2023 Gosod Digidol
Creative opportunities at Musicfest
Musicfest Aberystwyth are thrilled to announce a call for creatives to collaborate on a special digital installation, in partnership with Welsh Music Guild and Aberystwyth University.
What is it?
This is a specially-commissioned collaboration in which two creatives either based in or from Wales will have the opportunity to collaborate with one another and create a digital installation inspired by the rich landscape and culture of Aberystwyth, and premiered as part of our International Music Festival and Summer School in summer 2023.
We are seeking one digital and/or visual artist either based in or from Ceredigion and one music creator/composer/sound artist either based in or from Wales to collaborate with one another to create a digital installation responding to a theme of their choosing inspired by the rich landscape and culture of Aberystwyth (the sea, land, and ecology of the area, the beautiful Ceredigion coastline, to Cantre’r Gwaelod, for example), after a short application and selection process.
This opportunity is aimed at emerging or early-career creatives, at whatever age. Each selected creative will receive £300.00 for their participation in this collaboration. Financial support for the music creative is kindly provided by Welsh Music Guild. Financial support for the visual artist is kindly provided through private donation.
This opportunity is the result of a special collaboration between MusicFest Aberystwyth and its Associate Artistic Director Nathan James Dearden, the Welsh Music Guild, and the School of Art at Aberystwyth University. The selection process will include one individual from each of these project partners.
Collaboration outline
We are looking for one digital and/or visual artist either based in or from Ceredigion and one music creator/composer/sound artist either based in or from Wales, from across a range of genres, to collaborate and create a single digital installation experience for audiences to enjoy both in-person (through live screenings) and at home (though our dedicated installation webpage). This collaborative process could, although not exclusively, encourage the collaboration between recorded and DAW-produced music or found sound, and visual, digital art or moving image.
The selected creatives will be tasked to create a blended audio-visual installation (variable duration; to be negotiated). The collaboration will be overseen by our Associate Artistic Director, composer and music creator, Nathan James Dearden, where he will be on-hand to guide conversations, give advice, and assist the collaboration in any way the creatives see fit.
The digital installation will be premiered as part of our 2023 International Music Festival and Summer School, and will be given several online performance opportunities including a live, premiere streaming at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, on our dedicated installation webpage, and as part of our fringe events in the local area through MusicFest XTRA. The broader work of the selected creatives will also be promoted through MusicFest Aberystwyth, as the creatives see fit, plus the production of an ‘In conversation’ digital event where the selected creatives will be able to share their practice and collaboration with audiences.
There is no age limit to those who can apply, although we see this opportunity suiting young and/or emerging creatives who might benefit from such a collaboration and platform.
Successful applicants will have a 7-week creation period (9 June 2023 to 24 July 2023) to share ideas, record, produce, mix/master their collaboration (which will be submitted as a combined digital file in .mp4 or .mov format).
Collaboration timeline
Applications open: Monday, 1 May 2023
Applications close: Friday, 2 June 2023
Applicants notified: Friday, 9 June 2023
Collaboration period: begins Friday, 9 June 2023
Submission of completed digital installation: Monday 24, July 2023
Initial premiere: 11.00am on Tuesday, 1 August 2023 (TBC)
I am a visual or digital artist
If you are a visual or digital artist, either currently based in or were born in Ceredigion, please complete this short application form:
I am a music creator, composer or sound artist
If you are a music creator, either currently based in or were born in Wales, please complete this short application form:
Need support?
If you have any queries about this application process, or have any specific needs around applying or taking part in the collaboration, please contact us: we want to support artists be able to apply and to participate, and will endeavour to make adjustments for circumstance where possible (e.g. specific access requirements).
If there are any barriers to your applying or participating that you would like to talk to us about, please contact musicfest@aber.ac.uk, where we will be happy to discuss any queries or concerns over the phone, by email, or by video call.
Comment from our 2021 selected creative:
I am incredibly happy by the finished piece, collaborating with someone who uses art in a different way to me was incredibly inspiring. It has made me consider future modes of working and ways that I can continue bringing a variety of elements into my work. Being able to showcase the piece in such an awe inspiring space was very affirming and has given me a lot of motivation to look for more opportunities like this. Having a live audience experience a piece you’ve collaboratively created is very important for development and reflection, we were able to access this due to the festival element.
Claire Victoria Roberts