Call for Artists – Site-Specific Series

at Sage Theatre’s 2017 IGNITE! Festival, June 6-10, 2017

Emerging artists of all disciplines, interested in creating new works in unusual spaces, are invited to apply to the 2017 IGNITE! Festival’s Site-Specific Series.
Applications are open to both individuals and groups. Artists can apply to the series without having a project in mind. We will offer a non-theatre space (TBD) for the artists to create their work around and within. Alternatively, if you have a space in mind, please see below under “Other Projects.”
 Successful applicants will receive:

• The opportunity to present an original work as part of the Site-Specific Series at IGNITE! 2017;
• A site-specific creation workshop with Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre on March 12, 2017;
• An honorarium of $100 per group; and
• Mentorship and logistical support from Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre.

Format
Similar to Let Down Your Hair, Spark and the 2016 Site-Specific Series at previous IGNITE! Festivals, and the Freak Show and Site-Specific Spectacular productions at the High Performance Rodeo, audiences will be taken on a walking tour between several short performances.
Successful applicants will be asked to create an original 5-10 minute performance / experience responding to a specific location. Artists will work closely with their Swallow-a-Bicycle mentors to create dynamic performances, combined into a compelling tour. Artists can also apply to act as Tour Guides, weaving the disparate performances together.
However! If you have an idea for a site-specific performance/experience that doesn’t lend itself to this format, send it to us anyway. We’ll see if we can accommodate it! (See “Other Projects”, below, for more information.)
Who can apply?
The IGNITE! Site-Specific Series is geared towards emerging artists under the age of 30, working in any discipline, who are pursuing a professional career in the arts. (If you’re over 30 but have a compelling argument for being considered an emerging artist for whom this would be an important opportunity, let us know!)
Interested artists should submit a CV and a description (maximum two pages) of:

• Your creative practice;
• Your experience with creating original art works; and
• Your interest in site-specific creation.

You may also submit additional materials, including: videos, reviews, surprises.
Application deadline: February 12, 2017
Applications can be e-mailed to ignite_sitespecific@sagetheatre.com with the subject line: Site-Specific Series Application.
PLEASE NOTE – While February 12 is our application deadline, we view the submission process as a conversation. The earlier you submit, the better conversation we can have!
General questions about IGNITE! 2017 and its other series can be directed to charles@sagetheatre.com.
Other Projects:
If you have a pre-existing space in Calgary you wish to perform in, an idea for a durational site-specific work or another performance/experience in mind, please submit a CV and a project proposal (maximum two pages) that includes:

• Your creative practice;
• Your experience with creating original art works;
• A description of the project;
• If you have a space in mind: its location and any pertinent details; and
• Your goals, proposed process and any resources you have (e.g. team, partners).

Timeline
March 12, 2017 – Site-specific creation workshop facilitated by Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre
March-June 2017 – Performance workshops and rehearsals
*Site-Specific Series Participants will be expected to rehearse independently, outside of scheduled workshop and rehearsal times.
June 3-5, 2017 – Site-Specific Series Dress Rehearsals
June 6-10, 2017 – IGNITE! Festival of Emerging Artists
Evening performances with Saturday matinees.
About IGNITE!
IGNITE! is a festival dedicated to supporting, mentoring and presenting emerging artists of all disciplines. IGNITE! allows artists to embrace risks in a supportive environment while providing resources, a bridge to the professional arts community, and meaningful opportunities for collaboration and community-building with their peers.
About Swallow-a-Bicycle
Swallow-a-Bicycle is Calgary’s scrappy, badass, site-specific theatre for thrill-seekers. Founded in 2006 by Mark Hopkins and Charles Netto, Swallow-a-Bicycle has since worked with more than 350 artists, occupying elevators, +15 corridors, bars, museums, parks, landmarks and the Town of Vulcan. We want our art to interrogate the world around us and push back against forces of ignorance and division. We mentor the site-specific series to foster and support a new generation of artistic s#*t disturbers.