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Open Call: Public Art | Exhibitions 2024-25

We’re handing over the walls and public spaces to you and filling the building with creative voices and art. Whether you’re an established artist or just starting out, we’d love to hear from you.

Azadi by Naz Syed - Winter 2022

As a creative home for everyone, we want to make sure that the work we programme and support is led and chosen by you. Over the past few years we’ve worked with the wider community to ensure a diverse range of voices, ideas and stories are reflected and celebrated throughout the building and as a result we’ve worked with people that we may have never met otherwise.

Exhibitions will be programmed through our participatory budgeting model whereby all applicants vote on which application they feel best fits the brief. This is to ensure that our programme is democratically created by you, the community.

This year we have many opportunities for artists and practitioners to showcase their work; find out more below.

Hijinx – June Install

27–28 June Install | Budget: £2,500 (FOR DISABLED ARTISTS)

This callout is only open for artists who identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent.

To complement Hijinx Unity Festival which will be running over the weekend of the 3–7 July, we are looking for pieces of art to be hung in our Ffwrnais bar area. There are two hanging areas shown in the images below:

Exhibition: Cwtch

Exhibition: Long wall

 

We are looking for pieces from any medium and any theme, the only prerequisite is that they can be hung from the hanging system in the Ffwrnais bar. The art can be from an existing collection, single pieces, pieces of art created by multiple people that can form a collection, art created in community sessions, anything goes! All applications will be welcomed.

For a collection that fills the whole space we will utilise the whole fee, for smaller pieces or groupings we will discuss how the fee is split with the successful artists.

This call out will be managed via our usual participatory budgeting process. We will take those who are successful in scoring the highest amount to the Hijinx panel who will also vote via the participatory budgeting process. If we have some joint winners or need to choose more artists to fill the spaces then all participants will be notified and a decision will be made collectively.

Deadline: Monday 13 May, 5pm

To go to the panel for decisions the week beginning 20 May

Invisible Ocean – July Install

23 July Install | Budget: £2,000

To compliment the Invisible Ocean experience that will be in Bocs for the summer, we are looking for art that responds to the climate crisis and in particular focuses on the seas and the ocean around us. We are particularly keen to look at art that has an environmental message and is able to connect to those who want to make positive change.

The art will be hung in the Ffwrnais bar. We welcome collections and single pieces of art. Where smaller pieces are chosen, we will discuss the fee with the artist/s.

Deadline: Monday 3 June, 5pm

Decision to be made by Friday 14 June

PONTYPOOL – October install

18/19 October Install | Budget: £2,000

In October, just in time for Halloween, we are excited to share with you our new production of PONTYPOOL, a new stage adaption by Hefin Robinson of a horror story which inspired the cult horror movie of the same name and which will be directed by Dan Phillips.

We are looking to fill our Ffwrnais café-bar with exciting artwork.

Set during a severe winter in Pontypool, a has-been DJ, broadcasting from the small local radio station, gets wind of disturbing news: there are babbling crowds gathering as an outbreak of rioting has started in the town…

We are looking for pieces that can complement the show by focusing on those moments in little towns that send everyone into a spin.

Or 

You could be connected to Pontypool and want to showcase local heroes or those people who go the extra mile for their community, or you could be interested in community radio and want to showcase the small radio stations in Wales.

We would love to hear from you. 

Deadline: Friday 8 September, 5pm

Winter – November Install

20–23 November Install | Budget: £2,000

We want you to create something enchanting and visually stunning that celebrates what the Winter season means to you and pays homage to the theme of light and magic emerging from the darkness of winter. We want our visitors to feel a sense of warmth and joy, wonder and amazement. This will also feature on the Ffwrnais walls.

We welcome applications that include collections of single pieces. Where smaller pieces are chosen, we will discuss the fee with the artist/s.

Deadline: 20 September, 5pm 

Decision to be made by 5 October

Santes Dwynwen – January Install

January Install (TBC) | Budget: £2,000

To celebrate Santes Dwynwen this year, we welcome any artwork that relates to the themes of this day to showcase in Ffwrnais bar. We welcome applications that include collections of single pieces. Where smaller pieces are chosen, we will discuss the fee with the artist/s.

Deadline: 22 November. Decision to be made by 2 December

You can read about our previous Public Art Call Out: Winter for more information and read about all our creative opportunities.

 

HOW TO APPLY 

We welcome applications from artists, individuals, community groups and arts organisations who are Welsh or Wales based.

To apply we need you to send: 

  • A written, video or audio description of your work (Written descriptions should be no more than a side of A4) 
  • examples of previous work/ events  
  • Links to your social media profiles if you have them or some information about the work that you do   

This will be shared with other applicants so again please make sure you are happy with this or message us to discuss.

 If you would like to apply or find out more information email community@wmc.org.uk