DIGITAL MEDIA ARTIST TENDER OPPORTUNITY for The Box, Stoke-on-Trent Context The Box is a new collaboration between Stoke-on-Trent Libraries and B Arts aimed at 9-13 year olds and their families and funded by Arts Council England. Part-theatre piece, part digital workspace, it will tour libraries and other venues in Stoke-on-Trent over the next three years and will consist of two inter-related elements: The Box – a short theatre performance for one person at a time, based on an existing story that takes place in a specially-built environment. This will run on a drop-in basis during library opening hours. The Playbox – an area for reading and writing. Sofas, digital tools such as i-pads and print on demand will combine to enable participants to make their own creative responses and reflections on the story they have experienced. Young people will be able to stay and create for ten minutes or two hours. The aim is to attract young people into libraries, enable them to experience a high-quality arts activity based on ‘the power of the word’ and to reflect on it and shape their own artistic responses, and to start their lifelong reading journey and library habit. Stoke-on-Trent Libraries are working with local arts partner B Arts Ltd to manage the project. The target age-range is 9-13, with a wider accessibility for families. The Box may not be suitable for very young people (under-five). Commission Aim To devise and deliver an inter-active digital workspace (The Playbox) in which a set of digital activities can be undertaken that enable participants to reflect, and make creative responses to, the immersive theatre experience they will have just had. To contribute digital expertise to the team building the immersive theatre experience. Responsible To: Project Manager and Stoke-on-Trent Library Service Works With: Young People’s Writer Immersive Theatre Designer/Maker FEES AND BUDGETS Digital Media Fee - £6200 inclusive of all travel to Stoke-on-Trent and accommodation required for fulfilment of the Tender and participation in testing and reworking as necessary. Production budget for software and hardware - £10,000 All figures include any applicable VAT
Location: The Digital Media Individual/Organisation is required for the Development Lab residencies taking place 28-30 January 2014, and other meetings set out in the schedule of activities that will take place in Stoke-on-Trent. THE OPPORTUNITY To design and deliver a digital workspace that enables young people to creatively reflect and create personal responses to the immersive theatre experience they have just been though. The digital workspace should enable: •
Reflective activities that encourage the participant to consider in a variety of ways the experience they have just had, and to draw out their own personal response to it.
•
Creative activities that will enable the participant to create their own work, including text, that builds on what they have experienced.
•
On-demand printing activities that will enable the participant to edit their work and create something of high quality to take away with them.
•
Be suitable for young people aged 9-13, though it may be not suitable for very young children.
THE CREATIVE TEAM Responsible To: B Arts Project Manager on behalf of B Arts and Stoke-on-Trent Library Service Works With: Young People’s Writer Digital Media Artist Though each artist (Young People’s Writer, Digital Media Artist, Immersive Theatre Environment Designer/Maker) has a distinct area of responsibility, we expect all three to work together in Stoke-on-Trent with the B Arts Creative Director to fulfil all aspects of the project. We imagine the Digital Media Artist will work closely with the Young People’s Writer as the source material for the creative activities should spring from the narrative that he/she is creating. The Digital Media Artist should work closely with the Immersive Theatre Environment Designer/Maker to ensure that the look and feel of the experience flows through into the digital tools – colours, sounds, music etc. to unify the whole
experience from start to finish. This may include elements of the immersive experience being devised by the Digital Media Artist. The workspace should: • Enable four young people to work at the same time. • Be operable by individuals with training but not specialist skills (eg librarians) • Be reliable enough to last for 18 weeks minimum of operation over 3 years with minimal maintenance • Work within the overall space and technological context (ie the 6 libraries involved). OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES Manage the software and hardware production budget in consultation with the B Arts Creative Director. Ensure that all licences and rights relating to software and any copyrighted work are obtained and cover the duration of the project plus two additional years.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES Jan 28-30 2014 Participate in Development Lab to visit libraries, talk to young people and library staff and develop ideas for The Box with the Young People’s Writer and Immersive Theatre Designer/Maker. Feb-March 2014 Development of the software and hardware and work alongside the other two artists to build the digital workspace. April 2014 (Easter) Test week in which the environment and activities are field tested with young people in a library. May 2014 Reworking of all elements of the project following trials ready for first ‘full residency’ in the May half-term. November 2014 Participate in reflection day with other artists and project staff in preparation for Year Two of project. Participate in training (2 days) (focusing on engaging young people in the activities following their experience in the immersive theatre environment).
PERSON/ORGANISATION SPECIFICATION This is an innovative project so we are not expecting anyone to have done something exactly like this before. Relevant experience we are looking for would include: Experience of developing creative and/or inter-active digital tools for mobile and tablet devices on Android, iOS etc. Experience of developing digital tools to assist and enable creative activities (e.g. reading, writing, photography, graphic design). Experience of working with non-digital artists to deliver projects that blend digital and non-digital activity. Experience of print-on-demand. The Qualities We are looking for include: An approach to digital development which is iterative and which puts the user experience at the heart of the project Enthusiasm for working with young people and an understanding of their engagement with technologies Willingness to be part of a creative team and collaborate on solving problems A curiosity about Stoke-on-Trent and the particular contexts (eg libraries) the work will take place in WHO CAN APPLY? We are open to applications from individuals, partnerships or organisations from any discipline. You may decide that you can head up a team of sub-contractors who can work for you to fulfil the brief – please include their details in your response. We are open to joint applications for individuals or organisations who feel they can fulfil both this brief and the Immersive Theatre Designer/Maker brief. Please contact us via the means below if you wish to discuss this further. APPLICATION PROCESS Please send a CV, examples or links to your work, the names and contact details for two referees, and an initial response to the brief that is no more that two sides
of A4 to the address below. You may include other material (eg visuals) you feel is relevant but the entire submission should not exceed 15 pages of A4. Please confirm that you are available for interview, if selected, and the Development Lab dates.
info@b-arts.org.uk B Arts Ltd. 19 The Barracks Barracks Road Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 1LG If you have any queries please contact Trevelyan Wright, Project Manager, at the above e-mail (marked clearly for his attention) or on 01782 717326. Closing Date: Monday 9 December 2013 at 5:00pm Interviews to be held on Thursday December 19th in Stoke-on-Trent. www.b-arts.org.uk