CRITERIA
Topical Focus areas: Bag Factory’s surrounding environment, Fordsburg’s multicultural social fabric, resilience and optimism and play, encouraging interaction.
Successful proposals will be considered on the grounds of Ingenuity and creativity; Improvisation given the modest budget; Durability, use of green and/or recycled materials
OPEN CALL:
2025 ART COMMISSIONS PROGRAMME
Are you a visual artist looking to advance your career, expand your practice and earn a modest income?
Our Artist Commissions Programme supports emerging and mid-career artists by offering them the tools, resources, and platforms they need to thrive. It also uplifts the Bag Factory’s immediate environment and connects them with a vibrant community.
In the programme’s second year, we centre the question “What makes a studio?” We invite creatives with a sustainability mindset to think collaboratively about what it means to create and maintain spaces dedicated to communal artistic practices. We ask: what are “favourable conditions” for art making and community building?; and blur the false dichotomy between programming (or project-based work) and institutional maintenance, emphasising the interdependence of these two cultural responsibilities.
The question “What makes a studio?” deepens our ongoing enquiry into site-specific art and place-making. It is underpinned by our recognition of how functional art practices have historically been dismissed within fine art concepts. This project celebrates disappearing and reappearing traditions and the unacknowledged hands that create these pieces and spaces.
With this in mind, we hereby invite you to submit proposals for commissioned artworks with a topical focus on Bag Factory’s multicultural social fabric, resilience, optimism, work and play.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 29 JANUARY 2025
CATEGORIES
+ Interior Design
We invite interior designers with a focus on communal practice to submit their portfolios for consideration. The selected interior designer will be required to work directly with the commissioned artists in other categories to design the shared studio space which will culminate in this project. With input from the users of the space, i.e. Bag Factory staff and permanent artists, the selected designer will facilitate the assembly of commissioned works into a functional, adaptable and welcoming shared working space for young artists. Preference will be given to designers who demonstrate values of community-led, sustainable design and a desire to sub-commission or collaborate with local service providers.
+ Industrial Design
We invite industrial and furniture designers to submit proposals for movable interior furniture that can beautify shared studio spaces while creating seating and working surfaces (i.e. chairs and desks), separation (i.e. room dividers), lockable, versatile storage and more for the artists using them. Preference will be given to creative modular furniture solutions from recycled and/ or materials such as wood and steel with an emphasis on adaptability for communal use.
+ Ceramics
We invite ceramicists to submit proposals for utilitarian homeware (including tiles) which will beautify our shared studio while bolstering its functionality and versatility for the artists who occupy it.
+ Textile/ Fibre - Based Works
We invite textile and fibre-based artists including weavers to submit proposals for decorative and functional textile works. From rugs to baskets, curtains, room dividers and more, artists are encouraged to think about and communicate in their proposals how materials will be treated to prevent degradation. Preference will be given to artists using recycled and/ or reclaimed materials.
+ Woodworking
We invite woodworkers to submit proposals for utilitarian homeware which will beautify our shared studio while bolstering its functionality and versatility for the artists who occupy it.
*All artists and designers must apply industry scaling standards to their proposed work unless deviation from these served some expressed purpose.
ARTISTS WILL RECEIVE:
- Funding: A total budget of R23 000.00 for design, production, transportation and installation
- Upskilling: Free enrolment into a Digital Design-Thinking short course to develop their digital skills and create professional portfolio website or alternate digital platform
- Exposure: Commissioned works will be featured in the programme’s culminating group exhibition
- Mentorship: Hands-on engagement from the Bag Factory’s team and permanent artists
ELIGIBILITY
- Early-career artists and designers of all ages
- South African citizens and permanent residents
- Able to travel to Fordsburg for site-visits during finalisation of design
For queries only, please email info@bagfactoryart.org.za stating the programme name, the category within which you are applying and your name as the email subject line e.g. Artist Commission Industrial Design – Boitumelo Hlubi.
Please note the public presentation of the successful art commissions will take place on at the beginning of April 2025 at Bag Factory Artists’ Studios.
The Project is made possible with funding from the National Arts Council, Republic Of South Africa
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 29 JANUARY 2025
Click here to fill in the application form
Applications require the proposal to:
- Unpack the thematic expressed in the artwork and its relevance to the context of Bag Factory and the question of “What makes a studio?”
- Provide a visual proposal that includes a digital scaled rendition of the proposed Public Art/Design work.
- Breakdown of Budget e.g. Artist fee, Materials & Installation, Contingency, etc. Funding will be disbursed in 3 Tranches: 25% upon provision of renders of approved proposal, 50% upon Stage 2 completion & Balance of 25% end of April 2025.
- Production Schedule (please include project progress check in dates with Bag Factory team between around the middle of February and March 2025). The artwork is to be produced 03 February – 28 March and to be delivered to Bag Factory by the artist/ designer on or before 4 April 2025
- Phase 1 – Final rendition of approved project
- Phase 2 – Proof of 50% completion of project
- Phase 3 – Delivery and/or Installation of project
Successful artists will be contacted in the week starting 27 January 2025
Successful proposals will be considered on the grounds of:
- Ingenuity and creativity
- Improvisation given the modest budget
- Durability, use of green and/or recycled materials