Bagri Foundation - At Home in the World | call for submissions by Asian artists

The Bagri Foundation is pleased to invite submissions for a brand-new online commissioning series entitled At Home in the World. Proposals may be submitted by artists from an Asian country or Asian diaspora - 5 artists will be awarded an honorarium (£1000 GBP) for the preparation and delivery of the digital contribution, to be presented on online platforms hosted by the Bagri Foundation.

The Foundation has been keen to start a digital programme for well over a year, and at a time when postponements and cancellations are taking place across the world, it felt now would be the best time to reallocate funds for a project that ensures Asian artists can continue to make work from home. Since we cannot currently travel to see art, this project explores the myriad ways that creative practitioners can engage with the digital.

For At Home in the World, the Bagri Foundation is inviting artists, writers, musicians, curators, filmmakers, researchers and academics to submit proposals to be one of five new online public commissions, to be presented across its online platforms.

The title is inspired by Vietnamese philosopher and Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s collection of autobiographical stories which impart mindfulness teachings, insights and life lessons. Embracing Hanh’s inspiring mindful approach, the online series has been designed for creatives from across Asia and the diaspora to share their own journeys of discovery, knowledge and ideas.

How do we cope, connect and continue to create? How can we explore new ways of thinking about survival, care and solidarity? Perhaps you want to make a work that has nothing to do with this crisis. Perhaps you have always made work that explores subjects which have become ever more urgent.

Being culturally curious, the Foundation is calling out for participants to respond to this brief not only from a place of artistic creation, but that of a place of hope. As we enter a new world, which may look very different from the one we’ve always known, the Foundation invites those who can challenge its thinking, inspire and encourage others.

Who is eligible to apply?

The Bagri Foundation welcomes proposals from artists, writers, musicians, curators, filmmakers and academics in which the opportunity to experiment and receive resources from an arts foundation would be impactful. It would particularly like to see applications from those who have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and who have suffered cancellations of work as a result. The Foundation encourages anyone who considers themselves an emerging artist to apply and there is no age or geographical limit.

Proposals can be submitted by single artists or artist collectives that meet the below criteria:

Artists must be from an Asian country or Asian diaspora as per the Foundation’s remit.
Applicants must have experience conceiving and executing works or projects
The work submitted must not have already been exhibited publicly
The work must be able to be shared digitally
The work must fit into one or more of these five identified categories:
- Visual Arts – painting, sculpture, artists video, photography
- Film – short films in any genre, filmed performance such as dance or performance art
- Sound – music, sound art, podcasts
- Written Word – poetry, essay, fictional narrative
- Lectures/Courses – workshops, talks and courses delivered virtually and ideally participatory

The Foundation has a strong interest in traditional arts and culture of Asia and its influence on contemporary practices, and therefore would love to see proposals that embrace this.

What does the Foundation mean when it says Asia?

The Foundation supports work by artists from all of Asia and its diaspora in its broadest sense. This includes Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Each of the five selected artists will receive an honorarium of £1,000 GBP (inclusive of taxes and expenses) for the preparation and delivery of the digital contribution. In the case of a collective, this honorarium is per project selected, not per artist.

The selected works will be presented on online platforms, hosted via Bagri Foundation on all connected social media platforms between June and August, approximately every two weeks.

Deadline for proposals: 17 April 2020 at 17:00 GMT

The Bagri Foundation is a UK registered charity, inspired by unique and unexpected ideas that weave the traditional and the contemporary of Asian culture. The Foundation is driven by curiosity, a desire to learn and supports a myriad of exciting artistic programmes that challenge, engage and inspire. Through a diverse programme of film, visual arts, music, dance, literature, courses and lectures, the Bagri Foundation gives artists and experts from across Asia, or those inspired by the continent, wider visibility on the global stage.

IMAGE: Phoenix Will Rise, Rana Begum and Marina Tabassum, Is This Tomorrow? Alserkal Avenue + Whitechapel Gallery Dubai, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.