IMPOSSIBLE CONVERSATIONS - Coventry City of Culture 2021
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IMPOSSIBLE CONVERSATIONS
Open call for storytelling artists
Concept development R&D (Stage One)
OVERVIEW OF OPEN CALL
We are looking for up to six emerging or established Coventry-based storytelling artists to take part
in a rapid narrative concept development process, working in collaboration with a leading
immersive digital studio.
This will be Stage One of R&D for a major project ‘Impossible Conversations’ (working title) - part
of Coventry City of Culture 2021 and imagined as an innovative combination of online storytelling,
pop-up live performance, street art/installation, and immersive digital media.
CLOSING DATE: Monday 9 November 2020 at 12.00 (midday)
REGISTER FOR ONLINE Q&A: www.coventry2021.co.uk/impossible-conversations
CONTACT FOR ALL ENQUIRIES: Tim Powell, Creative Producer for Impossible Conversations
R&D // tim@timpowell.uk // 07812 241572
ABOUT COVENTRY CITY OF CULTURE 2021
Coventry’s City of Culture programme will start in May 2021 and run for 12 months. We will deliver
an extraordinary year, celebrating our city with events, music, dance, theatre, and large-scale
spectacle - while providing some much-needed certainty and resources to our artists and
communities.
We are a diverse, modern city which is re-imagining the role that culture can play in bringing
people together. Coventry is a city of welcome, a city of activists and pioneers, a city of peace and
reconciliation, a city of innovation and invention, a City of Culture.
By inspiring leading artists to work with us, supporting a new generation of artists and makers,
nurturing the creativity of young people, welcoming our communities to collaborate, partnering with
local schools and universities, supporting high profile tourism campaigns and removing barriers to
attendance, we, along with our city partners, encourage everyone to participate in the creative life
of their City and region.
The Trust is committed to:
• Welcoming 2.5m additional visitors to Coventry and Warwickshire in 2021
• Making long-lasting social change in Coventry
• 80% of the city’s residents experiencing at least three events in 2021
• Increasing audience attendance from under-represented communities by 20%
• Activating more than 11,000 participants and 5,000 City Host volunteers
• Starting a wave of cultural investment across the region
This is your opportunity to be part of telling the story of a city on the move.ABOUT “IMPOSSIBLE CONVERSATIONS” Impossible Conversations (working title) will bring a cast of personalities from Coventry and the nation’s history to life to tell their incredible stories, some famous and others lesser known, in a surprising series of virtual and real-world experiences on the road to and across Coventry during 2021. Brought to life over the course of several months through an innovative combination of online storytelling, pop-up live performance, street art, and immersive media, this contemporary ‘Canterbury Tales’ will take the public on an imaginative journey to Coventry via a series of surprising encounters with incredible people. It will be a twenty-first century digital portrait of the city. Impossible Conversations will celebrate the diverse communities, eccentric personalities, multiple histories, cultures, and achievements that represent Coventry’s place in our national story, and most importantly, our future. But why have these historical personalities all suddenly started talking, and why are they all coming to Coventry in 2021? Well, that’s what we want you to work with us to find out… We envisage Impossible Conversations to take the form of three layers of engagement: “Invitations” May – August 2021 A teaser marketing campaign across social media will introduce national audiences to the key themes of the storyworld we’re creating. How could interactive video or augmented reality bring a selection of characters to life online? e.g. could social media content trigger an augmented reality video call with a famous face? “Encounters” July – August 2021 A series of pop-up interventions in public spaces across the country and Coventry, starting the process of bringing characters and storytelling to life into ‘the real world’. We envisage these interventions taking multiple forms: live performance, street art, mobile AR, and digital interactives e.g. using OOH (out of home advertising) infrastructure in public locations (or unique combinations thereof). Taking inspiration from projects like Jeremy Deller’s ‘We’re Here Because We’re Here’, how might we combine ‘live’ with ‘digital’ to create a series of brief, impactful storytelling encounters in everyday locations? “The Event” August / September 2021 Over a day/weekend in August 2021 all of our characters will converge in Coventry at multiple public locations (possibly moving to a single location) for “The Event”. All prior storytelling will have led-up to this moment, driving audiences to it.
We envisage a ‘trail’ or journey-like immersive experience for audiences, combining live
performance, street art, and installations, threaded together and augmented by digital media such
as projection mapping. We are particularly interested in how mobile immersive content (audio, 360
video, augmented reality layers) can add to or trigger live performance in the public realm.
CREATIVE TEAM AND PROCESS
Our overall ambition for this project is to forge collaborations between local emerging or
established storytelling artists and leading digital studios. We anticipate, following the R&D
process, to appoint a Lead Writer/Storyteller from Coventry and a Lead Digital Studio/Agency, but
it is likely that multiple creatives will be required to collaborate to deliver this multi art form project.
We have designed the following creative process for this project:
ARTIST
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 COMMISSION /
OPEN
CALL R&D: R&D: R&D: PRODUCTION
narrative concept proof of concept proof of concept dependent on success of
development proposal production, testing & R&D process
development evaluation
26 Oct - 9 Nov 30 Nov - 18 Dec Jan - Feb 2021
16 - 26 Nov From March 2021
2020 2020
2020
Up to 6 artists Up to 3 artists Up to 3 proof of
and 3 studios and 3 studios concepts
STAGE ONE R&D
Stage One R&D will include the following five elements for the artists involved:
1. Artist selection and matching to digital studio (by project team)
Each artist will be matched to one digital studio and will work with them to develop the proposal
below (the studios will be working separately with two artists).
2. Introduction session with project team (for all artists and digital studios)
This workshop will be a welcome to the project and allow the participants to introduce themselves
to each other - and for the project team to go into further detail on:
• Creative Concept and Ambitions
• Aims, Objectives & Audiences
• Coventry City of Culture themes
• Partners
• Timeline & Budget
3. ‘Art of the Possible’ session led by digital studio (for all artists matched to them)
This workshop will introduce the artists to:
• The studios and their work
• Previous examples of their work relevant to the project
• The creative potential of immersive story forms, particularly immersive audio, 360 video,
augmented reality, etc.
• Intro to immersive content production: process and key considerations.
• Means of collaborating
4. Development workshops (for artists and matched digital studios)
Supported by and in creative collaboration with their matched digital studio, each artist will develop
a proposal for an overarching narrative concept for the story that answers the question “Why are
the characters coming back to Cov?”. This must take into account the following project aims:
• Journeys to a mass gathering/Event in Coventry
• Online/National/Local engagement (Invitations/Encounters/The Event)
• Storytelling that responds to place and audience
• Cross-platform/multi-artform storytelling
• Core themes of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021
5. Presentation of proposals and selection of (up to) three artists for Stage Two R&D
Up to three storytelling artists will be selected to progress into Stage Two of the R&D. In this
second stage they will develop ‘proof of concept’ proposals based on the narrative concepts
developed in the first stage – still working in collaboration with a digital studio.
Please see KEY DATES section below for the formats and timings of all these stages.
HOW TO APPLY (THE CHALLENGE)
To be considered for Stage 1 of this process, we ask you to respond to the following challenge at
the online form linked below.
The challenge:
Choose a character connected to Coventry (famous, infamous or unknown – living, dead or
fictional).
In no more than 500 words, describe an impossible encounter or conversation with this
person in a specific Coventry location connected to their story. This should be an
innovative experience combining story, place and audience - created using your own
storytelling practice and enabled by the possibilities of interactive or immersive
technologies (such as those mentioned in the ‘ABOUT “IMPOSSIBLE CONVERSATIONS”’
section above).
What would they say to you? What would they show you? What would they say
about the world today? How would the encounter make you feel? What would it
make you think?
We’re not looking for finished works, full treatments or technical details. We want to
hear about new types of audience experience that create magic, spectacle and
emotional connections to audiences. And we want to hear your creative approach –
and how you would apply and develop your own practice in collaboration with an
immersive digital studio to create this.
Entries can be made at this online form: https://forms.gle/Ytg5Gkqbwzeq8gEP6
For other accessible application options please contact tim@timpowell.uk
WHO CAN APPLY?
To be eligible to apply for this opportunity you should:
• Live and/or regularly work within a CV postcode (this covers Coventry and parts of
wider Warwickshire).
• Be available on the key dates set out below
• Have experience in an artistic discipline focussed on narrative storytelling
• Be willing to collaborate throughout with the immersive digital studio you are matched
with – and produce a joint proposal that combines both sets of skills and experience
We recognise and affirm that the UK City of Culture title belongs to each and every one of
Coventry’s citizens, regardless of gender, race, faith, sexuality, age or disability. In line with that
commitment we welcome and encourage applications from artists that are representative of the
diversity of Coventry as a city.
We are anticipating submissions from typically narrative forms (writers, directors and designers for
stage, screen or interactive etc.) but welcome other art forms - if you think these can meet the
narrative and collaborative requirements of the brief.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR OPEN CALL
Submissions will be assessed by a panel comprising the Coventry City of Culture Trust’s Digital
Curator and the Creative Producer for Impossible Conversations R&D.
The key criteria are that the submission should:
• Represent a genuinely innovative type of audience experience
• Meaningfully combine character, story, place and audience
• Show an appreciation of cross art form and/or multi-platform storytelling
• Offer a genuine collaboration between the artist and a digital studio
• Indicate an approach that is potentially scalable to the whole project/ambitions
These are in addition to having met the eligibility criteria above.
KEY DATES
OPEN CALL
• Open call launched: Tuesday 27 October 2020
• Virtual Q&A sessions (one hour, online - optional but recommended): Monday 2
November at 7pm and Tuesday 3 November at 11.30am
• Open call closes: Monday 9 November 2020 (12.00 midday)
• Applicants contacted with results: Wednesday 11 November 2020
STAGE ONE R&D: narrative concept development: Monday 16th – Thursday 26 November 2020
• Intro session with project team (2 hours, online): Monday 16 Nov, AM
• Art of the Possible session led by Digital Studio (2 hours, online): Monday 16 Nov, PM
t
• Artist/Studio workshops (2.5 days): to be agreed between participants 17 – 25 Nov
• Presentation of concept proposals (online): Thursday 26th Nov
• Selection of (up to) three concepts for the next R&D stage: Friday 27 Nov 2020
STAGE TWO R&D: prototype proposal development: Monday 30 November – Friday 18 December
2020
• Intro session with project team and partners (2 hours, online): Monday 30 Nov AM
• Research presentation: characters & locations (2 hours, online): Monday 30 Nov PM
• Artist/Studio workshops (5.5 days): to be agreed between participants 1 – 13 De
• Presentation of prototype proposals (online): Monday 14 Dec
• Selection of (up to) three prototypes for the next R&D stage: by Friday 18 Dec
STAGE THREE R&D: prototype production, testing and evaluation: January – February 2021
FEES AND PAYMENT STRUCTURE
Each artist in the Stage One concept development R&D will receive a fixed fee of £500.00 (five
hundred pounds) for an anticipated three days’ work. Those artists selected to proceed into Stage
Two prototype proposal development R&D will receive an additional fixed fee of £1,000.00 (one
thousand pounds) for an anticipated six days’ work.
Payment will be made on submission of invoice by the artist on completion of the R&D stage
(following proposal presentation: 26 November for Stage One, 14 December for Stage Two).
th
Payment terms are 30 days. Access costs will be paid in addition to this where required.
IPR AND COPYRIGHT
Ownership of Intellectual Property and Copyright in pre-existing content, ideas and technologies
used shall remain with the original owner.
For open call submissions that DO NOT result in the artist taking part in the later R&D stages: any
ideas or concepts within your submission will be owned by the artist (or relevant third parties).
For open call submissions that DO result in the artist taking part in the later R&D stages: any ideas
or concepts within your submission will be owned by the artist (or relevant third parties) but the
artist will agree to licence them to Coventry City of Culture Trust such that we retain the right to use
the idea or concept in future developments of the project, whether or not the artist is involved in
delivering them.
Similarly, any proposals developed at later stages of the R&D will be subject to subsequent
detailed IPR agreements, but as a minimum Coventry City of Culture Trust would expect either
joint ownership of Intellectual Property and Copyright, or a perpetual licence such that we can use
the content and concept without limitation indefinitely in any location.
Other factors to consider:
• The artist must ensure that any third party Intellectual Property Rights and
Copyrights are not infringed and any required permissions to use such third party
materials, ideas and technology are obtained.
• Any materials or content the artist creates that includes existing Coventry City of
Culture Trust -owned materials (including logos and images) will remain the
property and copyright of Coventry City of Culture Trust regardless of whether they
have been altered or adapted.
RULES OF THE OPEN CALL
1. Coventry City of Culture Trust shall at its sole discretion decide whether any of the
open call submissions received are shortlisted and considered for the Stage One
concept development R&D (or later stages)
2. All submissions will be reviewed and assessed against the same set of criteria by
members of the Project Team. The Project Team’s decision as to the success or
otherwise of any open call submission shall be final.
3. Coventry City of Culture Trust reserves the right to alter the R&D process or the
scope of the project, or cancel either, at its sole discretion at any time without notice.
This includes changing the matched artists/studios between or within stages.
4. You may submit up to two different open call submissions, but any one artist can
only take one place on the Stage One concept development R&D.
5. The submission form is available for online completion only at:
https://forms.gle/Ytg5Gkqbwzeq8gEP6
Submissions by any other means will not be accepted (unless for accessibility
reasons).
6. All open call submission documents and assessment sheets are confidential and will
not be available to anyone other than the Project Team, Digital Studios and any
relevant advisors or contractors.
7. As we anticipate a very high number of submissions, Coventry City of Culture Trust
cannot promise to provide detailed feedback regarding unsuccessful submissions.
8. The time and expense you incur in preparing any open call submissions is entirely at
your own cost. No fees will be paid by Coventry City of Culture Trust, nor the
reclaim of any expenses permitted.
9. All contact with Coventry City of Culture Trust should be in line with the process
outlined in this document, and attempts to unlawfully influence, bribe or coerce
Coventry City of Culture Trust staff in contravention of the Bribery Act 2010 is not
permitted.
10. If you ask Coventry City of Culture Trust a question in respect to the open call, then
unless we believe (at our sole discretion) that the question relates solely to a unique
aspect of your submission we may, in the interests of fairness, share the question
and the answer with other parties intending to make a submission.You can also read
