Harrow Arts Centre is a community driven facility which seeks to enhance the lives of all who live in Harrow through the transformative power of arts and culture. In this unprecedented time when many are struggling, we want to support both our communities and the artists we work with, many of whom have had their livelihoods snatched from them.

We are therefore thrilled to be offering a second round of commissions for artists, arts companies and creatives of all disciplines to create new pieces of work for our #HACfromhome strand during this period of local lockdowns and restrictions.

Following on from our successful first season of commissioned work, we want to continue to inspire our diverse audiences and communities while our usual programme of live events is suspended. We are interested in hearing from musicians, theatre-makers, outdoor arts specialists, visual artists, workshop leaders and facilitators to provide us with:

• Online performances, films, virtual exhibitions and digital works such as VR experiences audiences can enjoy in their own homes
• Live, socially distanced work – from promenade or immersive theatre to pop up festivals – which can be safely enjoyed by our audiences in suitable outdoor or indoor locations at HAC or our wider home borough
• Workshops and interactive activities for all ages
• Uplifting, inspiring, innovative and inclusive work which rises above the restrictive nature of lockdown and engages audiences in new ways

Our Audiences:

We put community at the heart of everything we do. Harrow is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse boroughs in the UK and our audiences reflect this. We programme comedy, music, theatre, film for families, adults and older audiences and seek to engage local young people through our participation programming. Our work is ethnically diverse and representative and we are keen to ensure our commissioned work reflects this.

To Apply:

Please submit a written proposal of no more than one page along with a brief description of you / your company and the work you do. Please also include a short explanation of the inspiration behind your proposal and how you think it will contribute to our communities and audiences at this difficult time.

If you are proposing online work, please include some details in your application about how the performance / activity will work and how audiences will be expected to engage.

Proposals should be emailed to Charlotte.Baldwin@harrow.gov.uk

Budget:

Depending on the nature of the work and the scale of the proposal, a commission fee of up to £400 for participatory workshop activities and up to £1,200 for new work / adapted performances by companies is available. Please supply costings for your proposal, including artists’ fees and any materials required.

Application Deadline:

10am, Monday 9^th November 2020

Timescales:

• Selected commissions to be confirmed and announced by 27^thNovember
• Selected companies / artists to provide marketing materials to HAC by 20^th December 2020
• Programme to go live / on sale date w/c 13^th January 2021
• Selected projects will start no later than February and should be completed by end of April 2021