Our Creative Communities engagement program takes a deep dive into what makes our communities visit (or avoid!) our libraries, galleries, museums and participate in our other arts and cultural events. And we need your help!

We are calling for Expressions of Interest from local artists to design and deliver creative participation experiences at a variety of locations across our region. As our communities create, we want to hear about their experience and better understand the barriers that prevent them from accessing our arts and cultural venues, programs and events on a regular basis.

It is vital to Moreton Bay Regional Council that the delivery of this program is centred around creative engagement. From April to June 2023, there will be a total of nine free events across the region designed to excite and inspire all ages. This artist expression of interest relates to three of these nine events which will be held in public places, leveraging existing activities within the area, for example, a pop-up workshop at a market or sports ground.

The role of the selected artists will be to devise and facilitate a participatory creative experience, using their preferred artforms (whether that is visual art, music, performance, digital or other) to inspire and engage community members to share their thoughts and ideas on:

• How participants found their experience
• What other activities they currently engage with including where they spend time
• Their openness to new experiences
• Their attitudes toward existing galleries, libraries, museums and creative events within the Region as well as their ideas on what would entice them to attend and participate more regularly.

Artforms will need to work in a range of settings with up to three different types of locations. Activations will be created with the intent of inspiring and engaging mainstream populations, rather than niche groups.

About the program

A key goal for the 2022-2027 Corporate Plan, is that by 2033, Moreton Bay Region will have vibrant communities that proudly come together to participate in and celebrate different cultures and life experiences, with access to the services and facilities they need.Council is committed to ensuring cultural facilities, services and programs are valuable and accessible to all communities.

Through Moreton Says Pulse Survey 4, Moreton Bay Regional Council heard valuable insights about the arts and cultural programs currently provided. This includes for example, that community enjoy the arts and music however there are a number of barriers limiting more people enjoying these activities more often. This engagement program aims to build on the insights gained to date. Findings from this project will inform planning for arts and cultural venues, programs and events across the region.

Onboarding Workshop

This is a collaborative project, delivered in partnership with Moreton Bay Regional Council, an independent engagement consultant and other appointed artists. On appointment, you will be required to attend a workshop, where your ideas to facilitate creative engagement via your artform will be refined. This workshop will be held on the 24th of March, 2023. The location and time will be confirmed upon appointment.

Requirements

Artists and creative practitioners applications will need demonstrate three key requirements:

• Ability to devise participatory arts experience to engage people.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver community engagement and / or facilitate arts workshops and experiences.
• Ability to devise participatory creative experiences that work in a range of settings and formats.

Funding available

Up to $2,500 of funding is available for each artist in the program to support delivery of their artist-led engagement. Funds will be required to cover attendance at the half day ‘Onboarding Workshop’ (refer above), development of artist concept either in collaboration with other artists or through a standalone concept and attendance and delivery of the activation at three events. Ongoing support will be provided for artists throughout the process and all event management will be managed by an independent consultant.

Event program

The full event program is outlined in the schedule below. This expression of interest relates to the events marked with an asterisk.

How does the process work?

1. Artists workshop - Successful artists are required to participate in a workshop whereby they will be introduced to the program in greater detail. Following this, each artist will workshop ways artists can incorporate each of their artforms and collaborate to facilitate participatory creative arts experiences that inspire and engage community members to share their thoughts and ideas.
2. Event briefs – Following the artist workshop the event overview and brief will be updated to integrate workshop outcomes. Depending on the outcomes of the workshop this may include having all three artists work together across three events or take on an event each.
3. Ongoing collaboration and support – Following the workshop artists will be provided support by independent engagement and event specialists. The three selected artists will be encouraged to collaborate where possible to continue to develop and refine their concepts. Council will manage the planning of all event management aspects, providing regular updates and opportunities for site visits to the locations where required.
4. Event delivery – There are three artist led events within the program, pending outcomes of the workshop this may include all three artists collaborating to activate all three events or taking on one event each. It is a requirement that all three artists are available to attend all three events, the dates of which are outlined in the highlighted rows below.

Timeline

The following table outlines key dates for the program. Attendance to dates marked with an asterisk is compulsory.

Conditions

• A total of $7,500 will be distributed to up to 3 artists across the Creative Communities engagement program.
  
• Each artist can access up to $2,500 to support the delivery of their participatory art experience.
• Funds may only be used for artist fees, materials, or specialised skills ie. 3D printing.
• Voluntary support and use of upcycled and in-kind materials is encouraged.
• Funding is available for local Moreton Bay Region artists only.
• It is expected that all successful artists will attend the workshop and collaborate with each other on the integration of art forms.
• Event details and approval of event concepts will be informed by the workshop and approved following the workshop.
• Funds will be transferred after the initial workshop within 14 days of event brief being approved It is anticipated that all funds will be approved and issued by 30th March.
• Artists can submit one application per artform. Multiple applications will be considered for artists however this would require substantially different ideas.

This project is supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Moreton Bay Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

This project has received financial assistance from the Queensland Government through State Library of Queensland.