Call Out For Proposals: The Peoples' Takeover

Overview

We believe the arts are a place where we can all meet. Where we have the opportunity to connect, share knowledge, explore, listen and understand each other. We hope by opening up our stages and spaces to community-led programming, we invite more people than ever to connect with us, and we welcome you to pitch ideas for the day that help us to share this belief.

We are embarking on our Autumn / Winter season under the title of Handle with Care! including the three key themes of Creativity, Comfort and Connection. We want our Coventry community to propose activities for The Peoples’ Takeover, based around what this theme means to them.

Brief

You may want to run a workshop which you’ve done at your community centre; you might be in a local band or dance troupe; or maybe you have some short films you want to show?  We are inviting our local community partners, artists and creatives from Coventry to take over our building with workshops, performances and pop-up activities that celebrate the creative community of our city. This will be a day of people-led programming and a celebration of community and creativity. 

We encourage our collaborators to consider their work as an act of care. This could be encouraging your audience to care for themselves, care for each other or care for their community. You could think about creating space in a busy world, creating opportunities to connect, you might encourage people to care for their environment. We expect and invite broad interpretations of the theme.

What we are offering

• The Peoples’ Takeover is on Saturday 29 November, 11.30am-4.30pm at Warwick Arts Centre.
• Fees and support details are below.
• We are looking for proposals for workshops, discussions, performances, music sets, open mics, film screenings and more! We’re looking for a full and varied day with a programme of activities happening across centre.
• You might be a community group, maker, DJ, performer, a speaker, poet, workshop facilitator or a blend of all these things together. We welcome submissions from professional and non-professional practitioners. You do not have to have worked with us previously to make a proposal.
• Proposals must be accessible and appropriate for an intergenerational audience.
• Your submission could be for a half day activity (the run of the event), an hour’s performance, or sessions repeated at key times throughout.
• We would prefer all sessions to be offered without the need for bookings. So drop-in, or with a set start time offered on a first come first serve basis.
• All events will be free to attend.

Essential Information

• If shortlisted, you will need to be free on for a follow up 20-minute conversation on Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 22 October. We will use this time to hear a bit more about your idea and you can ask us any questions you may have.
• You will need to be free on Saturday 29 November for the event itself. Please factor in time for set-up and clear down during the day.
• In order for us to pay your fee, you will need to be or be willing to register as Self-Employed with a tax number or be registered as a company.
• You will need to have or be willing to have Public Liability Insurance. 
• We advise that applicants are aged 18+. We welcome young people leading sessions if they are part of a company or organisation

Fee and support

• There is a fee of up to £550 inclusive of VAT for each proposal to cover planning and delivery time. We don’t expect that every proposal will need the full budget, this represents the top end for larger groups and collectives.
• There is additional budget of £50 available for materials.
• Plus, a budget for access requirements which can be discussed when we meet. Please outline the cost of any materials required to deliver the event as well as any access costs in your proposal.
• On the day and leading up to the event, Warwick Arts Centre will provide support with planning, event management, additional engagement support for workshops if needed, marketing, and we can offer some technical support.
• We can provide a PA system, microphones, DI boxes, monitors, and a grand piano. We cannot provide DJ decks or items of backline unfortunately (e.g. drumkit, keyboards, guitar amps, and more).

Community Photographer 

This year, we’re also keen for the day to be captured by our community. If you are a local photographer and have a passion for community and the arts, we would like to hear from you. Please apply using the same method above.