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FIGMENT NYC 2020
DREAM BIGGER: Call for high-impact weekend-long projects

FIGMENT is a free annual celebration of participatory art and culture that began in NYC in 2007. Since its inception FIGMENT held more than 70 events in 20 cities and 5 countries. During the FIGMENT NYC, hundreds of artists come together to transform Roosevelt Island into a large-scale collaborative artwork that is enjoyed by thousands of participants over the course of the weekend.

This year, we want to Dream Bigger. In addition to our annual call for art for the FIGMENT NYC event (which will be released in January and close in April), we’re looking for ten (10) high-impact participatory weekend-long projects for the FIGMENT NYC event.
For this special call, we are looking for projects in any discipline that can achieve significant impact by (1) involving a large number of participants, (2) being intensely interactive or participatory, (3) being visually stunning, (4) having an interesting or provocative concept, (5) displaying radical efforts towards sustainability throughout all phases of production, (6) embracing this year’s question “What if the future is possible?”.

We envision these projects all taking place outside (rain or shine) over the weekend, and being staffed by the artist and their team, as well as volunteers. Projects can be set up a day or two before the event, and can be taken down a day or two after the event.

The anticipated dates of FIGMENT NYC 2020 are June 6-7, 2020. The public hours of the event will be 10am-10pm on Saturday, and 10am-6pm on Sunday.

Grant which can be offered as either a tax-free reimbursement covering expenses, or as a taxable stipend. For projects that are more ambitious and require a larger budget, FIGMENT will partner with you to support the development and promotion of a Kickstarter campaign to raise additional funds for your project.

We are anticipating a significant amount of media attention for these 10 high-impact projects and can offer a possibility to include them in other cities hosting FIGMENT festival (Boston, Chicago, and other).
FIGMENT has been named the “Best Art Festival” in New York by the Village Voice, and BBC has written, “If FIGMENT were a country, it would be the happiest in the world–and I would apply for citizenship immediately.” FIGMENT and its projects have been profiled in The New York Times, the New Yorker, New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ABC 7, CBS Channel 2, WNBC, Thirteen, and many other publications, blogs, and broadcast stations.

Please follow the instructions below to submit a proposal for FIGMENT NYC 2020’s “Dream Bigger” Call for High-Impact Weekend-Long Projects!

DREAM BIGGER

Dream Bigger is about artists looking beyond what is within reach, and this year we want you to dream larger than life. We want you to dream with the future in mind, while embracing the challenge to create responsibly.

On a daily basis we hear about the rising of the global temperature on Earth. Scientists warn us about yet another animal species going extinct. The lack of access to clean water pushes large communities to displacement. Wars, conflicts, and violence are undeniably ever present in our media, as well as outside of them. Examples of intolerance and racism, fear of immigrants, economic instability, growing poverty gap, overpopulation, hunger…
It would seem that there is no hope for the future. But…

…WHAT IF THE FUTURE IS POSSIBLE?

For this season of Dream Bigger, we are looking for projects that take us into a future we could never have imagined
How does it look like? How does it feel? What sounds does it make?
What does the future look like in your wildest, most wonderful dreams?

Let’s build it together!

Dream Bigger is FIGMENT New York’s open call for large scale, interactive art projects in any conceivable medium that are bold and wildly imaginative. Projects aiming to create a buzz, start conversations, and make people, well, dream bigger.

PRODUCTION GUIDELINES

We envision these projects to be built and designed with sustainability in mind.
Artists or teams are expected to eliminate additional production of single-use plastic within their projects, and actively seek ways to use repurposed materials as well as calculating the amount of waste/trash anticipated to be produced for the installation.
We encourage you to think about your answers to these questions.
What would you like to happen to your project after New York?
How much trash and waste material do you anticipate to have when creating this project? Is there a possibility to reuse it? What is your plan for it?
In terms of materials you need, are there ways you can source some of them, such as re-purposed wood, recycled materials etc to avoid producing new ones?

We understand this is an ambitious task and we want to support you on this journey!
FIGMENT NYC has partnered with the Materials for the Arts, an institution matching artists with materials like fabric, frames, paper and much more. Additionally we are building a database of organizations and initiatives working towards reusing/recycling and repairing.
All of the 10 teams are encouraged and expected to collaborate in sharing of logistical support, leave no trace strategies and other resources.

TO SUBMIT THE PROPOSAL

Email your proposal to dreambigger@figmentproject.org.

Please make sure your proposal follows the guidelines described in this document, and that your project meets the criteria described below.

After the deadline, our curators may request additional information, details on your proposal, or more materials before a final decision will be made in February.

We encourage artists and creators to submit as individuals, teams or collectives. We encourage projects from artists of any age, experience level, or background, and are committed to broad diversity in our curated projects and artists. We seek participatory or interactive projects in any discipline, from the most conventional to the most experimental. Attribution of selected artists will be given based on the names of the individuals or collective who create the project, rather than to any firm or corporation with whom they may be affiliated.

Any questions may be addressed to dreambigger@figmentproject.org, or by leaving a voice mail at 212.939.7574. We will respond to any questions within 48 hours.

PROPOSAL CRITERIA

• Scale: We are looking for projects that inspire participation from a large number of FIGMENT participants

• Participation/Interactivity: We are seeking projects that allow participants to interact or co-create the project in a deep and profound way

• Visually Stunning: We are looking for projects that have visual impact and that can be documented and presented in still images and video

• Provocative: We are seeking projects that have a strong conceptual framework, and that inspire consideration and thought. We encourage embracing this year’s question “What if the future is possible?”. Projects can create a parallel world, offer an experience, ask questions, educate, offer interactive solutions, opportunities to create change for a better future, and more.

• Sustainability: We are working together on eliminating waste materials while producing FIGMENT. We aim to seek opportunities to reuse, recycle, repurpose, consume less and radically limit single use plastic. We expect all teams to be proactive in looking for new ways to do so.
All teams must have a plan for their project after leaving Figment event (for example to reuse , recycle, donation etc), anticipated quote of materials (& ways to source them if possible sustainably), and a calculation of anticipated waste material.

• Budget: FIGMENT will provide $1000 for each selected project, either as a tax-free reimbursement of documented expenses, or as a taxable stipend. Additional funds for more ambitious projects can be raised collaboratively between the artist and the FIGMENT team via Kickstarter.

• Safety: All projects must be safe for participants. Projects that involve climbing are probably off the table.

• Appropriateness: All projects must be appropriate for all audiences in a public place in New York City, and must abide by all appropriate laws and rules of Roosevelt Island.

PROJECT TIMELINE

• November 21, 2019: Submissions open for FIGMENT NYC High-Impact Weekend-Long Projects
• February 3rd , 2020 (11:59pm ET): Deadline for project submission for FIGMENT NYC High-Impact Weekend-Long Projects
• February 2020: Jury meets and selects High-Impact Weekend-Long Projects; contracts are signed with selected artists
• March-May 2020: Curators check in with artists on progress; additional fundraising for ambitious projects via Kickstarter
• Friday, June 5: High-Impact Weekend-Long Projects installed on Roosevelt Island (anticipated date, pending approval)
• June 6-7: FIGMENT NYC 2020 Event (anticipated dates, pending approval)
• Monday, June 8: De-installation (anticipated date, pending approval)

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Your project submission must be received by 11:59pm ET on February 3rd, 2020, to the dreambigger@figmentproject.org email address. Your project submission should include a total of eight (8) 8.5″x11″ pages in PDF format, as follows:

Name your submitted PDF file in the following manner:
[artist or group name]_[name of project].pdf
(Such as JohnDoe_MyAmazingProjectpdf)

Page 1: Cover Sheet (one page)
• Name of Artist or Collective
• Physical address
• Email address
• Best phone number to reach you
• Name of project
• Brief (200-500 words) description of the proposed project, detailing the projects overall concept, experience, and interactive elements.

Page 2-4: Project Renderings or Images (three pages)
Please include graphics that allow the jury to understand the project, what it will look like, and how participants will interact with it. Feel free to use any graphic style that is comfortable to you or appropriate to the project: hand-drawn, photos, sketch-up, CAD, etc., all are all perfectly appropriate and acceptable. The most important thing is clarity.

Page 5-6: Detailed Budget (two pages),
sustainable alternative, and anticipated waste
Break-down of a budget:
• your materials / tools, anticipated cost for each item
• ways you intend to source the materials
• sustainable alternatives
• break down of the expenses to create the project
• production timeline
We intend to provide each selected project with a $1000 grant (either as a tax-free reimbursement of expenses or as a taxable stipend), and intend to partner with artists to raise additional funds through Kickstarter for more ambitious projects.

Page 7-8: Artists Bio/Portfolio (two pages)
Please tell us about yourself, and let us know about other projects that you’ve created. Please note that prior similar experience is not a prerequisite or part of our criteria for participation in this program, or in FIGMENT.

We look forward to your proposal!

http://www.figmentproject.org

Opportunity Website

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