Open Call: Voices of Community

Are you interested in joining the RISE UP “Voices of Community” Project & Exhibitions?

Apply until 15/04/2024

Who we are looking for:
A singer and/or spoken word poet who is…
 a member of RISE UP’s selected language communities (Aranese, Aromanian/Vlach, Burgenland Croatian, Cornish, Seto)
 actively working with the community language as a singer and/or spoken word poet
 interested in introducing their language and art to a wider audience
 curious about learning more/experimenting with various auditory formats and digital art
 open to collaborating with RISE UP and the selected Voices from other communities, and is
 involved in the local artistic and cultural community and could facilitate contacts for the RISE UP  Travelling Exhibition.

This is your opportunity to…:
 Attend a free, one-week residency in Barcelona in May 2024: you are invited to stay at the ESPRONCEDA Institute of Art & Culture between May 20-26, 2024, where you will be able to attend expert workshops and masterclasses
 Record a professional, inter-communal, multi-language album of songs and poetry in minoritised European languages: during the residency, each “Voice” will perform and professionally record 3+ traditional songs or poems, 3+ of their own songs or poems, as well as 3+ local stories or legends. Translations and explanations in English will also be recorded to make them available to as large an audience as possible.
 – Co-create and network with other minoritised language artists: all “Voices” will also work together on 1+ song(s) and/or poem(s) that will explore the similarities and differences of their language varieties, and will network (e.g. by connecting with Youth of European Nationalities (YEN)) to exchange ideas and experiences with language activism. All 46+ recordings will be made available as the official “Voices of Community” album on the RISE UP website for free and donation links to the artists and local institutions will be added.
 Participate in two free workshops with digital artists and collaborate on two immersive- interactive installations: before the residency, all “Voices” will be asked to compile a list of 25 words and phrases that they consider particularly relevant for their community + explanations of why they were chosen in their language variety and in English. During the residency, the “Voices” will read this list, as well as another list of 25 fixed words for all language communities out loud. These recordings will flow into “KIELI”, a digital installation by Ferran Belda which will be presented at SONAR+D (June 2024) where visitors can interact with all five language varieties. For a second installation by Fran Macia and Daniel González, which will be showcased at ARS ELECTRONICA (September 2024 and October 2024 in the European Capital of Culture, Tartu), the ”Voices” can ask for visitor input: visitors can pronounce a word in their language variety, hum a melody or sing along. These visitor audio files will be stored and sent to the “Voices”, who will then participate in two online workshops with Ferran Belda and experts from IRCAM to create a new song and/or poem with these audio files as their “individual project”.
 Support the RISE UP Travelling Exhibition & perform at the final RISE UP Concert: the “Voices” will also assist ESPRONCEDA in contacting local artists and culture experts from their communities in order to create a Travelling Exhibition on all five, including establishing contact with experts on written texts/books, the history of the language and archaeology of the region, interviews with community activists, etc. At the very end of the project, you will be invited to a concert where all Voices will perform together live, in order to showcase your talents to a wider European audience.

Terms and conditions:
The selected participant will receive from RISE UP a grant of €1000 which breaks down as follows:
— A travel allowance of up to €300 for Barcelona residence (additionally, ESPRONCEDA will provide invitation letters to have access to national/European travel grants for artists).
— Research/ production grant of €500
— Maintenance fee: €200

(Payments will be made at the beginning and the end of the residence)

The grant does not include other travel expenses or accommodations, artists need to ask for national/ European funding for this. Espronceda will advise them and help in all the administrative work, and the artists will be provided an invitation letter to various events.

Selection board:
The selection board will be composed of the following members:
— 4 members of RISE UP
The digital artists involved (2)
A representative of IRCAM-Pompidou

Assessment criteria:
The selection board will consider each project based on the following criteria:
— The interest of the artist/ singer in inter-disciplinary projects.
—The artistic background or research experience of the applicant

Apply here: https://forms.gle/gMDfGheqA4LBx7KJ9