Midsummer Commission

As we approach the shortest days of Midwinter, we’re already looking forward to the longest days of Midsummer! We’re dreaming of and planning the celebrations to come. We’re inviting proposals from artists based in Ireland working in any art form, which may involve collaborating with artists from other disciplines, to create a brand-new Midsummer Moment for the Festival.

We want to support the delivery of an inspiring celebration, one that involves the active participation of audiences. It could be a show, a party, a series of happenings in the city, an installation, a new site-responsive work. It could be delivered online, in person or a mix of both, a collective moment of connection for audiences to participate in from their own homes. The audiences the event is aimed at could be general, families or specific communities of place or interest. It can take place at any time of the day or night. It could involve a fresh approach to elements of Midsummer traditions such as maypole dancing, flowers, food and fire; or it could simply evoke the sense of hope, renewal, magic, abandon or fun that goes hand in hand with Midsummer.

We’re offering a commission fee of up to €10,000 to develop and deliver this event as part of Cork Midsummer Festival. To apply, you will need to submit the following:

A summary of your proposal and the target audience(s) (max 750 words)

Details of how you will incorporate social distancing and Covid compliance into your plans (max 150 words)

An outline of the budget for the proposed project

A list all of the participating artists/arts workers and provide CV’s or biogs for the lead participants and links to previous work

All relevant documentation should be compiled into a single attachment in Word or PDF and sent by email to info@corkmidsummer.com with ‘Midsummer Commission’ in the subject line.
The deadline for proposals is 5.30pm, Thursday 10 December 2020. Proposals will be shortlisted by the director before they are reviewed by the whole Cork Midsummer Festival team including Cork Midsummer Festival Artist In Residence, Peter Power. If you have any queries, you can email info@corkmidsummer.com

Cork Midsummer Festival is an annual multi-disciplinary arts festival that uses the city as its backdrop and inspiration. It provides high-quality arts events, both national and international, for audiences of all ages. Its programme provides opportunities for significant public participation and engagement, supports the development of emerging artists across all artforms, and provides a unique platform for work by local and national artists.