Four Corners of Europe: Call for artists Tuesday, 12 January 2010

Background
Intercult (www.intercult.se) is an independent cultural, production and education organisation
based in Stockholm, Sweden, which builds partnerships and develops projects that reach
out to the European cultural scene. It is the executive producer of Black/North SEAS
(www.seas.se), an international and interdisciplinary arts project which has commissioned
artists from the Black and North Sea regions to create new works that tour to coastal towns
and cities around Europe, supported by the European Union’s Cultural Programme. In
2010-2014, SEAS will develop a new wave of commissions and presentations involving
artists from countries on the coasts of the Black, North, Baltic and Mediterranean Seas
entitled The Four Corners of Europe, working with partners such as Aberdeen City
Council, Scottish Arts Council, Marseille-Provence European Capital of Culture 2013 and
Umeå European Capital of Culture 2014.
The Research and Development Opportunity
Intercult together with the Umeå European Capital of Culture 2014, the Scottish Arts Council
and Aberdeen City Council are calling for applications from artists and organisations across
Scotland to participate in a first-step research and development process of the project,
facilitated by Intercult and its ‘dating’ methodology, with the aim to develop proposals for new
international co-productions.
The call is looking for Scottish-based artists who are interested in researching and
responding artistically to the social, urban or historic realities of a particular “place”,
specifically sea harbours/towns and resorts on one of the four seas, and working
interdisciplinary. Aberdeen and the Swedish town of Umeå are participating as hosts of the
research visits with other venues to be confirmed shortly.
Applications for the research period will be accepted from practitioners in any art form (for
example musicians, dance artists, theatre makers, writers, crafts makers, film-makers/videomakers,
digital artists, actors, animators).
Approach – “the artistic blind date”
Intercult’s methodology aims to develop intercultural competences and internationalism
through a research and development process called “dating”. All works in the SEAS project
were inspired by the artists having an artistic “blind date” in a number of European coastal
towns and resorts. The artists documented their research trips and developed proposals for
new works with their international colleague. Intercult, as the executive producer of SEAS,
and its international co-producers commissioned a selection of the works and toured them
back to the places that inspired them as a kind of moving festival. The programme of works
includes opera, theatre performance, contemporary dance, visual and sound installations
and music, and deals with themes of isolation, migration, reinvention, ageing, identity and
memory. Information on the works can be found on www.seas.se.
The research period is April-September 2010. The participating Scottish artists will be
matched by Chris Torch, artistic director of Intercult, with an international artist selected by
the project. Their international artist colleague and research itinerary will be confirmed with
the chosen applicants after selection. The international artist is likely to be from a different
artistic discipline. The two artists or artists groups will make a joint visit to Umeå, Aberdeen
or one of the other chosen host venues for an intensive 5-day artistic “blind date”. During
their time together they will document their visit, research the place and imagine a joint
project inspired by the experience. The focus of this exercise is on the creative exchange of
the artists working interculturally and across artistic disciplines and their interaction with the
venue. (During the research period there will also be the opportunity to visit other European
coastal cities and resorts including Stockholm, subject to the agreement of Intercult and its
partners).
Presentation of Co-production Proposals
In September/October 2010, the artists and their international partner/s will be invited to
present their co-production proposals to The Four Corners of Europe platform and if
successful will be invited to co-produce their new piece from 2011 onwards as part of a
touring programme. The touring programme will involve a number of coastal cities and
resorts (including Aberdeen, Stockholm, Umeå) on the North, Baltic, Black and
Mediterranean Sea coasts. The proposals will be judged on their creativity and the extent to
which they reflect, comment on or are inspired by the life of a European port, harbour, sea
resort or coastal area. They should include a fully developed and original artistic concept, an
indication of budget and possible sources of funding, and address practical questions
concerning the touring and presentation of the project, audience, local participants etc.
Please note that if artists and their proposed projects progress to the second phase and are
commissioned, all projects will need to seek or demonstrate co-financing through their own
fundraising activities locally or nationally. Intercult’s and its partners’ co-financing will be
subject to the nature of the proposed project and be covered by an agreement at the point of
commissioning.
Regardless of whether a commissioned project emerges from the dating experience, the
artists’ jointly-produced documentation of the research will be published online.
Who are we looking for?
Successful applicants will demonstrate:
• A creative, high-quality contemporary practice
• Previous examples of co-producing and touring, nationally or internationally
• Demonstration of producing capacity
• A track record and innovative approach to working in the public
space/unconventional spaces
• Openness/interest or experience in working across art forms
• A track record or interest in reflecting the social and cultural life of a particular place
or region, working with communities or within regeneration programmes
• An interest in or a willingness to extend their international networks, collaborations
and their own intercultural competences
Timescale
• Visit to Stockholm to meet the Intercult artistic team lead by Chris Torch, artistic
director, and meet the other project partners and participating international artists for
initial orientation and induction in the programme (18-20 March 2010)
• Visit to Aberdeen 15/16 April 2010 for an international cultural seminar and a
SEAS’s production as part of the launch of Aberdeen’s Cultural Strategy and a
further meeting with Intercult and partners.
• Research visits to Umeå and other coastal places to be confirmed (in the period
May-September 2010) to work for 5 days with international partner artist/s.
• Presentation of co-production proposals to The Four Corners partnership in
September/October 2010 which will include potential co-producers such as Intercult
and potential funders of the commissioned works such as Umeå European Capital of
Culture 2014 and Scottish Arts Council.
Applicants must be available for the induction meeting in Stockholm 18-20 March 2010 and
are expected to visit Aberdeen for in the international seminar and SEAS’ performance on
15/16 April 2010. Other key dates will be agreed after selection.
Application and Selection Information
Applicants should submit a letter expressing their interest and motivation (max. 2 sides of
A4), and send together with a CV/company resume and examples of their previous works,
reviews etc., by email to Mark Bremner at Aberdeen City Council:
markbremner@aberdeencity.gov.uk
If you wish to submit any supporting material (ie DVD/visual material) please post three
copies to:

Four Corners - Call For Artists
Arts Development
Aberdeen City Council
WhiteSpace
60 Frederick Street
Aberdeen
AB24 5HY

* Please be aware that supporting material cannot be returned

For further information in relation to your submission please contact Mark Bremer at Aberdeen City Council on 01224 523640 (White Space's main office)

For further information about the project please contact Adam Jeanes (SEAS/Intercult) on
adam.jeanes@intercult.se

The deadline for applications is Monday 5pm, 25 January 2010.

A shortlist of applicants will be made by Intercult, Aberdeen City Council, Scottish Arts
Council and Umeå European Capital of Culture 2014. Shortlisted applicants will be invited
for an interview in Edinburgh on 17/18 February 2010.