National Space Centre together with Greywood Arts are pleased to announce an Open Call for the Cosmic Debris Residency, seeking three  collaborators from any artistic or scientific background to create an immersive exhibition or experience for SpaceFest 2024. SpaceFest is an annual SFI (Science Foundation Ireland) funded Science Week Festival that offers an immersive experience combining creativity with the science of the cosmos.  The addition of a Scientist in Residence is new this year, creating an opportunity for a science practitioner to actively participate in the creative direction of the artwork, working as a collaborator and co-creator rather than as a consultant. The resulting collaborative work will be exhibited in the Round Room space under the National Space Centre’s iconic 32-metre Big Dish, and is historically visited by several thousand visitors.

WHAT: A five-week (total) residency for Artists & Scientists at Greywood Arts and the NSC.

Stipend: €3,000 per person inclusive of VAT
Materials/Production Budget: There is a limited budget for materials and production costs which will be discussed during the incubator. The group will be provided with an ESERO Space Materials kit, and with space industry junk removed from the NSC control room.
Self-Catering Accommodation & studio space provided
Travel contribution for international participants
Curatorial support provided by Greywood Arts
Marketing provided by NSC

WHERE: Greywood Arts in Killeagh and National Space Centre, Elfordstown, Cork.

WHEN: This project requires a commitment to be on-site and working in collaboration for the following dates, though there is some flexibility.

Application Deadline: Monday July 15th 23:59
Notifications: We aim to notify applicants by Monday 22nd July however this is subject to change if we receive a high volume of applications. We know it is a tight turn around and will do our absolute best to let you know as quickly as possible.
Incubator: August 18-24, 2024. Through facilitated sessions with Greywood’s Artistic Director, the collaborators will get to know each other’s work, begin brainstorming and set objectives for the next phase of the residency. The NSC will use their extensive network to assist participants to connect with any relevant space experts as needed. Time in the studios at Greywood Arts will be supplemented by site visits to the NSC (where you will meet the facility staff), Blackrock Castle Observatory, the Crawford Observatory, and arts spaces in Cork.
Intermission: Participants will return home for two months to do independent research, let ideas percolate and plan for the residency.
Making Residency: October 19 – November 20, 2024. The cohort returns to East Cork for an intensive 4-week residency to create an immersive exhibition for Science Week.
Exhibition at SpaceFest: November 15-17, 2024

WHO: The residency is open to citizens of the EEA (the EU, plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein), Switzerland and the UK.

1 Ireland based artist
1 International (EEA/UK/CH) based artist
1 person with a science or engineering background (IE/EEA/UK/CH).

Applicants should apply as individuals. In the case of a pre-existing collaboration, one person should make the application on behalf of the pair.

Apply Here

SpaceFest is an SFI (Science Foundation Ireland) funded Science Week Festival that offers an immersive experience combining creativity with the science of the cosmos. The magic and mystery of the night sky has perpetually motivated curious minds to explore the science behind the workings of the universe; likewise, it has also inspired generations of artists to contemplate the expanse of space and our human place within it. Greywood Arts and the National Space Centre come together to offer 8 days of innovative workshops, talks, tours and exhibitions that bring art and science together to encourage curiosity and foster dialogue around the pivotal role of STEAM in addressing societal issues through the challenges posed by space. In 2024, SpaceFest expands from East Cork into Cork City! https://spacefest.ie/

The Cosmic Debris Residency is an opportunity to create the core SpaceFest exhibition in response to the issue of space debris, or defunct human-made objects in space which no longer serve a useful function. The US Space Surveillance Network reported 25,857 artificial objects in orbit above the Earth in 2022, including 5,465 operational satellites. Collaborators might wish to explore the impact of dead spacecraft left in orbit, the regulation of outer space, and humanity’s impact on the universe. We also invite the wonder of the cosmos and inspiration of the night sky into the creative process! Applicants are encouraged to explore innovative ways to engage visitors through interactive installations, multimedia experiences, and immersive storytelling. Past projects have made use of the numerous screens in the round room exhibition space, and have included interactive sculpture, video installations and an immersive dance performance.

Questions?: Contact create@greywoodarts.org

SpaceFest 2023:

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