Arts and cultural organisations based in England, including museums, libraries, community organisations and local councils with a cultural project, can apply for a digital commission of up to £11,000 (excluding VAT). Online audience engagement and digital tools have been a necessity for artists, cultural organisations and audiences for the past 24 months. But it has also been a period of innovation and experimentation – figuring out what the virtual world has to offer, and what can be achieved with digital tools. Like audiences and visitors worldwide, The Space are celebrating the return of in-person cultural experiences. But at The Space, they don’t want the benefits of digital practices to be forgotten: improving the accessibility of artistic work and cultural collections, broadening the diversity of their audiences and making their sector more environmentally aware and sustainable. In order to promote the benefits of these digital initiatives they are launching their first themed commissioning round in association with Julie’s Bicycle, to support 10 digital projects with environmental responsibility at their heart. Your artwork could highlight themes relating to climate impact or the environment or be produced and/or distributed in an environmentally responsible way: they are open to both approaches. It could be a video or audio project, or an interactive or immersive experience. Through these commissions, they hope to support, celebrate and consolidate some of the sector-wide learning of the past two years, and look ahead to a greener, more hybrid future. If your application is successful, they can provide support in areas where you may need help, e.g., digital production, content distribution, audience development and online rights. The deadline for applications is 7 April.
