DIY7 ‘An Artists’ Guide to the Black Country’, led by Abigail Davey from Breathe.

Call for artist-participants, deadline Friday 16th July

http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/prof_dev/diy/diy7_abi_davey.html

DIY is a brilliant scheme conceived by the Live Art Development Agency that supports artists to run unusual training and professional development projects for themselves and other artists. The activities that tend to take place in DIY aren’t traditional workshop activities – they are shared experiences, adventures, explorations.

Past projects have included cycle rides across Britain and forest retreats.

The scheme is open to artists from the West Midlands region and beyond.

This particular DIY project is being supported by Fierce. It invites a group of six artists to spend time in the Black Country during August at some of its most iconic tourist attractions (starting at the Black Country Living Museum). Their encounter with the Black Country and their reflections of the experience will be turned into an artists’ guide to the area, which will be exhibited as part of Fierce’s next Interrobang event in September.

More information about DIY here:

http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/prof_dev/diy/diy7_2010_participants.html

For reports on previous DIY schemes, visit:

http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/prof_dev/diy/index.html

The next shot of Fierce is fast approaching. Fierce Interrobang 1: Regeneration opens on Thursday this week. It lasts just three days…fleeting as summer itself.

For the full programme click here or visit www.warwickartscentre.co.uk.

We look forward to seeing you there!

A look back at what happened on Thursday 15th 3pm…Fierce Start Party @AE Harris…

What is the Fierce Start Party? Hear Laura talk about it below:

The afternoon and evening celebrated the practice of the Fierce Festival Caravan of Artists 2010 – 2011, including live performances, interventions, and spaces to allow us to pick your brains. We had audiovisual delights from biTjAM then later some party music from mama feel good!

EXYZT @AE Harris for the Fierce Start Party

We had live blogging from this is tomorrow and photography by Briony Campbell. Here is some of Kira O’Reilly’s performance from the afternoon captured by James Smith from this is tomorrow:

Kira O’Reilly from this is tomorrow on Vimeo.

Everyone was invited – so thanks to all those who came along and those who stayed until the very end! We hope you picked up a Fierce Loyalty Card (it’s not too late to get one) and your fortune cookie.

Following the Fierce Start Party Lyn Gardner talked about the Fierce Festival Caravan of Artists 2010 – 2011 and our new approach to the festival model – a little snippet below:

Lots of festivals simply programme from the work that is available,” Morrison explains. “We’ve not gone shopping for artists who will just turn up on the night. We’ve looked for people whose work we really like, but who are prepared to have an ongoing and in-depth 10-month engagement with us and with local people. By the time Fierce happens, we’ll all know each other really well.” Even the timing – late February – is a break with the arts festival summer tradition. Was that dictated by the current May to September logjam? “It’s because the light is better,” says McDermott. “It makes you look at things differently – it makes you look twice.”

For the full article click here.

We hope to see you all very soon at Fierce Interrobang 1: Regeneration (24th – 26th June).

Were you at the Fierce Start Party? If so let’s hear your impressions of the event…

The Live Art Development Agency has released a ‘Call for Proposals’ for DIY 7.

“DIY is an opportunity for artists working in Live Art to conceive and run unusual training and professional development projects for other artists.

We want to hear from you if have an idea for an exciting, innovative and idiosyncratic Live Art professional development project that offers something new and is geared to the eclectic and often unusual needs of artists whose practices are grounded in challenging and unconventional approaches, forms and concepts. If you think you can initiate and run a DIY professional development project then read the guidelines below.

DIY 7 builds on the strengths of previous DIY schemes which have proved to be invaluable experiences for project leaders, participants and organisers alike, and this year we are delighted to welcome even more partner organisations on board.”

Fierce are pleased to be a partner organisation on this year’s DIY 7 with a specific project opportunity: ‘The Black Country and its Living Museum’.

Fierce is fascinated by The Black Country Living Museum, and hopes to develop a relationship with the Museum over the coming years: ‘Experience life as it would have been years ago, as sights, sounds, tastes and smells bring your senses to life.’ www.bclm.co.uk . Fierce welcomes proposals that use the Black Country and/or its Living Museum as a frame or a jumping off point for a DIY project, which can take place in or in relation to the Black Country and/or the Museum; Fierce can assist with finding locations for the project, and with other logistics.

Six of the thirteen projects will be chosen based on specific project opportunities like ours for more information about DIY, Live Art Development Agency and how to submit a proposal visit www.thisisliveart.co.uk.

Deadline: Monday 17 May 2010

Download the documents below:
DIY 7 Call for Proposals
DIY 7 Monitoring form

In the wake of a very busy week at Fierce we are pleased to announce alongside the Cultural Leadership Programme a CLP Peach Placement with us that will span June to December 2010:

Joint Artistic Directors, Harun Morrison and Laura McDermott see this year as an exciting opportunity for Fierce to investigate what internationalism means to a festival so are looking for an Associate Creative Producer (International Projects):

“we are seeking to explore the challenges of internationalism in its broadest sense. How can international collaborations evolve in light of online technologies? How might an artist from abroad relate to a particular diasporic community? How can internationalism be reconciled with an environmentally sensitive travel policy? What is the best way to fund international projects? How can we engage more with arts communities of South America, Africa, India, China, the Middle East and Eastern Europe? How can we develop and disseminate a model of internationalism for a regional city?”

The placement will be Creative Producer for three specific International projects (potentially EXYZT/ Jeanne Van Heeswijk / South African Artists Platform: including James Webb) supported by Fierce’s artistic directors. We’re excited by the prospect of a mid-career individual with at least five years experience to be joining our team at this pivotal point in Fierce’s evolution.

Alongside Fierce there are a range of opportunities available with the following organisations: DanceEast, Ipswich; Fuel, London; Manchester City Council; National Portrait Gallery, London; and Tate , London.

The deadline to apply for our Peach Placement is 12noon on Monday 10 May 2010. Interviews will take place on Friday 4 June 2010.

For more information about the Peach Placements visit www.culturalleadership.org.uk.