be agreed in writing in advance with Neon Dance Executive Producer and receipts provided.
Essential Attributes & Mentoring
1) The Cultural Connector must be based in Swindon.
2) As emerging practitioners our Cultural Connectors can be from any and all disciplines (not solely arts or dance based)
3) There is no age limit for our 2024 Cultural Connectors
Mentoring:
As part of your relationship with Neon Dance you will have a 1-2-1 meeting with Neon Dance’s Artistic Director and/or Executive Producer to discuss and support your professional development.
How to apply
Please answer the following questions:
1) What interests you about Neon Dance & the installation Beyond Body and Things?
2) What community or group would you like to work with?
3) Describe what creative response or activity you would like to deliver, in 500 words maximum.
Your application can be written (1 x A4 page maximum) or recorded (3 minutes maximum to audio/camera*).
Please also include:
• Your CV (maximum 1 page A4) or LinkedIn profile
• Name and contact of a reference
*For emailing large files, please use WeTransfer.
Send your application by Midnight 19th December 2023 to: Executive Producer, Maeve O’Neill: maeve@neondance.org
Equality, Diversity & Access
Neon Dance values representation and strives to promote equality and diversity in our work. We welcome and actively seek applications from those currently under-represented in our industry and the arts community; particularly people from the Global Majority, and disabled people (as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
We will guarantee an interview to any visually impaired, d/Deaf or disabled candidate who fulfils the minimum essential criteria for the role and we are open to proposals of ways this role might be undertaken if our proposed structure presents barriers to any applicant.
If you have any specific access requirements please tell us what they are when you apply.