Club performance residencies

Call Out For Artists

In partnership with Glasgow clubnights including Shoot Your Shot, HEALTHY & Bonjour, BUZZCUT are inviting submissions from Scotland-based artists looking to develop new performances for club environments.

The BUZZCUT club residencies are for artists working in the blurry, murky worlds between live art, contemporary performance and visual art who are looking to make ambitious performances in Glasgow’s clubs. We believe club spaces are some of the most exciting contexts for people to experience radical performances outside of arts institutions, and we want to properly support the amazing artists making their livelihoods on the dancefloor.

What you’ll get:

  • £700 Bursary (This covers all fees, materials & any technical hires you need that the venue doesn’t have in stock. It is VAT inclusive)

  • A £300 Development Fund: could be used for artistic mentorship, collaborations, or a ‘go and see’ fund to see relevant work.

  • 4 gigs over a two-month period at selected club nights around Glasgow (events will be selected based on your individual practice in conversation with BUZZCUT)

  • Mentorship from BUZZCUT including: optional creative feedback, articulating your tech needs with club promoters, advice on fees, network building and marketing your practise

  • Documentation of your work (Dependent on permission from the individual club nights)

dates:

We have three residencies available:

  • August - September 2022

  • October - November 2022

  • February - March 2023


ELIGIBILITY

  • Artists must be committed to making live performance works. These can be any length within the individual clubnights parameters. 

  • You must be currently based in Scotland for more than 50% of your time

  • Artists based outside of Glasgow may still apply but we will not be able to cover travel or accommodation costs. 

  • This opportunity is not open to those in Undergraduate or pursuing a Masters focused on their artistic practise. Students graduating in June 2022 are welcome to apply.

  • Artist duos and collectives are welcome to apply, however we encourage you to consider that the fee is not large and more than two people are unlikely to be paid fairly for their time.


WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for unique performance practises that bring new ideas, politics, aesthetics & performance styles into club spaces. We’re looking for artists who want to think deeply about their work and really consider what is possible in these spaces. 

We are looking for artists whose work doesn’t fit into traditional categories of theatre, dance, music or poetry. The residency is not for a gigging poet or band/musician. We’re looking for artists who want to consider how their practices may be adapted for a loud, busy club context. Some major inspirations of ours who create club performance include: Ursula Martinez, boychild, Travis Alabanza, Lasana Shabazz, Katy Baird, Duckie & Double Pussy Clit Fuck.

We love club performances that are loud, messy, disruptive & in-your-face, but we also love performances which can be slow, beautiful, meditative or tender. Performances can be for the main stage, or inhabit a different area of the club such as the toilets, dance floor, cloakrooms or smoking areas. You could develop one idea in detail through repeated performances, or try out several different ideas over the course of the residency.

Whilst we will try and give as much freedom as possible for you to experiment, some nights may have specific parameters, technical restrictions or briefs to respond to. If selected for the residency we will discuss these with you closer to the time. You will need to fill out a risk assessment and your bursary will need to cover all materials & technical hires outside of what the club has in stock.

Previous residencies were given to:

Purina Alpha
Thefuries
Nelly Kelly 
Christian Noelle-Charles
Gloria
Baby Punk & Dr Babuyoka
FMIN + Aniela Piasecka
Mele Broomes 
Craig Manson

We strongly welcome applications from d/Deaf and disabled artists. We will discuss any access requirements you may have and we will shape the opportunity in a way to best support you and your work.  All venue partners are wheelchair accessible with access to accessible toilets.

CRITERIA

The panel will be made up of representatives of the club nights, as well as previous recipients of the residencies. They will consider the applications based on the following criteria:

Uniqueness of practise 
We’re looking for artists working in ways we have not seen before, or are asking unique & interesting questions through their research & practise. 

Suitability for Club partners
The panel will be made up of different types of clubnight with different audiences & music styles. Therefore their decision will partly be informed by the proposals resonances with their nights.

Experimentation with form
We will be looking for works which deeply consider the context of club performance spaces and are looking to experiment with what is possible within them.

Representation & Breadth of Experience
We recognise that there is systemic exclusion within the performance sector and we want to contribute to change by addressing imbalances in our decision making processes. We especially welcome applications from those who identify within communities  currently under-represented. This includes Black people and People of Colour, Disabled people, individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+, those with parental or care responsibilities and people from working-class backgrounds. The panel will look to ensure a breadth of experiences, backgrounds and practices are represented amongst the selected artists.

Application Questions:


– Name:
– Address:
– Phone number:
– Email Address:

Q.1 Please describe your existing practise and what you want to explore or develop as part of the residency (400 words)

Tips:
Use this question to tell us about your arts practise, what does your work look, feel, sound like? What references do you draw on for inspiration? It is often helpful to describe one or two previous works to give the panel examples of what makes you tick. You also might want to reference any awards, commissions, achievements you’ve had recently. This is also your chance to talk about the specific project idea that you want to explore during your time working with us. What are you interested in working on right now and why? Are you asking a specific question or exploring a particular topic? Are you interested in experimenting with a particular dance or performance style? What are the materials you are working with or interested in working with?

Q.2 Which of the slots are you available for?

– August - September 2022

– October - November 2022

– February - March 2023

Please choose all that you are available for.

Q.3 What interests you about club performance and what do you want to get out of this residency?

Tips:
This is a chance to give the panel an idea about what impact you think this residency will have on your career and practise. Are you already an established face on the club-scene and you want to spend some time developing new ideas? Are you totally new to club performance and want to have a go? Will this residency impact any wider research interests or long-term ambitions? Do you want to develop a new income stream to support your practise elsewhere?

Supporting Documentation
You’re welcome to submit up to 3 images and up to 2 video links to documentation of your previous work.

Tips:
These are not essential but can be useful to give the panel an idea of what your work can look like. You could include a link to your website or Instagram or any photos / videos you have of previous works.

Alternative application formats; Video

If you prefer, you can submit an application by Video.

Video applications can be between 3 - 7 minutes long. This video does not need to be highly edited, tightly scripted or shot with a good quality camera. If it is more relaxing for you, you could answer the questions in conversation with someone. You will just need to ensure you answer all the questions clearly. 

We will accept video applications in English and British Sign Language. Please upload your finished video to Vimeo or Youtube and email the link, along with a CV (if you have one) and any links or images of your work to buzzcutkarl@gmail.com

If another application form is more accessible for you, please email us and we would be happy to discuss alternatives.

The BUZZCUT 2022 Club Residencies are made possible with the generous support of SHED.


Images; from 2020 BUZZCUT club residents.

1. Still from In This Moment I’m Living: Ease by Thefuries. Film by Tiu Makonnen.

2. Still from Life In the C*ntry by Nelly Kelly. Film by Tiu Makonnen

3. Purina Alpha