The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is pleased to announce the distribution of $19,500 in Mini Grants to 13 local professional artists as part of Artsweek SHIFT².
These grants support a wide variety of creative research, production and professional development activities that aid local artists in expanding and advancing their artistic practice and furthering new work, at a time when sales and public presentation fees have all but disappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects include the transformation of theatre and dance works into film, music album production, mentorships, and work on new novels from local writers.
A complete list of the artists and projects is included at the bottom of this document.
These projects were selected following an Open Call for Proposals for a program of Artsweek SHIFT² Mini Grants to Professional Artists. This was a competitive program and a five-member Peer Jury assessed the 47 eligible applications, and each of the 13 successful applicants received a grant of $1,500.
Artsweek SHIFT is a special pandemic project created by EC3 in response to the postponement until September 2021, of Artsweek 2020, the city’s multi-disciplinary festival of the arts. Artsweek SHIFT began with series of arts events that took place in-person and online in October to December 2020, including curated projects Downtown and Post-Code Tour.
The second phase, Artsweek SHIFT², included both the Mini Grants to Professional Artists, as well as a series of Project Production and Presentation Grants (announced previously) that will support a ‘pocket festival’ of arts activities to take place live in Peterborough and online between May and July 2021.
A complete list of all Artsweek SHIFT² projects and details about the ‘pocket festival’ can be found on Artsweek SHIFT’s website, and regular updates will be provided on Artsweek’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
EC3 thanks The City of Peterborough and the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) for their generous support in making Artsweek SHIFT² possible.
Artsweek SHIFT² Mini Grants to Professional Artists – Recipients
Alex Bierk: Opioid Crisis Project
Visual arts project allowing the artist to use his voice and reach to speak to the opioid epidemic.
Dreda Blow: How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear!
A devised theatre piece exploring the extraordinary life and work of British poet and illustrator Edward Lear, through dance, text, music and puppetry.
Nikki Cobden: Exploring the Ancient Technique of Sand Casting
Creation of a collection of silver jewellery using the ancient technique of sand casting, and the development of more complex and challenging pieces.
Jon Hedderwick: Enkidu
Mentorship, workshopping, and production of two to three in-progress performances of his first original solo theatre performance, Enkidu, based on The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Karol Orzechowski: penumbra // antumbra
A live performance of a new song suite by Garbageface, along with a very limited physical pressing of the music album it represents.
Tristan Peirce: You Also Inherit the Stories
Uncovering the history that the artist’s father and grandfather left to them through their photos, negatives, slides, and super 8/8mm film.
Benj Rowland: Community Garden Solo Album – Completion of Project
Manufacture, promotion and release of a new solo album entitled Community Garden.
Wes Ryan: Cornered
An interactive abstract art installation, created by people with disabilities, inviting audiences to reinterpret and reimagine the spaces in which we live, work, and play.
Ireni Stamou: Bone Stories Reimagined
Creation of a short dance film, Bone Stories Reimagined with filmmaker Eryn Lidster, as part of artist residency with Public Energy Performing Arts.
Kate Story: Save Us from Wreck
The development of a new novel, Save Us from Wreck, about a theatre artist in a world of magic.
Esther Vincent: Outbreak Report
Continuation of work on the second draft of novel Outbreak Report.
Ziysah von Bieberstein: Poetry to Page Mentorship
A six-month mentorship with award-winning poet Alessandra Naccarato geared toward moving spoken word performance to the page.
Hilary Wear: Granny Kokum movie-making & improvising with camera-artist
Wear and Laurel Paluck, two Peterborough-area artists and collaborators practice making movie shorts and clown-based performance pieces, exploring, improvising and devising, using filmmaking.