PUSH LAB 2024: Invitations for Collaboration 

This year’s PUSH LAB: Invitations for Collaboration will explore multidisciplinary approaches to collective working and sharing ideas and practices across artforms.

The lab will enable artists to think about what working with creatives from another field might look like and what happens when you bring together artists from different disciplines with a broad range of skills.

We hope that the provocation Invitations for Collaboration will prompt thinking about what it means to invite collaborators into your artistic process; how to build an artistic framework that begins with collaboration; and how we can find new ways of working with a new group based on support and experimentation.

What is PUSH LAB? 

PUSH LAB is a 5-day laboratory taking place Mon 15 – Fri 19 Jan 2024, for artists and creatives from a variety of disciplines to come together to play, explore, share and respond to the provocation Invitations for Collaboration.

During this week you will take part in workshops with facilitators as a starting point, then lead your own sessions within a group and have space for self-led activity to explore your ideas, share skills and think about your collective response to Invitations for Collaboration.

There is no expectation of an outcome, but we would like you to come together to talk to us about what you have learned on the Friday. This may be new ways of working, new skills, or just having a new idea you want to take forward after this week.

We will provide a basic tech set up of a PA and projector. Any further tech requirements can be discussed after selection.

You will apply as an individual and we will select 2 groups of 5 people that represent a breadth of practices and skills.

Over the 5 days producers from the HOME artist development team will be on hand, should you need them and to do regular check-ins.

The first day will be a workshop for all 10 participants with artist Stacy Makishi to explore ways to work together and get inspired!

What we can offer 

• A bursary of £500 per person
• Space in either the Weston Room or Theatre 2 for the 5 days.
• A full day workshop with artist Stacy Makishi
• Advisory sessions with HOME artist development producers
• A group dinner on one night

Who is this for?  

• Individuals of any artistic discipline (theatre, film, visual art, dance, digital, anything!)
• You should have at least 1 year of professional experience in your art form (outside study)
• You must be aged over 18 years
• You must be based within travelling distance of HOME, Manchester
• You must be open to working with other artists that you may not know
• You must be available Mon 15 – Fri 19 Jan at least 10:00 – 17:00 each day

How to apply

Please complete THIS FORM

OR

send us an audio/video recording (no more than 3 minutes) with the following questions to push@homemcr.org

• Tell us about yourself and your practice.
• What do you feel you will bring to the group?
• What would you like to gain from this process?
• Are there any other artforms you are particularly interested in working with?’
• Do you have any access requirements you would like us to know about at this stage?

What we are looking for;

• We are seeking to provide the selected artists with a meaningful and developmental experience.
• We will look carefully at your responses and try to match up artists we think will benefit from working together.
• We will also be looking for a mix of artists from different creative disciplines.

Deadline for applications: Mon 4 Dec 2023, 12noon

Image credit: Nwando Ebizie, Distorted Constellations (part of PUSH Festival 2019). Install Photography: C J Griffiths Photography