Clàr – Digital Art and Music Commission

  • Published on: 21st September 2022
See all news

An Lanntair is delighted to announce a new £3000 commission for young artists and musicians aged 17-25 and based on Lewis and Harris who are interested in expressing themselves through digital technology. The commission is being delivered Clàr, our digital creativity programme, which is now in it’s second year.

Young creatives will be offered the opportunity to add a new dimension to their work while being supported by professional practicing artists through An Lanntair’s artist support network.

Project lead, Robbie Thomson says:

“This programme is about helping artists and musicians at an early stage in their career to develop their practice and experiment with new ways of working. We’re really excited to announce this commission as it is an opportunity for an emerging creative to dedicate time to their work with some financial support to help make that space feasible. The scope of the commission is very broad and we welcome applicants from any creative discipline who would like to explore using technology in their medium.”

 

The Commission:

Clàr / An Lanntair – Digital Arts and Music Commission Opportunity

We are seeking applications from artists and musicians aged 17 – 25 to create new work that uses digital technology at its core. The commission includes a £3000 budget to spend on artist fees and materials as well as mentoring from the programme leader and An Lanntair’s artist support department.

Background.

Clàr is An Lanntair’s digital creativity programme, we host weekly workshops for 14-25 year olds that cover a range of skills, from creating electronic music to lighting design and 3D modelling. It is an open and welcoming space where participants can create self-directed work with the expertise and experience of a practising contemporary artist to offer guidance and advice. We make use of An Lanntair’s team and facilities to provide a platform for showing work and for learning skills such as sound engineering and event production. Our first showcase event – Strange / Matter was hosted in April 2022 and featured 2 debut gigs alongside animation, film and a projection mapping installation.

The programme is now in it’s second year, our recent workshops include kinetic sculpture, DJing and singing with a loop pedal. Our next block of sessions will focus on video game design. This will the be first year that we run a commission alongside our regular activities.

 

The Commission

The digital arts commission is open to all creative practitioners whether you are an artist, musician, performer or designer, you may also fit into more than one of these categories! We take an experimental approach in our programme and encourage mixing disciplines and learning new skills. At its heart, Clàr is about using technology in creative ways and integrating it into our practice.

We’re looking for exciting, innovative project ideas that represent a point of development in the use of tech in your work, examples might include:

  • an illustrator branching out and creating 3D animations
  • a performer using projections in their work
  • a sculptor adding sensors and electronic music to their installations
  • a musician creating audio reactive visuals for their live shows

We have a flexible timeline for making the work and will agree an outline of the project with you before the commission begins. We anticipate the work being spread over a period of approximately 6 months to a year in order to allow for the idea to develop, with a public showing at the end. During this time we will schedule check-in sessions to offer guidance on the progress of the project.

The commission is supported by the project leader, Robbie Thomson who is an artist and musician that works with film, robotics and sound. He will support the successful applicant with critical feedback sessions, skills workshops tailored to the project, and creative advice. Alongside this, An Lanntair’s artist support co-ordinator will facilitate introductions and mentoring with later career artists and highlight any relevant opportunities that are available.

 

Eligibility

  • Open to applicants aged 17 – 25 who are not in full time secondary (high school) education.
  • Must be resident in the Western Isles

 

The applicant should:

  • have a passion for their creative practice and are interested in using digital media
  • be able to attend regular check-in sessions and skills workshops

 

How to apply:
The application is in 3 stages:

 

Stage 1.

  • Send a brief overview of your project idea (max 300 words) and a short resume of your artistic background. (feel free to add links to previous work / personal website)
  • If you would prefer to submit a video or spoken application then please provide a link via Youtube or Vimeo
  • Drop in application advice sessions are available on the following Wednesdays at An Lanntair: 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th September – email robbie@anlanntair.com for further info
  • Deadline: Friday 30th September
    submit your application to: robbie@anlanntair.com

 

Stage 2

  • 3 applicants will be selected to work up a full proposal including budget and project timeline
  • We will offer support and advice in completing the application as well as a £100 fee
  • Deadline: 14th October

 

Stage 3

  • Final selection of the commission will be announced on, or before, 19th October following a short interview

 

*Please do not hesitate to get in touch for advice on the application or if you have any questions about the commission (robbie@anlanntair.com)
**we will offer feedback on any applications on request