Artist Commissions & Creative Bursary Opportunities
The Battery of Ideas project is excited to announce two new Visual Arts Commissions and a programme of Creative Bursaries – with opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers.
The Battery of Ideas is an Arts Council England Place Partnership Project with the aim of creating a step change in creativity in a place. With support from East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council these opportunities offer, in total, more than £70,000 to 34 artists, with a focus on those who live or work in Lowestoft.
Please look at the criteria for each opportunity. Applications are open now and close at 23.45 on Monday 13th January 2025
Have questions? Want to find out more? We are hosting an online information session on Tuesday 17 December 5.30pm – 6.30pm. Please email helen.dawson@firstlightlowestoft.com to register.
Creative Bursaries in partnership with Menta
We have 12 creative bursaries of £2000 each, available for local artists and creative practitioners. Alongside this financial support, each recipient will be able to access workspace in the Battery of Ideas project base in the centre of the town and a bespoke package of support from Menta.
These bursaries are specifically aimed at artists and creative practitioners living and/or working in Lowestoft, who are looking to develop their practice. Artistic practices can range from visual arts, craft, film to digital arts. We are looking to reach creative people who are hoping to take the next step in building a sustainable business model or enterprise from their practice.
As well as access to work-space (could be desk based, filming space, meeting space) recipients will also work with business support experts Menta (ADD LINK https://www.menta.org.uk/ ) to help develop a tailored business and personal progression plan to support business goals and aspirations. This support will be completely bespoke to each recipient and might include network building, personality profiling, and goal setting.
Our Creative Bursaries are open to artists and creative practitioners at any stage of their career – whether at an early career stage, developing a new practice mid-career or reframing and re-evaluating practice as a sustainable business enterprise.
Creative Bursary Eligibility:
All applicants must be 18years +.
All applicants must have a professional practice in a creative form – visual arts/craft, film, music, traditional arts, participatory arts, heritage.
High Voltage Commissions
Our High Voltage Commission offers 14 early-stage Suffolk based artists or creative practitioners commissions of £1000 each to create new site specific, mixed media installations at The Battery of Ideas base in the centre of Lowestoft.
These works will animate our town centre location, building excitement for the new Cultural Quarter development. The works will be site-specific and utilise the large windows and outdoor clear glass of The Battery (119-125 London Road North), over Spring and Summer 2025. This opportunity is for young creatives who are 18 years + at the beginning of their artistic journey. Weighting will be given to those living or working in Lowestoft and the surrounding areas.
High Voltage Eligibility:
This opportunity is for creatives who are 18 years + and see themselves as early career.
Weighting will be given to those living or working in Lowestoft and the surrounding areas.
3D Artwork Commissions
We would like to invite proposals for 8 x £3000 commissions for new 3D or sculptural works. The artworks should be inspired by found materials and consider environmental and sustainable themes, prioritising the use of recycled, recyclable and natural materials.
These new artworks will be displayed in The Battery of Ideas base, and Lowestoft town centre locations, including over the First Light Festival weekends in 2025 and 2026. We would love the new artworks to link the Battery of Ideas, the new Messums East Art Hub and the development of Lowestoft’s new Cultural Quarter.
The budget of £3000 is inclusive of time and materials to develop the work.
The proposal should tell us whether you see the work sitting in an indoor or outdoor location. If you would like to propose work for the outdoors, please tell us how it might be looked after (for example – brought indoors at night).
Eligibility for 3D Artwork Commissions :
Applicants are over 18 years of age.
Applicants should have a proven and demonstrable track record of making visual art/3D/sculptural art works.
Weighting will be given to applicants living or working in Suffolk or Norfolk.
To apply, please follow the link below where you will be asked to submit an Artist Statement, examples of your work, a project proposal and a very basic budget. Please include the materials you would like to use, what kind of location you imagine your work being sited in and any other feasibility considerations.
Selection will be made by a panel comprising First Light Festival CIC, Menta and Messums East.